Camping
ASHLEIGH REINOLD Natural resource specialist
It’ s almost that time of year here in Iowa to break out the camping gear. If you are thinking about visiting Rathbun Lake for your camping experience, then we have four different locations for you.
First on our list is Island View Campground. Island View is our largest and most popular campground. It has beautiful views of the lake, is close to two of our boat ramps and plenty of activities for the family to enjoy. For starters, there is a great beach with new sand. There are three different playgrounds to choose from, two shelters that are reservable and two volleyball nets. You can choose sand volleyball on the beach or play in the grass by the shelter, if it is not rented.
Are you planning to camp with a group of friends and family? Then come enjoy our group camp. It is tucked away from the main campground for maximum privacy and has its own shower house and electricity for your campers.
Next on our list is Bridge View Campground. Bridgeview is located on the west side of the lake giving you great views of the lake, including beautiful sunrises.
This campground has its own boat ramp with ample parking for campers and other boaters to enjoy. It is also located close to the off-highway vehicle park if you enjoy riding your OHV. Keep in mind, the gates to the OHV park will be closed if there’ s rain.
Third is Prairie Ridge Campground. Prairie Ridge is our gently used campground offering you a quieter camping experience. There is a playground and some great camping views, or you can choose a smaller camping section without the views. All of the campsites are 50-amp sites. There is a shelter that is a first come-first-serve basis and a group camp that, even though it does not have electricity, is tucked away from the other campers giving you some privacy.
Our final campground is Buck Creek Campground. Even though this is our smallest campground
Scan for campsite reservation for Rathbun Lake area sites
that does not make it any less special. Buck Creek is the closest to some of the restaurants around the lake, a couple of bait shops and the marina. There is no boat ramp in the campground, but campers can use any of
12 Rathbun Lake 2025