Campgrounds and RV parks near Dakota City, IA

Water and trails dominate the itinerary. Brushy Creek's 690-acre lake is the deepest artificial permanent pool lake in Iowa, with fishing for bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, channel catfish, walleye, and muskellunge, four boat ramps, eight fishing jetties, and a universally accessible fishing pier on the west side of the lake. More than 45 miles of multi-use trails wind through the recreation area, popular with hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. At Dolliver Memorial State Park, families can follow trails past the Copperas Beds, unique sandstone formations that tower 100 feet above Prairie Creek, and continue into oak-covered hillsides and Boneyard Hollow, a box canyon with Oneota-era petroglyphs. Ambrose A Call adds two miles of secluded and heavily wooded trails winding through forest, down a ravine and along a creek, plus an 18-hole disc golf course. The Grotto of the Redemption itself is a short walk from its adjacent RV park and draws visitors year-round.

Iowa DNR campgrounds around Dakota City run on a spring-to-fall calendar. Ambrose A Call is 100 percent reservable and accepts reservations from April 15 to November 15, with the campground closed from November 16 to April 14. Dolliver Memorial's campground is 100 percent reservable from April 1 to October 31 and is closed from November 1 through March 31. The Grotto of the Redemption RV Park opens annually on April 15, weather permitting, and closes November 1. Peak demand runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, when lakeside and equestrian loops fill quickly on weekends. From May 1 through October 31, Iowa DNR sites require a two-night minimum on weekends and a three-night minimum on major holiday weekends, and the maximum stay is 14 consecutive nights. Park staff generally try to have water on and dump stations open by May 1, and start turning them off around mid-October depending on weather, with no guarantee modern facilities will be available in April or later in October.

Sites are a mix of electric and full-hookup at state parks, with modern restrooms and showers at most campgrounds. Brushy Creek's non-equestrian campground has 47 sites including 37 electric sites and 10 with full water and sewer hookups. The northern equestrian campground has a modern shower and restroom, 125 campsites with 50 electrical, a horse wash area, a hitch rail at every site, and a 100 by 200 foot arena. Ambrose A Call's campground does not have a shower building or modern restroom, though a pit toilet is available. The Grotto RV Park offers 30-amp and 50-amp electrical hookups, showers, and a central water and dump station, with sites on grass and generally level. Cell service can be spotty in wooded river valleys; download maps in advance.