Hoot Owl Hollow Campground

This is a quiet campground in a semi rural setting only a short hop from Dubuque. Difficult to find using GPS. The road has been renumbered and the four digit number is no longer. Nearest number is 15915 or so. I called the office for directions. My GPS wanted to take us down a dirt road with many turns on the way. The office told me to take exit 314 off US 20. We were coming from the west.

The sites are mostly level and mostly gravel with some sites paved. The picnic tables are dilapidated but the grassy sites give you plenty of space between you and your neighbor. There are some pull throughs but mostly back in. There was plenty of room for our 40’ fiver.

There is a playground and a pool. Wifi can be obtained at the office but probably not at your campsite. No laundry was seen.

We had a lovely visit and would come again.

General info: This place is so small even the local PD doesn't know it exists. It is located on the outskirts of Dubuque, and they're pretty much the only place near here that doesn't require you to move every 14 days. (Iowa has weird laws and nosey people who report people for doing things like staying too long at one campground.) In addition to the site rent, you'll pay $0.12 per kilowatt-hour. They only take cash or check, unless you make a big stink, then they'll take PayPal. Choose your incoming/outgoing routes carefully. Some directions are straightforward, while others will have you going up and down extremely steep hills with crazy switchbacks. Owners state they've been trying to sell the place for the last 2-3 years. Before we came here, we noted that there was only one review, which was from 2 years ago. Since they are trying to sell the place, I don't expect that anything will drastically change until it is sold.

Pros: Since nobody knows it exists, it's really quiet, and you'll have your pick of sites. They're never more than *maybe* half full. Sites are large and come with a picnic table and fire pit.
Close to town, but out of the way enough to be quiet, save the highway that runs right in front of it.
Tent and RV sites available.
AT&T is our cellular provider, and we use them for part of our internet. Service is great here.

Cons: Not much in the way of shade/tree cover. The good spots were all taken save one when we arrived. Now we're in the last of the shady places. The best shade is right up against the road, so you'll have to deal with the road noise.
I think it's weird to pay lot-rent and electricity. We've been RV-ing full time for probably 3 months now and this is the first we've run into it.
We use Verizon as part of our internet, and we have noticed that the service is kind of strange here. Some days, it's great, while other days it scarcely functions.
None of the standard amenities. No wifi, no shower house, no laundry facilities, nothing really except hook-ups and a place to park.
If you have a lower RV you'll have to pay close attention to where the wastewater goes. Ours we wound up being nearly level with most of the sites wastewater hook-ups.

Do not believe their website! Game room: Nope. Laundry Room: No. "Large sparkling pool" is covered in plastic. However, to be fair, the husband died two weeks before my arrival and in Iowa only a person with a certification can maintain the pool. And he was the one who was certified.

They do have separate showers and restrooms which were decent, and were kept clean. They also have a playground area.

My phone GPS couldn't find Hoot Owl Hollow and I suspect it is the same reason that there is confusion about the address indicated above. I sent my deposit (they don't take credit or debit cards) to the address on their website (1650 Middle Road). While at the campground, my phone said the address was 1650 Hoot Owl Drive. To add further confusion, the fire department puts little signs at the curb with a 5 digit number. How I finally found the place was using the address 15264 Middle Road which is the advertised address of the business next door. There is a sign at the driveway that says "Campground" but you won't find a sign with the name of the campground anywhere.

Now, this may not be the campground's fault but this could be made clear on the website. I was most frustrated by the lack of laundry facilities when the website said they had on-site laundry (which the owner told me they've never had). I told her I thought they should update the website. The reply? "It costs $100 and I don't have $100."

All that said, it had nice trees. The sites were pretty level. Someone mowed once a week. The hookups taken care of and easy to use. I kept thinking that the place had so much potential. It just needs owners willing to really make the effort. The entire month I stayed, it was never more than 1/4 full and it only reached that many on the weekends. During the week, there was about 8 of us here.

If you are looking for a campground for a few days or a week in the area, there are a lot better options, including some on the Mississippi River. This was the only campground that offered a monthly rate which is why I chose it. However, if I come back to the area, it's unlikely I would stay at Hoot Owl Hollow again.