A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Army Corps of Engineers campground

North Overlook Camp

Army Corps of Engineers campground in Lake Red Rock, Marion County, Iowa. 818 feet. 3.2 miles from Pella.

Managed by
Army Corps of Engineers Lake Red Rock
Elevation
818 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
49 43 standard electric, 6 tent only non-electric
Longest rig
80 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Marion County

Overview

North Overlook Campground is located on Lake Red Rock, Iowa's largest lake. It is just 10 minutes from Pella, known for its Dutch heritage, and 15 minutes from Knoxville, the Sprint car capital of the world. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, biking and viewing wildlife.

For more information regarding the Army Corps of Engineers and the Lake Red Rock Project, click here: Lake Red Rock Website

Recreation

Lake Red Rock offers excellent boating, water skiing and swimming opportunities. Miles of water trails for kayakers and canoeists are designated along the shoreline. Anglers will find crappie, largemouth and striped bass, walleye, channel and flathead catfish, northern pike and bluegill. Several miles of trails for hiking and biking are in the area. The 15 mile paved Volksweg Trail stretches west from Pella to the Des Moines River and to the Cordova Recreation Area

Facilities

North Overlook offers 46 shady campsites with 50-amp electric hookups, along with 6 primitive tent sites without electricity. Amenities include flush toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station.

Younger campers love the park's playground, and the North Overlook Beach is located within 1/4 mile from the campground.

Natural Features

Lake Red Rock is situated on the Des Moines River. Hardwood forests cover the lake shore at North Overlook, offering shade and scenic views. Wildlife is abundant around the lake. A wide variety of waterfowl, including the American White Pelican, migrates through the area in spring and fall. Bald eagles can be observed from November through March. White-tailed deer, turkeys and other small animals are commonly viewed around the lake.

Nearby Attractions

Des Moines, Iowa's capital, is an hour away, with numerous shopping and dining opportunities, museums and the Blank Park Zoo.

The description, directions and fees are the Army Corps of Engineers’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • boating
  • camping
  • day use area
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • swimming site
  • visitor center

The land around North Overlook Camp

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

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.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated July 24, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.