Campgrounds and RV parks near Goldfield, IA

Brushy Creek State Recreation Area is the main draw for active trips. The lake supports swimming, boating, and fishing for bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, channel catfish, walleye, and muskellunge, with four boat ramps and eight fishing jetties along 21 miles of shoreline. More than 45 miles of multi-use trails, including a 12-mile gravel loop around the lake, handle horseback riders, mountain bikers, and hikers. Dolliver Memorial State Park is the hiking pick. Nearly six miles of rugged trails wind past the Copperas Beds sandstone formations, Boneyard Hollow box canyon, and ancient Native American mounds, with river access for paddling and fishing. Ambrose A Call State Park adds about two miles of shaded ravine trails winding down to a creek, plus a historic 1920s log-cabin-style lodge and an authentic elm-log settler's cabin.

Iowa's state park camping season generally runs from spring through mid-fall. At Dolliver Memorial State Park, the campground is closed each year from November 1 through March 31 and reopens April 1, with peak season running May 1 through October 15. Ambrose A Call State Park operates on a slightly different calendar: closed November 16 through April 14, with peak dates May 1 to October 15. Brushy Creek State Recreation Area stays accessible year-round and shifts to snowmobiling and cross-country skiing in winter when conditions allow. However, park staff generally turn water on and open shower buildings and dump stations around May 1 and start closing them in mid-October, so modern facilities are not guaranteed in April or late October. Summer weekends and holidays fill first at Brushy Creek's equestrian and Beach loops. Fall brings cooler nights, strong color along the Des Moines River bluffs at Dolliver, and thinner crowds. Winter camping is possible at Brushy Creek but expect limited services.

Expect a mix of amenity levels. Brushy Creek's non-equestrian loops include electric and full-hookup sites with water and sewer, plus reservable shelters and beach cabanas, while the North and South Equestrian campgrounds are geared to riders with hitch rails and trailer access. Dolliver Memorial State Park has 18 electric sites, one full-hookup pull-through, three tent-only sites, and one youth group site, along with modern restrooms, showers, and a trailer dump station. Cell service inside the river valley is limited or absent, and there is no on-site camp store for firewood or supplies. Ambrose A Call State Park is more rustic: a small campground with mostly electric sites, a vault restroom, and no shower building. Max RV length is around 30 feet, so larger rigs should confirm site fit before booking. Iowa is under a statewide firewood quarantine for emerald ash borer, so buy firewood locally.