Federal Campgrounds in Iowa
Federal coverage only. This directory lists campgrounds on federal land (Forest Service, Park Service, BLM, Corps of Engineers and other agencies) from the Recreation.gov RIDB export. State-park, county and private/KOA campgrounds are out of scope.
Iowa has 44 federal campgrounds with approximately 1,930 overnight sites available for camping. All of these facilities are managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Of these 44 campgrounds, 41 offer online reservations through Recreation.gov, where visitors can check real-time availability and make advance bookings. The remaining three campgrounds operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
This directory covers federal campgrounds only. State parks, private campgrounds, and commercial facilities like KOA are not included here. For current information on site availability, amenities, and to make reservations at Corps of Engineers campgrounds in Iowa, visit Recreation.gov. That platform provides up-to-date details on which sites are open and allows you to reserve your preferred location in advance.
How to read the Iowa directory
Use this page as a starting map of federal camping in Iowa: the agency split tells you whether you're mostly looking at national-forest sites, park-service grounds or Corps-of-Engineers lakeside camps, and the busiest rec areas below point to where the campgrounds cluster. Every name links to its live Recreation.gov page for current site counts, photos and booking.
| Rec area / forest | Campgrounds |
|---|---|
| Knoxville | 9 |
| JOHNSTON | 7 |
| Iowa City | 7 |
| Pella | 5 |
| Johnston | 4 |
| CENTERVILLE | 3 |
| SOLON | 2 |
| IOWA CITY | 2 |
Common questions
How many federal campgrounds are in Iowa?
44 in this directory, with about 1,930 overnight sites, across national forests, parks, Corps of Engineers and other federal land. State and private campgrounds are not included.
Are these campgrounds reservable?
41 of the 44 take reservations through Recreation.gov; the remainder are generally first-come, first-served. Confirm on the facility's Recreation.gov page before you travel.
Largest federal campgrounds in Iowa
- Prairie Flower Recreation Area · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 252 sites · Johnston
- Sugar Bottom Campground · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 244 sites · Solon
- Island View (Rathbun Lake) · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 188 sites · Mystic Iowa
- Howell Station · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 143 sites · Pella
- Whitebreast Camp · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 132 sites · Knoxville
- Cherry Glen Campground · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 125 sites · Johnston
- Bridgeview (Rathbun Lake) · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 103 sites · Centerville
- Acorn Valley · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 91 sites · Johnston
- West Overlook Campground · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 89 sites · Iowa City
- Wallashuck · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 83 sites · Pella
- Bob Shetler Recreation Area · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 67 sites · Johnston
- Sandy Beach Camp · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 58 sites · Solon
- Prairie Ridge (Rathbun Lake) · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 55 sites · Centerville
- Shady Creek · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 55 sites · Muscatine
- North Overlook Camp · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 52 sites · Pella
- Clarks Ferry · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 44 sites · Muscatine
- Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake) · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 42 sites · Centerville
- Tailwater East Campground · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 28 sites · Iowa City
- Bulger'S Hollow Recreation Area · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 24 sites · Clinton
- Tailwater West Campground · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 22 sites · Iowa City
- Linder Point Campground · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 18 sites · Iowa City
- Cottonwood Campground (Ia) · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 15 sites · Iowa City
- Bob Shetler Picnic Area · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · n/a sites · Johnston
- Cherry Glen Picnic · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · n/a sites · Johnston
- Cottonwood Recreation Area · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · n/a sites · Johnston
Ranked by overnight-site count from RIDB; “n/a” means the site count isn’t published (often a first-come or dispersed area). Each name opens the Recreation.gov facility page.
Compare every managing agency → · Reservable vs first-come in Iowa → · Choosing a Iowa campground →
Compiled from the federal RIDB export, verified June 2026. How we compile this. Confirm current details on Recreation.gov.