Gull Point State Park

State Parks are my go to choice when looking for reservations, unfortunately this State Park isn’t up to snuff with many amenities we have come to expect in an electric site. There are no paved sites. Even for electric you are parking on grass and many are not level. The picnic tables are old & the sites are not well defined. Each site does have a fire pit. Showers & bathrooms are ok (some bathrooms are newer but showers are not).
I would try hard to get another location before selecting this State Park.

We rented two camp sites for seven people (2 adults and 5 kids). We adhered to the two tents/4 people per site rule. However, the DNR counted one of our tents as three tents, simply because it was three dome tents, and made us rent a third site. The worst part was how rude the lady was. She wouldn’t even listen to me when I tried to show her the tent bag, indicating it was one tent. She acted as if we were criminals. Since there was NO two way conversation allowed, I indicated that we would pay for the extra site but would never be back, at which point she said “That’s fine.” Worst customer service ever! Three sites for 2 adults and four kids. Really? I don’t recommend this place at all! There are way better places to stay in the Okoboji area!

If you're camping in a tent, you'll love it so long as you don't mind sleeping at an angle. For everyone else, this is basically the "overflow" lot for the rest of Okoboji, and I'd rather pay for a hotel than stay here again. Tight turns, and no directional signs on the roads were the first thing I noticed upon pulling in. We tested the electrical before setting up in our reserved site and it tested good (this was at 8:15), so we set up. Then we turned on the air (90 outside) and the breaker blew. After that, even the tester would throw the breaker. So we broke down and started looking for another site, except now it's dark. We tried one site, but in the dark I didn't notice how horribly sloped it was front to back. So tear it down and move again. DNR is now there and trying to be helpful, while another camper to drunk to tell you his name starts yelling at my kids and telling them to f$#% off. So we finally get set up in a site with a heavy lean to the left. But it's 11:30, we decide to get some sleep and figure it out in the morning.

In the daylight, you can see how trully horrible this place is. Very few level sites, not laid out well, and sites on top of each other, and enough gravel between all the sites for 1 site. We did find one site that was long enough for us though and reasonably level, so we move AGAIN. This one right next to the campground hosts. So we get setup and we are finally ready to enjoy our weekend, and here the host comes. I explained to her what was going on, that I will get a hold of the ranger and get everything straightened out and she tells me I can't stay in this spot (it's a first come, first served spot). I told her that I've moved 4 times now, and the next time the camper is hooked to my truck it will be to go home. She throws a fit and tells me I'll have to pay for spot 102 (where I stayed the night before, also 1st come), as well as 42, in addition to the reserved spot at 48. I told her I would take it up with the Rangers and we would get if figured out. Found out later they had some friends coming in for the weekend and they were trying to hold on to that spot for them. Spent the rest of the weekend listening to people partying till 1 in the morning and getting mean mugged by the hosts and their guests every time they walked by.

Iowa normally has very nice and well maintained parks with exceptional hosts. This park has obviously slipped through the cracks. It is time to close the park down and renovate it, and they should start with campground hosts. I'll stay at Walmart before I stay here again.

The price was the off season rate. The campground was nearly empty even though the price included electric and showers. It was fall and there were leaves all around and the grounds were generally unkempt. The sites were small and dirt/mud and mostly shaded. There was no view of the lake and the water that was around seemed swampy. We really wanted a more open campsite and ended up going to Emerson Bay even though we generally prefer more rustic grounds like this one. There was a fishing pond and trails. In the summer it might be a very pleasant place to stay, if the bugs are not too bad.

This park was built by the CCC. So it is nearly 100 years old. It was not built with RVs in mind. I have stayed at other CCC parks, that were better adapted to RVs. The road through the park takes sharp turns through big tall trees. We have a 33 foot trailer, I'm pretty sure this trip took a couple of years off my life. There were only a few sites that had any gravel left on them, they were mostly mud. Many of the sites sloped up hill. We reserved site 19, stated it was good for a trailer up to 35 feet. You would have to be a magician. We moved to 28, which was wide and long, but sloped badly at the back, had to park with the tongue of the trailer a foot from the road. Some of the sites were right on algae covered water, I can't imagine the bugs. If you have a motorhome on the smaller side, this probably wouldn't be as big of an obstacle for you.

No wood available for sale, no direct access to the area bike trail, no water hook ups.

Shower house was pretty new looking, clean. Bathrooms by playground were flush toilets and ok. Playground was well enjoyed by my boys. Very shady park,, tall oak trees throughout.

I would recommend camping at nearby Emerson Bay of you have the choice. I will not come back here for any reason.

Most of the amenities at Gull Point are well-worn, but the Park has 112 sites in a quiet, lush, forested setting. Sites are well spaced and most have fire rings. Picnic tables could use a coat of paint. Sites do not have pads per se and have not been leveled, and most are too small for larger rigs. Fine for tents, trailers and smaller motorhomes. There's a mix of reservable and non-reservable sites, as well as sites with electric (30 amp max it appears) and without.

There is only one bathhouse with showers (sites 41-52 are closest to it). Other bathrooms in the park are older and worn, but are clean and serviceable. Nearby Emerson Bay State Recreation Area has more modern amenities but sites are close together and it is a much busier park. Gull Point is for the camper who wants more serene surroundings and brings their own bathroom with them.