Overview
Buck Creek Campground is located on beautiful Rathbun Lake, just 9 miles northwest of Centerville, Iowa. Camping, boating, swimming, fishing, and picnicking are popular activities at this lakefront campground.
Recreation
The 11,000-acre lake provides a variety of fishing opportunities for any angler. Crappie, channel catfish, walleye, and largemouth bass are most common.
Although power boating is also popular, the prevailing winds on Rathbun Lake, also known as Iowa's Ocean, make it one of the best sailing lakes in Iowa.
Facilities
This campground offers 42 sites with electric hookups. Amenities include flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water, a dump station, boat ramp and playground. A marina and bait shop are located nearby.
Natural Features
Rathbun Lake is situated in the gently rolling hills of the Chariton River Valley in southeast Iowa. The campground consists of open grassy areas dotted with trees.
Bald eagles, white-tailed deer, Canada geese, wild turkey, and other wildlife can be found at Rathbun Lake.
Nearby Attractions
The Rathbun Fish Hatchery is located near the main dam, and offers self-guided tours Monday through Friday year-round. Hundreds of thousands of catfish and walleye are produced here each year.
Southern Iowa's only Off Highway Vehicle Park is nearby. It is located on the south bank of the South Fork Chariton River and encompasses nearly 125 acres of an abandoned rock quarry.
The description, directions and fees are the Army Corps of Engineers’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.
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
Road
Primitive Road
Road
Primitive Road
Trail
Roads open to all Vehicles, Yearlong
Roads open to all Vehicles, Seasonal
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Yearlong
Roads open to highway legal vehicles only, Seasonal
Special Designation, Yearlong
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails open to all vehicles, Yearlong
Trails open to all vehicles, Seasonal
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Yearlong
Trails open to vehicles 50" or less in width, Seasonal
Trails open to motorcycles, Yearlong
Trails open to motorcycles, Seasonal
Special Designation, Seasonal
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" in Width, Yearlong
Trails Open to Wheeled Vehicles Only < 50" or Less in Width, Seasonal
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Study Area