Cherry Glen Campground

We came here for one night to visit family in the area. We were very pleased with our choice. Campground is clean and orderly. Several campsites fronting the water but those were all taken. We got a great spot off to the side with some view of the reservoir. Each site has a metal fire ring and a nice big steel picnic table. Spacious sites and miles of hiking/biking trails. Glorious fall foliage in the large forests surrounding the reservoir. Saw a few deer as we went walking before dinner. After dinner we had a persistent raccoon continue to visit us until we put everything away.

We enjoyed three nights this past week. This is our third or fourth time in this campground while visiting family in the area. The campground receives a lot of use, though it is well maintained. All sites were full when we visited. Most appeared to be occupied by family groups.

There has been a lot of work clearing underbrush around the campground since we last visited. The campground is adjacent to one of the boat ramps for accessing Saylorville Lake. There is also a large day use picnic area with 6 group shelters and bathrooms.

The Neal Smith Trail can be accessed from the campground. This trail is a 26 mile paved biking and walking trail that extends from Des Moines to Big Creek State Park. You can easily reach the Corp of Engineers visitor center and a nearby butterfly garden from the campground via this trail.

I almost hate to review this army corps park because it already fills up fast. We stayed here a couple of nights last year and loved it so planned for a longer stay this year. The lake is beautiful, most sites fairly roomy, 50 amp electric service, no water or sewer but dump station in park. The trails are great for walking or biking. Bath houses were fine although we usually use our own. Our rate is half because of the lifetime senior pass available at 62. Park about half full during the week (August) and full on weekends.

After staying at Bob Shelter campground the last two times we were in the Des Moines area, we tried the Cherry Glen campground as it was the first one to open in April. This will definitely be our go to place from now on. The campground has lots of lovely trees for shade, though due to the Green Ash Bores, lots of Ash trees were being taken out while we were here for the two weeks. Our understanding is that there will be new trees, other than ash, planted in place during the spring/summer.
The one thing we have notice with both the Bob Shelter and the Cherry Glen campgrounds, are the sites are definitely not level, so you will need lots of blocks to level your RVs. The hot water is minimal in the showers, which was a minus as well.
Due to the closeness to the Des Moines area, this campground is packed during the weekends, but plenty of camp sites during the week. Hence the noise level varies.
It should also be noted we paid a lower price for our spot as we have the Golden Age Pass.

This is a COE campground and I loved it. Wasn't too busy since it was the end of September and midweek but the weather was excellent and not every space was filled. Q went swimming and there is a paved but hilly bike path that can also be used for rollerblading. Disc golf course can be found not too far away. Some sites don't have much vegetation between sites but most sites are spaced very well. Overall, a very good campground. Didn't have much interaction with campground host except with check-in but they were very nice and let me know which sites were open for 2 nights and let me drive around looking at sites available. If you have a Senior Access Pass, the price will be half.

Didn't go into Des Moines, IA but would be something I would do if more time. Nice grocery store is fairly close.

Reviews depend on what a person is looking for when they camp. Dave and I like large spaces with access to amenities and we don't care if they cost us the laundry or cable access that RV resorts provide (though we have stayed many times at resorts). This park was a dream for us. We had wonderful campground hosts, gorgeous tree shaded lots, 50 Amp electrical service (needed for a/c during heat of day), fire pits, quiet, proximity to fishing, wading Sayorville lake and, best of all, miles and miles of bike trails. I had, with cellular boost, verizon access so that I could work and we could grab what TV we wanted with over the air digital antenna. There were lots of places to walk. Only 5 miles to the grocery store (with Starbucks) and, a bike trail to town if you preferred. We liked the place well enough to move the bus 3 times to be able to stay longer. The recreation area is fantastic. One of the bike trails has an information center where they provide a bike tire repair station. This place was a bicycle dream!