Renting an RV in Iowa
Just across the mighty Mississippi—the true gateway to the American west—Iowa stands as a place of great natural beauty and rich history. Here, Native Americans settled the land and honored it with great earthworks.
European explorers found the edge of glacier country and the lingering effects of massive ice flows long melted and dried. Iowa is a land of unique geological formations, sprawling caves, and countless destinations ready to be explored in your rented RV.
What better way to explore everything even this one corner of Iowa has to offer than by rented RV, where you can let the road take you where it will, and you’ll always find a place to plug in and settle down for the night?
There’s an air of the sacred everywhere you turn in Iowa, from ancient religious sites like the earthen mounds at Pike’s Peak State Park to the unbelievable work of devotion and craftsmanship that is the Grotto of the Redemption.
Even in places not regarded for their spiritual significance, those caves and loess hills seen nowhere else on earth, Iowa has a way of inspiring those who stop in for a visit.
Maquoketa Caves State Park has a campground that offers electric sites and public showers. It’s recommended to reserve your campsite in advance, which can be done up to one day ahead of your arrival. And be sure to pack appropriately; some of the caves require crawling and old clothes are a must!
Learn more about Maquoketa Caves State Park
Maquoketa Caves State Park has a campground that offers electric sites and public showers. It’s recommended to reserve your campsite in advance, which can be done up to one day ahead of your arrival. And be sure to pack appropriately; some of the caves require crawling and old clothes are a must!
Learn more about Maquoketa Caves State Park.
High above the Mississippi River, Native Americans built earthen mounds honoring their connection with the earth. When explorer Zebulon Pike came across these in his survey of the Mississippi River valley, he immediately recognized their significance and named the ridges after himself: Pike’s Peak. Not to be confused with a second Pike’s Peak named by the same explorer years later in Colorado, this park in Iowa offers a unique look at ancient culture and landscape untouched by modern civilization.
The park hosts a wide variety of outdoor activities, including mountain biking, hiking, electric camping, and more. Just outside the park on the river are boat rental facilities and other modern amenities that make this park perfect for an RV trip.
Learn more about Pike’s Peak State Park.
Locals whispered about strange noises coming from a hole near McGregor, Iowa for decades before Spook Cave was discovered. In a state with ample opportunities to explore caves, this one offers an entirely unique experience—the whole cave is flooded! From May to October, cave tours operate from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, but it would be more fitting to call them boat tours. Unlike other cave tours, this one is completely underground and completely by boat.
Just outside the cave itself, there’s a full-fledged campsite complete with electric hookups for the RV crowd. If the underground boat tour gets you in the mood for fish, you’re in luck; the campsite is located right beside a trout stream! There’s a three-night minimum on holiday weekends, and there are options for just electric and water hookup, or both of those plus sewer.
Learn more about Spook Cave.
The campground at the park has electric sites, a public restroom and shower, and a playground for the little ones. Reservations can be made online via the state, but this park also sets aside half of its campsites for first-come, first-serve camping. For those renting an RV, that makes Ledges State Park a great spur-of-the-moment stop along the way to your other destinations.
Learn more about Ledges State Park.
Learn more about Loess Hills.
From Minnesota in the north all the way to the Gulf of Mexico via Louisiana, the Great River Road is one of America’s longest and most scenic roads. Iowa is just one of the ten states on the route, which runs along the Eastern border with Illinois. No RV trip in Iowa would be complete without fitting in at least a short drive along the Great River Road.
As you plan your drive, one of the easiest ways to choose your route and find great places to stop along the way is with the Great River Road app, which highlights all the great restaurants and cultural destinations along whichever portion you decide to drive.
Learn more about Great River Road National Scenic Byway.
The nine shrines depict scenes from the Bible surrounding the life of Christ and do so with artistry found nowhere else on earth. This is classic Americana, and perfect for a road trip through Iowa by RV. An on-site campsite offers 53 sites complete with 30-amp electrical hookups on a first-come, first-served basis.
Learn more about Grotto of the Redemption.
Some attractions seem tailor-made for RV trips, and the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway is no exception. This 77-mile stretch takes you from the Meskwaki Settlement in the West to the Amana Colonies in the East, offering a glimpse inside of two of America’s most unique cultures.
At the Meskwaki Settlement, learn about Iowa’s only Native American community at the tribal museum and stick around for a visit to the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel. On the other end, the Amana Colonies, established by German religious refugees in the mid-19th century, is home to the state’s first microbrewery, antique shops, furniture stores, and more.
You can turn this attraction into a multi-day trip with campgrounds throughout the route. On one end is Amana RV Park with full hookups, and on the other is Meskwaki RV park with 50 electric sites—and plenty of other sites in between.
Learn more about the Iowa River Valley.
A short drive from Dubuque, Crystal Lake Cave is a premier destination in Iowa. On the surface, there’s plenty of RV parking, a gem mining experience, and a gift shop. Just beneath, there’s a whole world of geological wonder, all well-lit and ready for you to explore. Crystal Lake Cave is a spelunker’s dream with countless stalactites, soda straws, flowstone formations, and unique formations like Noah’s Ark and the Lost Garden.
There isn’t any on-site camping, but Crystal Lake Cave’s convenient location on the outskirts of Dubuque puts plenty of accessible electric camping within arm’s reach of the park. More than that, Dubuque is home to all manner of dining, fishing, biking, and more.
Learn more about Crystal Lake Cave.
Start your trip at the visitor center where you can learn more about the moundbuilders through video presentations and ancient Native American artifacts. Then, explore the park with a variety of shorter and longer trails through the mounds themselves, perfect for hikers of any experience level. RV-friendly campsites are surrounding Effigy Mounds, including the campground at the nearby Pikes Peak State Park.
Learn more about Effigy Mounds National Monument.
One excellent place is Lazy Acres RV Park in Urbana, Iowa. More of a resort than a park, Lazy Acres offers large campsites with full hookups. You won’t have to go far for family fun with the on-site mini-golf, frisbee golf course, fishing pond, recreation center, and more.
Another nice campground is Amana RV Park & Event Center in Amana, Iowa. After a long day along the Iowa River Valley byway, stay among the Amana Colonies at this conveniently located RV park. Amana RV Park is pet-friendly, spacious, and puts you just around the corner from the area’s many museums and good family-style country cooking.
These are just a couple of the good options out there. You’ll find plenty of others spread out all over the state. Most will be clustered around destinations for RVers—like the destinations listed above. If you’re having trouble finding a good place to go, check out Good Sam’s list of campgrounds.
Things to Note About Camping in Iowa
The winters get very cold in Iowa, and the summers get just as hot. These realities actually make RV camping the best way to enjoy the outdoors in the state—as long as you have sufficient air conditioning.
During the dog days of summer, daytime temperatures can reach into the 100s, with evening temps hovering around the upper 80s. Ventilation and air circulation are critical to a safe camping experience in the summer, and the same can be said about proper heat in the winter.
Fortunately, much of the state and federal land in Iowa is set up for easy reservations. There are some first-come, first-served campgrounds in the state, but it’s fairly easy to plan ahead, book your various campground accommodations along your route, and hit the road with confidence.
Unfortunately, boondocking is not an easy prospect in Iowa. With very little public land that isn’t reserved as a state or federal area, there aren’t many options for dry camping where the local officials don’t prefer (or insist!) that you camp in the local RV-friendly campgrounds.
The Iowa DNR allows boondocking in select wildlife management areas, though it’s ideal to play it safe and reach out to the DNR specifically for guidance on the best places for dispersed camping in the state.