Cabin camping is an amazing way to experience Wauzeka, while still enjoying a little rustic luxury. Find the best cabin camping near Wauzeka. Each cabin rental offers quick access to one or more of Wauzeka's most popular destinations.
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
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.
Nestled in the bluffs of the Mississippi River Valley, in Wisconsin's Grant County, Boulder Creek is the place for your next camping adventure!
Our campground is conveniently located near Wyalusing State Park, as well as local restaurants, bars, and shops. We are close to ATV/UTV trails, historical sites, wineries, beaches, public boat launches, and SO much more!
Our spacious campsites, and amount of on-site amenities, make us the perfect destination for your next outdoor adventure. We have 180 sites, including 20/30/50 Amp sites with full water, electric & sewer, to cozy Canyon Chateau Cabins that sleep up to 10!
***We can't wait to welcome you to Boulder Creek in Bagley, WI! ***
$32 - $260 / night
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
Fireside Campground is located in the Beautiful Central Wisconsin River Region and known as the Driftless Area , 45 miles west of Madison WI, or 10 miles east of Richland Center, right off of highway 14. Fireside is located 1 hour from the Wisconsin Dells. Fireside Campground offers 20/30/50 amp water and electric as well as full hook up sites. Half of our sites are pull through with the remainder being back in sites. Fireside Campground is*** BIG RIG FRIENDLY***. 50 water and electric sites, 40 Full Hook up sites. Most of the 50 water and electric sites are** pull through and range from 40-80 feet long**. Our full hook up sites offer new 20/30/50 amp sites with a limited number being pull through, most are back in sites. We offer free internet throughout the park, with each reservation you will get two FREE internet codes, if additional codes are required you may purchase them at 2.00 per day. We are a dog friendly and motorcycle friendly campground. We offer dog waste stations throughout the park. We also offer laundry facilities.
Red Barn Campground and Restaurant is a cozy hideaway in the hills of Iowa. People come for the scenery, the fishing and the fun. We welcome seasonals, weekenders and locals alike.
It’s a great place to relax with family, make new friends and just take a break from the day to day. Enjoy solitude walking on nature paths and trout fishing. Join friends around the community fire pit. Let the kids play in the arcade or on the playground. Finish the day at our full service bar and grill.
Families have been coming to Red Barn Campground and Restaurant for generations. Season after season, they return with their RVs, boats and fishing poles. Some guests have been coming to Red Barn since they were kids, and now come with their grandkids. There’s no shortage of campfire stories or fisherman’s tales.
$25 - $39 / 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.
ScoutWe needed a place after visiting the House on the Rock and couldn't find anything with hookups nearby. We stumbled upon Tom's Campground hoping to find a site. We pulled in and Tom met us at our camper as soon as we got to the top of the hill and before we even got out. He was very friendly and informative. Showers were good enough but we aren't picky, 7 minutes for $0.25. The area was beautiful.
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.
Guide
I’m a tent camper so tucked in the back was great. It’s a bit of a normal RV easy camping almost glamping with the amenities around.
RangerFriendly and well kept.
Ranger
We loved it here! What a gem! The views go on and on!
Huge open sites. Not a lot of trees for privacy but the sites are huge so it’s all good! Hot water and flush toilets and hot showers (need quarters). $40 for a yearly membership (covers your camping fee and then any time you return in the year the camping is only $20).
Feel like you can write your long overdue novel here. Perfect setting and very relaxing. We would stay again for sure. Lots of bugs at night to be expected being that close to the driftless. We awoke to such views - hard to beat!
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.
Traveler
Catering to RV life style with lots of amenities such as restaurant, beach bar, water feature with floating water obstacle course, pool and more. Occasionally live music is on the beach. For us, the freight trains crushed the experience. Trains ran all night long, park is near a crossing so trains sound the horn each time they pass. We had an infant with us so we were up all night however we spoke with people who stay there often and they said you get acclimated. I gave this site 3 stars because the staff and amenities are great but can not give 5 starts due to the location in proximity to the trains. It really is a bummer.
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.
TravelerVery nice great hiking couldn’t swim on our stay but nice beach canoe rentals small store bathrooms were very clean
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!
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
Scout
Level sites. Full hook ups available. Friendly owners. Clean bathrooms and showers. Dog friendly. Recommend if you are in the area and need a place to camp.
Scout
We like the upper campground the best the lower campground the lower loop had a lot of small campsites
TravelerOne night at a tent spot booked through VRBO. The check-in process was a bit confusing, but that was forgotten with the location. Beautiful trout stream along the sites. Great place for star gazing as well. Definitely returning.
Wi-Fi available. However, you should bring your own wood. None was available.
RangerBackbone State Park is unlike any other place in Iowa, having geological features uncommon in Iowa.
There are two campgrounds. I have camped in both:
Modern Campground: This is a large, modern campground with all of the standard amenities found in a modern campground… electric hookups, flush toilets, water. I have camped here twice, both times in my travel trailer. Overall, it is a nice campground with decent space in between campers, however, I tend to avoid it during the busier summer and fall colors seasons.
Primitive Campground: This is my favorite at Backbone for camping, especially in the autumn after the leaves have fallen off of the trees. As this campground is non-electric, there are not many people camping after it turns colder. I have spent many nights there alone in the primitive campground, watching RVs pull in and then leave after realizing that it has no hookups.
Nearby trout fishing: Backbone is home to one of the more popular trout streams in Iowa. The fishing is easy as most of the fish are stocked (April-October). Still, it is an enjoyable fishing trip as the stream itself is mostly rocks and gravel, with several deep holes. The water is cold and clear.
Other activities: Hiking is very popular in Backbone. I have also seen rock climbing and rappelling. There are some nice spots away from the trout stream for wading and a little swimming. Backbone State Park also has a small lake with a swimming area and boat rentals during the summer. Several nice cabins are available for those who do not want to camp.
Ranger
This campground is perfectly situated on the Upper Iowa River. Had some beautiful sites along the river (couldn’t book one four our stay) but our site was nice (grass pad- spaced out fairly well from others) The best part of this camp is they offer tube canoe and kayak rentals with a shuttle to the put in then you float back to the campground. Also has a “pool”/man made pond with a beach all the way around it. Bathrooms and showers were clean (but very busy) and a nice camp store. Owners and camp hosts were awesome.
TravelerChose this campground for the low light pollution in order to watch a meteor shower. Very nice recreation area with a nice beach. Two cons worth noting, but not enough to dock a rating; 1) it cost $7 per day extra for the vehicle I used to tow my camper to the campsite, wtf! 2) popular with young families, so it got loud on the weekend.
GuideThe campground staff is friendly and helpful. It was nice that we were escorted to our site. Some campgrounds can be difficult to figure out sites. The staff member showed us where our electric hook up was; this was actually helpful because it was covered by trees. We would have hooked up to the wrong box. The sites are not big and are close together but this hasn't been a problem for us. The bathrooms are clean and surprisingly, air conditioned. The women's bathroom has updated sinks and nice shower curtains. Everything was clean. There are few things to do at the campground. There's a playground for the kids and a half basketball court, balls provided. The pavilion has a Foosball table (one of the pieces is missing the bottom, hard to defend against your opponent), mini basketball shoot out (not sure if it's broken or just not plugged in), and Jenga. There's tetherball (2) and Gaga ball. Mini golf is also available. However, there's no turf just concrete slabs and parts of the course are overgrown with trees on the "green". If you want to do anything other than hang out and relax around the campfire, leaving the campground is a must. There's a state park nearby, the Wisconsin river, House on the Rock, American Players Theater, Taliesin, etc. The campground was very quiet.
ScoutThe staff were super friendly. This was our first outing with our new camper and it was fine. The 30 Amp outlet didn't work on our site but thankfully we had out 20 Amp adapter with us. Our site was also kind of small for our trailer. This campground has a ton of potential and could use some updating to a few things.
ScoutThis campground is like your ma and pa place. Staff was super friendly and so was the other campers staying there, kids and adults waved to us. A few activities every weekend and really enjoyed the charity bingo, it brought everyone together..... Now for the disappointment, we went when it was 85°+ and they didn't have a pool/pond or allowed kiddy pools. Their mini golf was over ran with tree branches and was just concrete. Just needs a few fixes.
TravelerI have been to Backbone a few times, this spot is one of my friends and I’d favorite. There is no through traffic so it’s quiet. Tons of trails, specifically the spot we camped at was right by the trail so we had easy access. The sites are big so you can camp far back and keep the vehicles at the front. I was able to fly my drone here and it produced some amazing footage, check the descriptions you are interested!
The bathrooms weren’t the greatest, and their aren’t any showers near the site we stayed at, so be ready to be dirty for a couple of days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Wauzeka, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Wauzeka, WI is Big Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest with a 4.5-star rating from 11 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Wauzeka, WI?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 cabin camping locations near Wauzeka, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
