A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Public land camping

Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds in Iowa

26 places to camp in Iowa run by the Army Corps of Engineers.

26
federal places to camp
26 Army Corps
23
take reservations
On Recreation.gov. The rest are first come, first served, or not listed there
971 ft
at the highest of them
Bridgeview (Rathbun Lake). The lowest, Shady Creek, sits at 559 ft
1,893
campsites you can book ahead
On Recreation.gov. The longest rig any of them takes is 80 feet

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds in Iowa

26 places

  1. Acorn Valley Army Corps · Saylorville Lake · Polk County 949 ftelevation 85sites 70 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  2. Bob Shetler Recreation Area Army Corps · Saylorville Lake · Polk County 810 ftelevation 67sites 62 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  3. Bridgeview (Rathbun Lake) Army Corps · Rathbun Lake · Appanoose County 971 ftelevation 103sites 58 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  4. Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake) Army Corps · Rathbun Lake · Appanoose County 925 ftelevation 42sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  5. Bulger's Hollow Recreation Area Army Corps · Mississippi River - Pools 11-22 · Clinton County 608 ftelevation 24sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  6. Cherry Glen Campground Army Corps · Saylorville Lake · Polk County 933 ftelevation 125sites 53 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  7. Clarks Ferry Army Corps · Mississippi River - Pools 11-22 · Muscatine County 680 ftelevation 42sites 70 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  8. Cottonwood Campground Army Corps · Coralville Lake · Johnson County 725 ftelevation 11sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  9. Elk Rock Campground and Boat Ramp Army Corps · Lake Red Rock · Marion County 825 ftelevation n/asites n/alongest rig First comeor not listed
  10. Howell Station Army Corps · Lake Red Rock · Marion County 705 ftelevation 135sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  11. Island View (Rathbun Lake) Army Corps · Rathbun Lake · Appanoose County 938 ftelevation 188sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  12. Ivans Army Corps · Lake Red Rock · Marion County n/aelevation 20sites 60 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  13. Linder Point Campground Army Corps · Coralville Lake · Johnson County 805 ftelevation 14sites 70 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  14. North Overlook Camp Army Corps · Lake Red Rock · Marion County 818 ftelevation 49sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  15. Prairie Flower Recreation Area Army Corps · Saylorville Lake · Polk County 933 ftelevation 252sites 80 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  16. Prairie Ridge (Rathbun Lake) Army Corps · Rathbun Lake · Appanoose County 936 ftelevation 55sites 75 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  17. Roberts Creek East Campground Army Corps · Lake Red Rock · Marion County 784 ftelevation n/asites n/alongest rig First comeor not listed
  18. Roberts Creek West Campground Army Corps · Lake Red Rock · Marion County 768 ftelevation n/asites n/alongest rig First comeor not listed
  19. Sandy Beach Camp Army Corps · Coralville Lake · Johnson County 731 ftelevation 56sites 66 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  20. Shady Creek Army Corps · Mississippi River - Pools 11-22 · Muscatine County 559 ftelevation 53sites 79 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  21. Sugar Bottom Campground Army Corps · Coralville Lake · Johnson County 691 ftelevation 234sites 78 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  22. Tailwater East Campground Army Corps · Coralville Lake · Johnson County 747 ftelevation 22sites 68 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  23. Tailwater West Campground Army Corps · Coralville Lake · Johnson County 683 ftelevation 22sites 69 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  24. Wallashuck Army Corps · Lake Red Rock · Marion County 824 ftelevation 79sites 71 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  25. West Overlook Campground Army Corps · Coralville Lake · Johnson County 766 ftelevation 89sites 73 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  26. Whitebreast Camp Army Corps · Lake Red Rock · Marion County 816 ftelevation 126sites 65 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov