Campgrounds and RV parks near New Hartford, IA

Water activities dominate the area. George Wyth State Park sits among four lakes with fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and canoeing as popular activities. At Union Grove, anglers can expect to find bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish, saugeye, walleye, and northern pike in the 110-acre lake, and two boat ramps provide no-wake lake access. Trail users have strong options. George Wyth has 3.5 miles of paved multi-use trails and 10 miles of soft-surface trails, linked to a 100-mile trail network connecting parks, lakes, and neighborhoods across Waterloo and Cedar Falls. Families staying at the Waterloo/Lost Island KOA Resort get resort-style extras including on-site disc golf, a dog park, a swimming beach, a mining sluice, and a playground, with kayak, canoe, and Banana Bike rentals during the season. The Lost Island water park is a quarter mile from the KOA and open daily between June and August.

Iowa state parks in this region run on a clear seasonal calendar. At George Wyth, peak season runs May 1 through October 15, and the campground is 100 percent reservable with no first-come, first-served sites. The George Wyth campground is closed from January 1 through March 31. Union Grove is 100 percent reservable and accepts reservations April 1 through October 31 until 10:00 pm CST the day of arrival, and the campground is closed each year from November 1 through March 31. Spring and summer bring the busiest camping. Weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day book out quickly at George Wyth, and lakeside sites at Union Grove fill first. Severe weather, including thunderstorms and tornadoes, can occur, especially in the spring and summer months, so travelers should watch forecasts and know where the storm shelters are on site. Fall shoulder season is quieter and cooler. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat tire biking are popular winter trail activities at George Wyth, but overnight camping options narrow sharply once the state park campgrounds close for the season.

Facilities vary by park type. George Wyth offers electric and non-electric sites with 20/30/50 amp hookups, along with tent-only sites, walk-to sites, and a youth group site, all with picnic tables and fire rings, plus modern restrooms with showers, a dump station, and water hydrants throughout the campground. Union Grove offers electric and full-hookup sites with electric, water, and sewer, modern restrooms and showers, a dump station, and two ADA-accessible year-round cabins. Private parks lean toward big-rig friendly layouts. Waterloo/Lost Island KOA Resort sites can accommodate rigs up to about 100 feet in length, with gravel or concrete pads and full hookups with cable, plus restrooms and showers, laundry, and Wi-Fi. Mosquitoes can be heavy during warmer months at George Wyth due to nearby water, and train tracks add to nighttime noise, so RV renters may prefer interior loops for quieter sleeping.