Campgrounds and RV parks near Maxwell, IA

Maxwell is a small town in Story County, Iowa, about a half-hour drive northeast of Des Moines and roughly the same distance southeast of Ames. It sits in the rolling farmland between Interstate 35 and Highway 65, which puts RV travelers within easy reach of the central Iowa metro without the traffic of a downtown base. The area works well as a hub for families. Adventureland theme park in Altoona is a short drive south, the Iowa State Fairgrounds sits on the Des Moines side of the metro, and the Chichaqua Valley Trail runs a paved rail-trail corridor between Bondurant and Baxter that passes near town. Campground options range from full-hookup resort-style parks to quieter rural sites. Griff's Valley View RV Park and Campground is the closest large private park, and Adventureland Campground, River Oaks RV Park, Newton / Des Moines East KOA Journey, and Cutty's Des Moines Camping Club round out the choices within a reasonable drive.

Private campgrounds in the Maxwell area take reservations directly through their own websites or by phone, and most require a deposit at booking. Adventureland Campground is booked through the theme park's reservation system and is often bundled with park tickets. Iowa State Parks, including nearby Big Creek and Ledges, use the state's central reservation system at iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com. Sites open on a rolling window three months ahead of arrival, and holiday weekends are often claimed within minutes of that window opening. For county parks in Story, Polk, and Jasper counties, reservations are handled by each county conservation board, usually through MyCountyParks.com. Walk-up sites still exist at some rural county parks but should not be relied on during summer weekends.