South Bear Creek is located near rolling hills and open fields in northeastern Iowa. Temperatures range from lows of 10°F in winter to highs of 85°F in summer. Nearby, visitors can explore the Decorah Ice Cave State Preserve and the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum.

South Bear Creek

Decorah is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Decorah is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Find the best campgrounds near Decorah, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

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The Best Camping Near Decorah, Iowa

The South Bear Creek entrance is located near Highlandville, IA off of Quandahl Road. This is Iowa Department of Natural Resources land and offers primitive camping only. There are no shower or restroom facilities and we brought our own water. There was a makeshift fire ring made out of rocks and so we used this to build our campfire. Be sure to bring a camp shovel for bathroom breaks. There was no fee at the time to camp here. It might be a good idea to call ahead to the Iowa DNR to see if that has changed.

Bear Creek is known for trout fishing and is stocked by the DNR. Bear Creek runs for a little over 5 miles at this entrance. Highlandville does have a general store, so you can stock up on items such as snacks, firewood, and angling supplies if you plan to fish the creek.

Note: There is also a Bear Creek Campground which offers electrical sites along with restrooms, showers and a playground as well as Bear Creek Cabin rentals if you're looking for something with more amenities.

We camped the last weekend in October and had the entire area to ourselves. We walked along the creek and Quandahl Road. It was a quiet area and we enjoyed camping in a more primitive setting.

South Bear Creek Entrance

I have camped here a few times and fished here often. 

The campground is actually just the parking lot with a few makeshift fire rings available. There is a port-a-potty available most of the year (but not winter). A couple sites are very close to the stream, which is wonderful to have the flowing water sound to help me fall asleep.

This campground can get very busy during the spring, summer, and fall. RVs will often run their generators all night long, which is not great for those in tents. I tend to avoid camping here when it is busy (I still fish, just no camping when it is crowded).

Winter offers quite a bit more solitude, both in the campground and on the trout stream. Many times I have been the only person camping here during winter. The campsite is not plowed, so a 4WD is recommended.

North Bear Creek is one of the most popular trout streams in Iowa. It offers fishing for a variety of skill levels from simple power-bait up to fly fishing.

Sometimes quiet, sometimes busy

This is an awesome primitive free camping spot along north bear creek. Just a little grass lot to pull on to with rock fire pits. Love to come in the winter for some solitude, but spring-fall it can be busy. The trout unlimited chapter has put porta johns at one of the access points 

Photos of South Bear Creek

Real photos from real campers