Rock Creek State Park

On our way to Chicago for our son's Naval Boot Camp graduation, the Covids hit the fan and we had to stay here as most everywhere shut down. Fortunately, Iowa State Parks were among the few in the nation which remained open through March. That changed in early April and we were tossed out at that point.
But we really can't complain. The Ranger was super nice and understanding as he knew what we were facing as fulltimers and allowed us to stay well beyond the normal 14 day limit. He even let us stay a couple of nights after it was officially shut down. We were the last campers to leave.
The park has fairly easy access being just a few miles off of Interstate 80. There is a very nice lake for fishing and boating here. There is also a good network of hiking trails. On the negative side, the sites are mostly poorly maintained gravel, unlevel, with hardly any space in between sites. It is almost like an RV Park in that regard. After our first two weeks, we moved down to a lakeside spot, which was nice, but we had kids from neighboring sites either fishing right out the back of our camper or walking right on through our spot. Too bad. This could be a really nice campground with better maintenance and better spacing. The dump station sits in the middle of a hill.
All in all, we were most fortunate to be able to stay here as long as we did. When we came back through the area in the fall, we discovered the campground had been decimated by the super storm which passed through in August. Most all the trees were gone and two of the boat docks were displaced. But, kudos to them, the place was open and nearly full with campers.

Camped here one night on our way to Grand Teton, this was perfectly positioned for us off Route 80, not too far off and a scenic little drive. The campground has a beautiful lake that many campsites are located along. We did a late check in at the front entrance, this was so nice because we arrived so late in the evening. The campground also had a dump station and potable water fill upon exiting.

Honestly, we were so excited when we arrived. It was sunset, the sky was absolutely gorgeous. We got a site right up front next to the waters edge with nobody next to us. Everyone else was nestled up against the outer edge sites at the hillside. Maybe it was the mosquitos. Maybe it’s more humid and muggy near the water. I’ve never been to Iowa so I have no idea but it was absolutely miserable I tell you. The weather app on iPhone said Kellogg was going to be around 50-60 degrees that night and it definitely never got below 78 with about 99% humidity and rare breezes. We didn’t sleep at all. To help aid in any air flow we took of the rain screen on the tent so the top was mostly mesh.
Well, in the morning, we wake up to a teenager from a site behind us standing directly at the waters edge in front of our tent.... meanwhile there are no less than 20 empty sites on the shore to fish from. That’s not the camps fault but honestly it was not that busy where we camped but the sites are SO close together you’re basically a few steps away from your neighbor. I would love this space if it were different weather, more friendly town folk at the nearby store, and further spaced apart sites.
If we return we will be in an RV.

Great campground like ample lake access for fishing, canoes, kayaks and 5 mph or less. We parked our Class B at a tent site as all elec sites full on the weekend we arrived. This place is probably amazing during the week with no people and avail elec sites. A few elec sites are right on the water. There is also a 7 mi bike trail paved along the road from the Park to Grinnell. It is very hilly so may not be for casual riders.

Elec sites were full when we arrived so we parked our Class B in a tent site. Great campground with amazing lake access with fishing, kayak, canoe and 5 mph or less motor boats. Nice camp store for sundries, fishing supplies, firewood and ice. There is also a paved bike trail along the road between here and Grinnell which we rode one day. Very hilly but nice option for non lake people.

We arrived at sunset on a Friday night and snatched a first-come first-serve site by the water (where you can stay until 3 pm the next day). It was very quiet and there were no parties or loud groups even on a Friday night. The trail surrounding the lake was closed unfortunately. The showers are pretty old and dirty, but at $16 with electricity ($11 without), we were just happy to be able to shower with (trickling) warm water. A great overnight or weekend stop. Lots of locals fishing on the premises. Don't expect well-leveled sites by the water.

We stopped here on our way to Colorado and we're pleasantly surprised by the beauty and amenities. We had reserved site 42, which was right on the water and had a bit of shade. There was a small dock at the site as well, which we used to launch our kayak. Pleasant paddling lake with lots of fish. We were there during the week, so not crowded. However, I imagine the weekends would get busy given proximity to Des Moines.

We stayed in an electric site suitable for our small pop-up. There are quite a large number of tent-only sites that are beautifully located along the lake. And of course, larger pull through sites for bigger rigs.

Two downsides --1) the sites are close together, so during a busy weekend there won't be much privacy. 2) the showers were not great; incredibly hot water with no temp adjustment, and with little ventilation. Would be OK in cooler weather I suppose, but it was 95 degrees and humid during our visit. The temp in the inside of the shower must have been 110, and with scalding hot water to boot.