Rock Creek State Park

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.

Stayed here a couple of nights 2nd week of May during the week. Got a spot right on the lake, nice. The signs showing the way to the sites could use a little work. My site #33 was right across from one numbered in the 50s; Go figger! Hiking trails are few from what I could determine but I did manage a 4 mile out & back hike though partly on paved roads. There are several bathrooms around though one near me was closed. There are comfort stations as well as vault toilets. The showers are clean and you get lukewarm water but at least not cold. My cell signal was weak so I used my WeBoost antenna to get a good signal on the Verizon network. The sites offer little in the way of privacy. Also you can get electric but water is only available at certain shared locations. So I might have given this a higher rating but for a certain flag I saw displayed along the shore shortly after I arrived that made me feel like I might not be welcomed. I was relieved to see it gone the next day (though later I saw it at another camper's site).

Rock Creek state park is located about 5 miles north and 3 miles east of the town of Kellogg, Iowa. Kellogg is about 40 miles east of the Des Moines metro area along I-80. Access to Rock Creek state park is easiest by going north through Kellogg. This route has paved roads all the way.

The park offers about 200 campsites. About half are non-electric sites. Electric sites are mostly 30 amp service, but some are being upgraded to 50 amp service. The sites are situated close together much like one would expect in a purely commercial RV park. This is a fairly popular weekend destination with a few long term campers. Availability of campsites will probably be best during the weekdays. If you want a choice electric site, you'll need to reserve early, but there are plenty of "OK" spots that are usually available. Not all sites are reservable. Reservations can be made at IowaDNR.gov. Fees are $11 for non-electric and $17 for electric sites.

The non-electric sites are a bit more sparsley used and are a bit larger, so most times a reservation isn't necessary for these. The non-electric sites are more shaded than the others.

The lake offers good fishing and boating is restricted to no-wake speeds. Occasionally one will see a sailboat of up to about 25 feet in length on the lake. There is a concession which sells bait, tackle and a few grocery items. Boat rentals are available from kayaks to "Party barge" pontoon boats. On the day use side of the lake (Across the lake from the campground) there is a swimming beach and changing house. There are also three boat launch ramps and several fish cleaning stations at points around the lake.

We stayed here while traveling to CO if was a short distance off of the I 80, but our GPS took us down gravel roads when coming in from the east. When we left we went west and the roads were all paved to the I 80. We could not hear the highway at all, but it was hot so we had our camper air conditioner running. There are many sites right next to the lake. Many of the sites had electric.