114 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Several RV parks near West Union provide varied camping experiences for motorhome travelers. Skip-A-Way Resort in Clermont features full hookup RV sites with 50-amp electrical service, water, and sewer connections on gravel pads. "Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. Most sites are level," according to one visitor. Backbone State Park offers electric sites for RVs with both 30-amp and 50-amp service, though sites tend to be closer together than at private campgrounds. Lakeshore RV Resort and Campground in Oelwein, open May through mid-October, accommodates big rigs with pull-through RV pads, while Pulpit Rock Campground near Decorah provides full hookup options with 50-amp service in a riverside setting.
Seasonal availability varies significantly throughout the region. Many campgrounds close during winter months, with limited year-round options concentrated at Backbone State Park and Bloody Run County Park. Cell service fluctuates between locations, with one reviewer noting "good Verizon and T-mobile service" at Oelwein City Park. Most RV-friendly campgrounds in the area permit pets with standard leash requirements. Dump stations are available at Skip-A-Way, Pulpit Rock, and Lakeshore RV Resort, though some are described as basic facilities. For motorhome travelers requiring propane refills, options are limited to larger towns like Waterloo or Decorah. Reservations are strongly recommended during summer weekends and fall foliage season, with many parks filling quickly from June through September.
"Sewer, water and electric."
"This was a nice campground next to a small town- nice quiet sites. Sites were kind of close together. Mostly seasonal spots here."
"The camp ground that we stayed at was family friendly. Hammocks were ok to put up. The only not so great experience was that 2 out of the 3 showers on the women's side were out of order."
"Backbone State Park is unlike any other place in Iowa, having geological features uncommon in Iowa. There are two campgrounds."
from $16 - $25 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $30 / night
Check Availability"This campground is non-electric, self-pay, non-reservable, and has only a few sites. There is a nice trout stream, with a few sites right by the stream."
"The hiking trail was perfect for a morning stroll with my dog and coffee and there certainly is a petting zoo (my German Shepard was a little uncertain about the goats)"
from $5 / night
Check Availability"Large park, no designated sites, fire rings spread around. Elect posts spread around.water available a dump station on site $2.00 charge. Very green, a river all around the park."
"Most spots have water and electric hookups. Dump station with nonpotable water is easily accessible. Very shady camping right along the river. $12 per night. Worth the money."
from $12 / night
"It's located on the south end of town, there is only one business within walking distance. It's a great restaurant (Oelwein Family Restaurant) and it's about a 15 minute walk."
"Oelwein City Park campground on the shore of little Lake Oelwein is a great place to stay on ‘your way’ or for a week. $17 or $15 (senior)/night. 30/50 amp service with city water and dump station."
GuideFYI When we made reservations this site required a two- night minimum stay. Don't know if that is for all seasons. Nice pull-through, large enough for our 36' 5th Wheel and pickup tow vehicle, needed more leveling than some. Some sites have power and water, ours only power. There's a water pipe and dump station on the way out. Nice hiking trails, including to a beautiful river overlook.
RangerThere are about 30 electric site big enough for RVs, and about 35 non electric site. All are very nice sites with fairly level gravel pads. There are lots of trees for shade making the sites really beautiful if not spacious. We had a tight fit with our travel trailer on site 33e, but once we squeezed in it was excellent. Two bathrooms one with showers, and well kept. The best thing about this park are the wonderful hiking trails. Some are ADA accessible near the camp store, but most are a good climb with lots of ups and downs. Town of McGregor has a few cute restaurants and bars, but enjoy the park and the amazing views of the Mississippi and the Wisconsin rivers. Several big rig RVs were there, but call ahead if you’ve got a big RV to make sure you’ll fit.
There are some fantastic cycling routes near the river, with stops in all the little towns along the way. A wonderful place to spend a weekend, with apple orchards nearby.
TravelerWe were traveling northbound on 218 on a Tuesday and searched for a convenient stop for one night. It was very hot so filtered the results, showing spots with electric hook-up in order to run the AC a bit. The North Cedar County Park was easy to find, located just a couple miles off the exit and past the town of Plainfield.
The park is heavily shaded in most areas. They have done a good job of keeping the tree canopy high, so we had no worries of hitting limbs in our 34' class A that has a height of 12 feet.
The sites are all grass, with no clear definition of individual sites. We just picked a spot that looked fairly level and dry. Soft soil could be a concern for heavier rigs after rains. Our stabilizers did sink into the dirt a bit, but we were able to level.
They have wooden picnic tables scattered, as well as designated firepit areas. 30 and 15 Amp service was available on the power post. There is a bathroom/shower house, picnic shelter, playground and horseshoe courts.
The campground is right on a wide, fast moving river and offers 2 boat launches. It didnt appear that any of the sites had a water view, but it was a short, pleasant stroll to the rivers edge.
We paid $20 for our one night. It is all first come, first served. They say on their website that they have 40 sites. On a Tuesday in June, there were 3 of us there for the night (the other two looked more long-term). A posted sign said that camping is free on Wednesday nights, so that's cool!
Overall, it was a quiet and pretty place to stop and we would definately visit again.
LegendI enjoyed my 5 night stay at Oelwein City Park Campground. It's located on the south end of town, there is only one business within walking distance. It's a great restaurant (Oelwein Family Restaurant) and it's about a 15 minute walk.
There is one shower house, and several vault toilets throughout the park. The shower house is old and a little run down but was very clean. I had no problems using it.
The city park is adjacent to the campground and has picnic shelters, a playground, and a dog park.
There are electric and water hookups at most sites, and there is a dump station. The park was pretty full on the weekend as you would expect, but very quiet during the week.
I had great Verizon and T-mobile service here.
LegendGeneral: This is a small (29-site) county park campground situated along the North Fork Maquoketa River. Nine of the sites are reservable, and the rest are first-come, first-served. Some sites are primitive, and some have water and 30-amp electricity hookups. There is one ADA-accessible site with a paved camper pad.
Site Quality: Most sites are level. The camper pads are gravel/grass, but not all are clearly defined. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring.
Bath/Shower: The bath/shower house was closed when we were there in November but there are vault toilets about a quarter mile from the campground (in the day-use area) that were very clean and well-stocked when we were there.
Activities/Amenities: Many activities including disc golf, three hiking trails, volleyball, two playgrounds (one in the day-use area and one by the campsites). There are two reservable picnic shelters. There is also a dump station.
We were tent camping in November on a backpacking trip so we didn’t take advantage of any of the activities but would return in our van on a future camping trip. We were the ONLY ones in the campground at this time of year!
GuideVery friendly and helpful owner. He even drove to town so we could follow him in. Has playground community area fire pit and a structure built to cover picnic tables. atv trails. Turkey river right there was 20 feet from my site. Porta potty and shower water is hot. 30/50 amp power with water on each site. Water fill station and dump station. Garbage .
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.
LegendWhy Should You Camp Here?
Iowa state parks are a bargain! This one is $11 for a non-electric site, $16 for an electric site. (Rates go down to $6 and $11 from 10/1-4/30.) There is no separate park entry fee (unlike some states).
You can rent kayaks, canoes or pedal boats near the campground at Wyth Lake. And there are 3 other nearby lakes.
There's a small beach at Wyth Lake.
The Cedar River is on the edge of the campground.
You're so close to Cedar Falls and Waterloo which means there are craft breweries!
We were only there for a night but I saw this on reserveamerica.com: "The Lake-to-State Park Bike Route is a 50 mile route connecting Pine Lake and George Wyth State Park. The route primarily utilizes county highways and established bike routes and paths once inside Cedar Falls/Waterloo."
We didn't do everything we could do there, because we were just passing through. Check this out: https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/george-wyth-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=IA&parkId=610125
Amenities
The usual fire ring and picnic table
Dump station and potable water
Flush toilets and running water in bathrooms along with push button showers. Ok, push button showers are not ideal. Just keep pushing that button and hopefully you'll be okay with the temperature that you can't control!
LegendThis is a lovely park. It is fairly quiet, you can hear some highway noise in the distance. The lake is lovely and clean. The spots are gravel, most sites will require some leveling but are not too bad.
Each site has a newer electric pedestal with 30 and 50 amp service, and each site has a water spigot, as well as a picnic table and fire ring.
There are a few sites that back up directly to the lake. There is a swimming beach and a dock. There is a city park adjacent to the campground with a playground and picnic shelter.
I had 3 bars on on T-mobile which got me 64 down and 18 up. On Verizon I had 3 bars which got me 65 down and 12 up.
The shower house was pretty bad though. It was older, which doesn't bother me, but it was dirty. There are camp hosts on site but I guess their duties do not include ever cleaning the restroom. There was food trash in there all week, and if you look around you'll find feces, blood, and personal hygiene trash including used condoms.
I would stay in this campground again because I have a self contained unit and do not need to use the on-site shower house.
The northeastern corner of Iowa features diverse elevation changes and limestone bluff terrain surrounding West Union. Located about 850 feet above sea level, this region offers camping experiences across rolling hills, trout streams, and river valleys. Most campgrounds in the area operate from April through October, though some maintain sites year-round.
Trout fishing opportunities: Bloody Run County Park provides direct access to stocked trout streams. "Caught plenty of German brown trout and cooked over the fire pits at the site (grate included)," reports one visitor. The park maintains a fishing calendar for stocked species.
Hiking trail networks: Yellow River State Forest offers extensive hiking with varied terrain. "We enjoyed hiking despite the mosquitoes and humidity in August and were able to make a 5+ mile loop leaving from the campground," according to a camper. Trail maps available at the information center show interconnected paths suitable for day hikes.
Water recreation: Skip-A-Way Resort features multiple water activities during summer months. "Some weekly activities include canoeing, tubing down the Turkey River, swimming, fishing and paddle boats in the Lake, a splash pad for kids," notes a reviewer. Equipment rentals available on-site from April 15 through October 15.
Natural features: Backbone State Park campers appreciate the geological formations. "We loved waking up in the morning and going for a walk along the many trails, seeing deer on the trail, and the lake," shares one visitor. The park contains Iowa's first designated state park with distinctive rock formations.
Waterfront sites: Campgrounds along rivers offer premium experiences for RV camping near West Union. "Each sight also has a table and ample space to park car and pitch tents. We had three tents and 2 SUVs and lots of space," writes a Bloody Run camper about their creekside spot.
Spacious layouts: Big Paint Campground provides well-separated sites. "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," according to a visitor. Sites typically include fire rings and tables.
Train noise affects some campgrounds: At Bloody Run County Park, overnight noise can be significant. "First night at 3am we were awoken but a train blaring its horn the whole way threw the camp ground and the second night it happend at midnight and 3 am," warns a camper. Consider packing earplugs if selecting this location.
Reservation requirements vary: Campgrounds fill quickly during peak season. "You're not getting much (and that's not a bad thing) so the $9 fee seems fair. Pay up front at the entrance station, or make a reservation online at last 2 days ahead of time," explains a Yellow River State Forest visitor.
Varying levels of facility development: Campgrounds range from primitive to full-service. "There's water at the information center (and a camp host site) outside the campground about 100 yards to the left," notes one visitor about Big Paint Campground's limited facilities.
Kid-friendly activities: Pulpit Rock Campground offers convenient access to trails and water. "City campground run by great staff. A quick bike to town to enjoy breweries, restaurants, ice cream and shops," explains a visitor. Sites accommodate various camping setups including tents and RVs.
Playground access: Several campgrounds maintain play areas for children. "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," reports a Skip-A-Way visitor.
Educational opportunities: Nature programs operate seasonally at select parks. "The nature program was great for our son who was 2 at the time," shares a family who visited Wyalusing State Park. Many parks offer ranger-led activities during summer months.
Site dimensions matter: When motorhome camping near West Union, check site specifications. "We stayed at site #125 which has fantastic views of the river and surrounding area's, but the wind is stronger at this spot because it's open," notes a visitor to Wyalusing State Park, which accommodates larger rigs.
Hookup variations: Different campgrounds provide varying levels of service. "Sites are primitive with tables, fire rings/grates, pit toilets, self registration, ice/wood available across road at visitors station," explains a camper about Yellow River State Forest, where RVers should be prepared for minimal hookups.
Seasonal availability: Many West Union area RV sites close during winter. "I 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," reports a late-season visitor to Big Paint Campground. Most full-service RV parks operate April through October.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near West Union, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near West Union, IA is Skip-A-Way Resort with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
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