Howell Station Campground

If I could give more stars, I would. This park is just beautiful. Our spot backed up to the river and the bike trail. While we were on the downside of the dam and the water was low we had a daily viewing of all kinds of pelicans, seagulls, herons, bats and bald eagles. Lots of folks fishing, biking, walking and running on the trail. The park itself is immaculately maintained with lush grass and towering cottonwoods. We loved it so much we were able to stay one more night, thanks to the camp host Jack! Park was over half full but very quiet and peaceful.
The town of Pella is amazing. We rode our bikes into town on the Volksweg Trail and could not get over how gorgeous the landscape was along the way. Pella is a Dutch community so there are flowers everywhere. There is even a canal through a plaza near the windmill. People were so friendly and proud of their town. We ate at Liberty Street Kitchen, Cantaritos Grill and Cantina, and Brewhuis Coffee - recommend all 3 for good food and wonderful service. Iowa Bike Company is also a cool store with super friendly staff. We put our LTE router outside and got about 1 bar.
We have a newfound love affair with Iowa.

This is an army corp of engineers park. With senior discount it is only $11/ night with electric.
The electric functioned perfectly and the site was huge, shaded, grassy, and backed to the des plaines river and bike path. There are extensive bike paths, water accessible activities, and clean shower and bathroom. Also Pella Iowa is close and worth a look. If you are traveling west on I80, you can angle down to the park from the east and angle back to Des Moines on a four lane divided highway so not too out of the way. All in all, very nice. Verizon cell coverage was minimal but it improved and was usable with a MiFi antenna. AT and T was better.

Nice hiking/bike trails
Spacious gravel back in sites
Bathrooms were clean
Friendly staff at the office
Nice and quiet

Our first outting of the year in our new 35 foot 5th wheel on Saturday, April 17 to Monday, April 19. When we made the reservation a couple of weeks ago on recreation.gov site number 113 was the only site left for the weekend. We arrived a little before the check out time of 3:00 and the host station was empty but they did have a sign that said the office opened at 3:00 so we pulled up to one of the four dump stations just inside the "gate" and started filling up the fresh tank since there was not full hookup at our site. A nice older gentleman drove up and told me my site was already avaiable and I can stop in the office sometime before 8:00 pm to get the tag for our site. After filling up we drove to our site via a clearly marked paved road. We backed into the level gravel site, leveled up, checked the power and hooked up the electricity. Later in the afternoon, after checking out the clean restrooms, we walked across the pedestrian bridge and then onto one of the unpaved nature trails in the area for a nice little 3/4 mile walk. We got lucky and had cool but nice weather. We were able to hook up the T-Mobile hotspot and even though we only had 2 bars, we were getting better than 6 Mbps download and a very slow less than 1 Mbps upload. Verizon was also 2 bars with 9 Mbps download and still less than 1 Mbps upload. It was nice and quiet overnight with just the occasional pickup driving by. Overall, we would stay here again but it might have to be during the week since the weekends book up early.

Stayed here in August, 2020. Rate reflects 50% senior pass discount. At $11 per night with electric, this is an exceptional camping value. Not near an Interstate, so some local highways must be used to access this area. All roads are wide and paved, as are all the interior roads in the campground. Inside the registration area are a pair of dump and water stations, positioned for incoming and outgoing traffic. It works very well.
The camp sites are absolutely huge. Level gravel pads with mature trees everywhere and any size rig can be easily accommodated here. There are water spigots and bath houses located throughout the four loops. Bath houses are dated, but the showers are large and have good pressure and hot water and are kept clean. Lots of hiking and biking available here on a trail which encompasses much of the lake and a portion of the town of Pella. There is all the dining and shopping one could want in Pella. The park itself is geared toward water activities. Only downside is the fact there is little connectivity here. One might find some spotty coverage depending on exactly where they are located in the campground.
We absolutely love COE campgrounds. They are so consistent with their structure and amenities, you pretty much know what the campground will be like no matter where you might come across them around the nation. And the fact they accept the senior pass for a 50% discount is icing on the cake!

We have stayed here several times over the past 3 years. Very nice Army Corp campground. Always clean. 50/30/20 amp service, two dump stations with non potable and fresh water. Fresh water available throughout the park. Verizon signal is weak here but a MIMO antenna will get it up to 2 bars with 6-8Mb down. All the roads in the park are paved and the sites are gravel and generally level. The Corps is removing a lot of diseased ash trees and replanting. Routine sheriffs and Corp patrols through the campground.