Cabin camping near West Union is a great way to escape into nature, yet still have all the comforts of home. It's easy to find cabins in West Union with The Dyrt. When you're looking for a quiet location in nature, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect cabin rental.
Located about an hour’s drive north of Cedar Rapids, Backbone State Park is Iowa’s oldest state park. Established in 1920, it was named for a narrow limestone ridge—the Devil’s Backbone—along the Maquoketa River. At its founding, it was one of the largest state parks in the U.S. to offer camping, picnicking and hiking opportunities. Since that time, the park has expanded to 2,100 acres—almost double its original size—and offers even more opportunities for locals and visitors to get outdoors and enjoy some time in nature. Whether it’s wandering the woods, fishing on a quiet creek, lounging by the lake, or just napping in shade under a swinging hammock, there’s something for everyone here.
The two campgrounds at Backbone State Park offers 125 campsites for tent and RV campers. The large South Lake Campground has nearly 100 sites, about half with electrical hookups, with flush toilets and showers. The smaller Six Pines Campground has 27 primitive tent sites with vault toilets. Most sites are open and grassy, but there are plenty of shade trees around. Both locations have drinking water faucets and trash receptacles; a dump station is located at the South Lake Campground. The park also offers a few 1- and 2-bedroom cabins for those visiting sans tent or RV; bedding not provided. Many sites and facilities are ADA accessible. A small store in the park sells bait, firewood and some concessions. Reservations are accepted, but some sites are held open for first-come, first-served campers. Seasonal campsite rates range from $6–$16/night; cabins range from $50–$100/night.
There are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy at Backbone State Park. The park features several playgrounds, picnic areas, an outdoor auditorium, and a museum. More than 21 miles of multiuse trails explore the woods and waterways within the park. Taking a hike or ride is the best way to see some of the park’s natural rock features, including the Stone Arch, Balance Rock, and the Devil’s Backbone. In winter, many of these trails are open for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Swimming, paddling and boating can be enjoyed on Backbone Lake, with kayak and canoe rentals available from the park, and angers can fish for trout on the creek out of Richmond Springs. And rock climbers will find several challenging routes on the park’s many limestone cliffs.
Yellow River State Forest in northeast Iowa is home to stunning views, beautiful woodlands, and meandering trout streams. Nestled in Iowa’s driftless area in Allamakee County, Yellow River offers numerous outdoor recreation opportunities including camping, equestrian riding, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, and more. Yellow River State Forest was first established in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corp and is home to Iowa’s only fire tower, built in 1963. Today, the forest is managed for numerous natural resource benefits and recreational opportunities.
Big Paint campgrounds are non-modern with vault toilets. Drinking water is available near the office complex. Advance campsite reservations are recommended and can be made through the park reservation system, and one-quarter of the campsites are available for self-registration on a first-come first-served basis.
$12 / night
Chimney Rock campground has medium service private campground with cabin rentals, canoe, and kayak rentals. Primitive and electric sites and livery service. Located along the gorgeous upper iowa river. Chimney rock campground 5 small (six person) cabins and 2 Large (12 person) cabins. All have heat and air conditioning. All include: stove, refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, toaster, pots and pans as well as complete table service. You do need to bring your own bedding. There are full sized bunk beds in the lower level and queen beds in the loft. There is also a water storage container and sink for washing dishes. For bathing we have a community bath and shower house. There are porta potties located very near the cabins as well.
Yellow River State Forest is a perfect place to explore some of Iowa's best hiking trails. Located in northeast Iowa in Allamakee County, the forest is part of the "driftless area" that escaped the glaciers during the most recent ice age. The forest consists of 8,900 acres of hardwood and coniferous forest and is comprised of 6 units.
The Paint Creek Unit is of primary interest to the recreationist, with well-kept camping areas, equestrian accommodations, fishing, hunting, and over 45 miles of trails for hiking, equestrian riding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.
One rustic camping cabin is available to rent from April 15th through October 31st of each year. There is a minimum stay requirement of 2 nights for this cabin. This rustic cabin has electricity, a microwave, a full-sized refrigerator, and two porches, where one of them is screened in. Visitors must provide their own bedding, towels, cooking utensils, and other essential items. The cabin is located near the backpack registration parking lot and the forestry office.
$75 / night
WE ARE AN EASY COME, EASY GO KIND OF STAY, SO NO SET UP OR BREAK DOWN! COME VISIT YOUR PERSONAL PARADISE & GLAMPING EXPERIENCE. Clean, quiet, located next to a cave & waterfall. (As of Saturday, April 6, God decided to turn our waterfall back on). Trout fishing on our patch of Canoe Creek is always available, friendly horse petting (no feeding!), horseshoe, volleyball, hiking up hills. You’ll have a private firepit, grill, loungers, deck, herb garden to cook with. Kayak rentals May 1 -September 30 only. A glamping gem with 60 AMENITIES & great hospitality! - Uncle Jon & Rose
PROPERTY:
RUSTIC ACRES is family owned and operated in the north woods of DECORAH, IOWA of the Driftless & Bluff region next to a waterfall coming out of a cave, (not always running), a windy crick spanning the walkable property, Canoe Creek for trout fishing, cave & mountain side to hike, friendly horses (don’t feed!), private fire pit, grill, loungers, tree hammock and deck. All nestled in a cozy valley. Private RV camper that sleeps up to 7 people with children OR max 5 adults. You may bring your own tents or we can set one up/break it down with queen air mattress, bedding and tarp for $25. Glamping at its best! 1 queen bed, 2 full bunkbeds, 1 twin bed inside the camper and 1 tree hammock next to camper. We also offer another camper called “Hillside Camper” that sleeps 3 adults with 1 queen bed and 1 twin bed managed by cousin Cody. 1 pet per reservation allowed. $25 non-refundable pet fee per reservation. Thank you and we hope to see you out here RELAXING, REFRESHING, RECHARGING!
YOU MAY ACCESS:
The clean and fully stocked camper with full bathroom, heat, AC, private deck, fire pit, grill, waterfall (not always running), spring, cave, volleyball court, horseshoe court, hammock in the trees, creek, horse field and most of the grounds. Do not go close to the large house as other renters are typically occupying it or hiking up too far on the Rustic Acres mountain. Please don't feed the friendly horses while you pet and always stay in front of them. Thank you!
There may be other guests staying in the large house or the other camper called Hillside Camper. You may be visited by feral cats or 2 unleashed & sweet neighbor dogs. Uncle Jon lives on the property in a separate building, so he is physically available when needed. Rose is available by phone/text & sometimes in person when there is an urgency. We are at your service and wish for you to contact us immediately on how we can make your visit the best one possible. Enjoy! - Uncle Jon & Rose
OTHER GUEST INTERACTION:
There may be other guests staying in the large house on the far side of the property or the other camper a few hundred yards away called the "Hillside Camper". You may be visited by feral cats or 2 unleashed & sweet neighbor dogs. Keep your animal in the camper or leashed outside of the camper. Uncle Jon lives on the property in a separate building, so he is physically available when needed. Rose is available by phone/text & sometimes in person when there is an urgency. We are at your service and wish for you to contact us immediately on how we can make your visit the best one possible. Enjoy! - Uncle Jon & Rose
NOTES:
PLEASE follow the instructions above the camper toilet on how to flush and refill it properly for the best smell experience. Read the white welcome binder on the dining table for FAQs and write us a little note about your stay! The kids love reading about your stay! And lastly, have fun and let Uncle Jon or Rose know via call or text to our personal phone numbers if you need anything, compared to just messaging us on this platoform, as we want to respond quickly and remedy your situation. It's our pleasure to serve you! - Uncle Jon & Rose
$100 - $150 / night
Guide
Was very thankful to find a place to overnight in mid-November. Not a lot of free parking options in this part of Iowa. No water, electric, or dump station, so very much like a parking lot overnight from that perspective. However, the park is situated on the valley bottom of the Yellow River Forest with beautiful tall trees, and there are fire rings. Fee was $12. First come first served basis from November through March.
Guide
A great place for a weekend camping trip. We had an excellent spot (35). One of the only sites with grass. Great hiking and trout fishing.
RangerVery nice QUIET park! RV Campsites are gravel with fire ring and picnic table. The sites are fairly level. There is also a cabin to rent. Many electric sites.
Very nice hiking trails, make sure to check the map to plan easy hike up and steep hike downhill! Beautiful vistas on the Switchback trail.
The Mossy Seep trail has interesting plants and unique growth.
Big Spring Trail boarders the campground, easy walk to see the Spring. Tried to dip feet in the water but couldn’t leave them in the COLD water for long! Water is crystal clear and flowing fast.
Bathroom (men’s) if functional, has running water at the sinks and showers work well.
NO PHONE SERVICE which we appreciated.
The Restaurant “Good Times” is 4 miles away and has good food and service. Also a grocery store in town in case you need more supplies.
Leaves are just starting to change in September.
ScoutCame to learn more about Tenkara fly fishing. Had a ball. Visited the 3 lookouts including Iowa only Fire tower. Bird life is colorful. Lots of places to hike. Scenery is lush. I had no phone service. Campsites are well mown, have a picnic table and fire ring. Pit toilets. Easy access to water. Drink water and firewood are at the host A frame. There is no dump site. Everyone was very friendly. Helpful. Nights were quiet. Very relaxing.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! Don't have your own camper, but want to try the camper life in an awesome spot? The Hideaway Camper is hosted by experienced hosts and they're ready to provide a great experience for guests. Check them out and share some pics from your stay on the Dyrt!
Traveler
This is a quiet and nice park. Lots of pull through lots. I am missing a swimming pool but they do have a beach by a pond if that interests you. Bathrooms are cleaned daily but at times are quite nasty. Not their fault people are just nasty.
GuideWe stayed at started at the Lost Island water park KOA for just one night while passing through the area. We were in our class C while slowly making our way across the country. We had no problems getting a spot here. Sites are gravel for the RV, reasonably level, and very well maintained. Most sites are pull through. Hookups are in very good condition. Each site had a grassy area with a picnic table. Staff was very friendly and helpful. There was a playground, beach and fenced dog area. Cost was very good for the amenities provided.
The campground had a store, gas station and propane available.
We had 4 bar LTE with Verizon. Our hotspot was usable and performed very well. We enjoyed our brief stay at this campground. We will stay again when traveling this way.
Guide
Stayed in march it was cold but very nice park , restrooms were nice shower house was closed and locked but the scenery on the hiking trail was amazing
GuideThis campground was large. The lake reminded me of a puzzle I did with my grandma as a kid. It was fall, and it was just gorgeous. There was a wedding the weekend we were there, but we were lucky to explore the tower the day prior. The nearby communities offer ameneties, which were needed as I sprained a knee hiking the backbone trail my third go. Absolutely adored the weekend we spent here. Wonderful neighbors, great spacious, level sites. I want to say we had electric only, and service was definitely spotty in most areas of camp. We used Verizon, and could not hulu.
GuideLong narrow campground in between 2 bluffs in MN driftless area. Sites are not too close but it was early in the season so there wasn't much brush to separate the sites yet. Beaver Creek runs right alongside the campsites and can be heard. There is a nice grassy easy hiking trail along the creek (Big Spring Trail). The Hole-in-the-Rock trail is steep and rocky but has beautiful views and rock formations.
There is no cell phone service.
GuideReally enjoyed this park. This one seems to fly a little under the radar as we were able to book 2 sites next to each other for the weekend only a few days prior to our stay. Site 39 was honestly massive and secluded so we didn’t even end up using our other site. 39 fit a 4 person and 6 person tent with more space to potentially put another 4 person and still have breathing room. Campground has a long and narrow layout with the one shower/non-primitive bathroom at the very front of the park. We stayed in site 39 and 40 which is at the very far end of the campground so we had to hop in the car to shower as it was over a half mile trek. Definitely do some research before booking because I did notice some extremely small sites that had zero privacy. Hiking trails were great with a variety of terrain options. The Hole-in-rock trail had some seriously technical potions but was very fun to climb.
RangerThis hidden gem is a great small park and campground perfect for a weekend getaway. The electric sites are on the smaller side (our site, #7, required us to park our truck lengthwise in front of our 29’ trailer) but are fairly secluded from each other. The bathroom/shower building was strange - vault toilets on one side with the showers on the other. Not sure how the women’s was, but hubby said one of the men’s had no hot water, and the other was almost scalding hot. A bit of a tight turn to get to the dump station. Good trails throughout the park, most with climbs up to the tops of the ridge. No phone service at all throughout the park. Need to come back when the fall colors are at their peak!
Ranger
This campground is adjacent to a BNSF rail line. Though loud when trains pass, I didn’t lose any sleep. RV sites are back-in, back to back with 30/50amp FHU’s. Bathrooms, laundry, showers and RV sites are older but are acceptable for a couple nights stay. Resort has a 9 hole golf course, pool, Volleyball field, Putt Putt and Gazebo for gatherings.
RangerGood trout fishing here, some sites are primitive, some have electric and water. World class trout fishing!
TravelerVery nice great hiking couldn’t swim on our stay but nice beach canoe rentals small store bathrooms were very clean
GuideWe stayed at cart-in site 49 and it was awesome! Very private and not a huge walk from the car yet far enough!
GuideTook a chance booking online on 4th of July weekend at a place we’d never even heard of and boy was it a great decision! We strongly value our privacy so we chose a cart in site all the way in the back (second to last as 48 was booked) even with campers on either side of us, we had plenty of coverage from the wooded area between the sites!! Great hiking for beginners and experts alike with some gorgeous views! We will definitely be coming back!
LegendSites are primitive with tables, fire rings/grates, pit toilets, self registration, ice/wood available across road at visitors station. Cell service is possible at times .
Legend
Cabin has basic kitchen: fridge/freezer, micro, coffee pot, table/chairs, sleeping room with queen bed, 2 futons, AC/heat, fireplace screened porch, grill/smoker& fire ring outside, table, potable/drink water outside. NO shower/bathroom, must use pit toilet just yards away at trailhead.
Guide
This was a nice campground next to a small town- nice quiet sites. Sites were kind of close together. Mostly seasonal spots here. The office he’d strange hours limiting the use of some of the amenities ( tubing, kayak and paddle boat rentals) the party floats were not accessible as advertised on the website. Nice showers in the back section it camp- restrooms were clean but limited on tp ( always brought my own). Seasonal residents were very friendly. Nice pond/lake to swim in and large area to go for a walk. There weren’t many staff around if you had questions or issues and the grounds didn’t seem to be monitored. Overall nice camp and we would stay here again.
GuideWe stayed here 4 nights. They have a beach for swimming. Boats for renting but they were out of order for repairs when we were here. You can rent kayaks, bikes. They have mini golf but you have to pay 8 dollars for that. That’s why they didn’t get 5 stars. I feel if your paying to stay you should get that as included, They have river rafting, a playground for little kids, and a mini horse for petting. Lots of things for kids to do!
GuideSite 25 is fairly level, we were just 1.5 inches off on one side. There was plenty of space for us (23 foot trailer and Silverado) and since the site is on a loop most vehicles didn't pass directly in front. Water, garbage and recycling (separated) were all close by. There as no cell signal, so we went to town for that. The park has nice trails that are pretty well marked. They're very up front about rattlesnakes living in the park, we didn't see once and reportedly they are seldom encountered. The road is narrow and gravel and none of the rv and trailer sites are very deep. The bathrooms have pit toilets and nice shower rooms but I didn't get hot water so I headed back to the camper where I knew I would (maybe 2 pushes weren't enough, I'm not very patient).
The campgrounds was mostly quiet except for the hum of a generator. We had plenty of sun to charge the Jackery.
ScoutIt was a quiet campground. Nice hiking. Enjoyed the wildlife and the fireflies all over at night.
GuideQuiet well kept campground. Showers were nice, sites were decent in size, with some shade. Kids had fun at the swimming pond.
GuideWe stayed at the Big Paint Campground and had a nice time. The sites there are pretty spacious and level, but they don't feel very private because this campground is essentially just an open field with line of sight to all other campsites. Still, it was a lovely place with nice trails and great river access. There are also some breathtaking lookout points to see the countryside.
We drove through Little Paint Campground and many of those sites were pretty small and crowded, but again, the river access and the views made it a pleasant stay. Nearby Harper's Ferry is a neat little town, so be sure to visit there!
TravelerThe campground name is called big paint. The location is very nice, right next to the river. I wouldn't exactly call it a river though. It's nice and quiet, and very nice trail runs through it as well. The only thing is the sites are very close together
GuideSite #30 was very long and narrow with a good jaunt to get to the restroom facilities. We had to line up our campsite like a line of trains - truck, picnic table, tent - as the site was basically just the shoulder of the road. Be warned that in order to get to sites #27 through #37 you have to drive through some water. In September it was only about 8". There is a natural spring here that was neat to see but the park seemed somewhat lacking. 4 stars though cuz camping anywhere is better than not camping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near West Union, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near West Union, IA is Six Pines Campground — Backbone State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 29 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near West Union, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 19 cabin camping locations near West Union, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
