Bob Shetler Recreation Area
- Right now
- Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
- A night
- $22–$26Across the site types the agency prices
- Sites
- 67All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 3 notices
In the agency’s own words
Bob Shetler Recreation Area is located in the tailwater area below the 26,000-acre Saylorville Lake Project, which stretches more than 50 miles up the Des Moines River Valley. The lake provides a wide variety of recreational activities, including boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and hunting. Keep reading
Recreation
Visitors enjoy Saylorville Lake for its excellent boating, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and swimming opportunities. Anglers will find walleye, wiper, largemouth bass, catfish, crappie and northern pike. The paved Neal Smith Trail winds 24 miles from Des Moines to Big Creek State Park and connects the campgrounds on the east side of the lake. It is designated as a National Recreation Trail and is used for biking, hiking, jogging, walking and in-line skating.
Facilities
The campground offers 67 camping sites, all with electric hookups. Amenities include flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station. Nearby amenities include a visitor center, hiking trail, volleyball courts and a disc golf course. Boat ramps and an accessible fishing dock are also close by.
Natural Features
Large shade trees dot the open grassy areas of the campground, which offers excellent views of the Des Moines River. Most campsites are within easy walking distance of the shore. Wildlife is abundant throughout the project. White-tailed deer, turkeys, waterfowl and other small game animals roam the lands around the lake.
What the agency tells you
Click here for more information
Click here for a virtual tour of the Saylorville Lake area.
Saylorville Lake Campground Rules Camping: Allowed only at designated campsites. Reservations must be made in advance before setting up camping equipment. Campsite Registration: Campsites may only be registered to individuals 18 years or older, who must occupy the site for the full duration. Each campsite accommodates 1 family unit (up to 8 people) and allows either 3 tents OR 1 RV and 2 tents. Check-out time: 12:00 p.m. (noon) Check-in time: 2:00 p.m. Vacating & Registration: Campsites must be vacated or registration renewed by 12:00 p.m. on the due date. Camping is limited to 14 days within any 30-day period. Parking: Reserving campsites by parking vehicles or leaving items is prohibited. All vehicles (including boats/trailers) must be parked at your campsite or in designated areas. No parking on grass, roadsides, or vacant sites. Please ensure your visitors follow parking rules. Vehicle Operation: All vehicles (including mopeds and bicycles) must comply with Federal, State, and local laws. Stay on designated roads and use vehicles only for entering or exiting sites. UTVs, ATVs, and golf carts are not allowed in campgrounds or parks. Quiet Hours: From 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Campgrounds are restricted to registered campers during these hours. Visitors must leave by 10:00 p.m. Gates remain open 24/7. Trash Disposal: Use designated dumpsters only. Do not leave trash in fire rings, grills, or shower building cans. Remove all personal items and litter before departure. Recycling containers are available. Dumpsters are for trash generated on USACE property only. Grey Water Disposal: Grey water (from dishes, baths, soap, grease, etc.) must be collected and disposed of properly. Do not drain it on campsites or use it to water vegetation. Improper disposal creates odors, health issues, and attracts animals. Pets: Must be confined or leashed (6 feet or shorter) at all times. E-collars are not sufficient. Pets may not be left unattended and are not allowed in bathrooms or shower buildings. Pick up and dispose of waste properly. Firewood: Not available for purchase on-site. You may gather only fallen deadwood. Do not cut or damage trees, vegetation, or natural features. Firewood may be brought from home or purchased from off-site vendors. Pools & Water Games: Pools of any size or slip-n-slides and sprinklers are prohibited. Water tables are allowed. Prohibited Items: Fireworks, explosives, loaded firearms, ammunition, bows, and other projectile devices are not allowed. Smoking: Not allowed inside restrooms or shower buildings. Grills & Picnic Tables: Do not place grills or hot materials on picnic tables—use attached grill guards. Site holders are responsible for any damage or replacements. Yard Games: Games such as water balloons or egg toss are prohibited due to litter. Balloon pieces are non-biodegradable and harmful to pets and wildlife. Pet Leashes & Hammocks: Do not tie leashes, ropes, or chains to trees or shrubs. Hammocks may be used only on trees 6 inches or more in diameter to avoid damage. Alcoholic Beverages: Permitted for those 21 and older at all campgrounds. Hangtags: Registered campers may receive hangtags for access to beach and boat ramp day-use areas. Hangtags must be properly displayed. Golden Age/Access Passports: These and America the Beautiful Senior/Access Passes provide a 50% discount on recreation fees. The cardholder must present the card and ID during registration and be present for the stay. Fraudulent use is prohibited. Washing Equipment: Washing of RVs, trailers, vehicles, or equipment is not allowed at campgrounds or day-use areas. Use local wash facilities instead. Deliveries: Personal package deliveries (Amazon, FedEx, UPS, etc.) should be sent to your home, business, or a local postal facility. Saylorville Lake campgrounds, the Administration Building, and Visitor Center do not accept or hold deliveries. Equipment & Vehicle Storage: Reserving extra campsites solely to store equipment or vehicles is not allowed. Use designated overflow or additional parking during your stay. Water Spigots: Water spigots are for temporary use only to fill freshwater tanks. Do not use continuous hoses, Y-splitters, or attachments. Continuous hookups are only allowed at campsites with water service.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 67
- Hookups
- 67 electric, 9 water, 10 sewer
- Longest rig
- 62 ft
- Paved pads
- 9 of 67
- Accessible sites
- 1
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Pit Toilets
- “…hookups. Amenities include flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station. Nearby…”
- Showers
- Yes, the record doesn’t say what kind
- “Amenities include flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station.”
- Drinking water
- Yes
- “…include flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station. Nearby amenities include a…”
- Dump station
- Yes
- recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
- Boat ramp
- Yes
- Stay limit
- 14 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- On the water
- Lake, River, Creek
- Biking
- Boating
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Hunting
- Swimming
- Water sports
- Night sky · 31st darkest of 32 in IA
- Bortle 6
- Fall color · reported 4 days ago, 38 km away
- Patchy color
No reading yet, book on recreation.gov
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 15
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rates for this season, $22–$26 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 5
rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
67 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 67 mapped sitesAll 67 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 67 of the 67 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 67 of the 67 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| BSHE | 12 | standard electric | 50 amp | 44 ft | 117 ft | 200 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHE | 13 | standard electric | 50 amp | 87 ft | 207 ft | 204 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHE | 14 | standard electric | 60 ft | 50 amp | 44 ft | 107 ft | 240 ft | $22–$26 | |
| BSHE | 15 | standard electric | 50 amp | 31 ft | 98 ft | 282 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHE | 16 | standard electric | 50 amp | 70 ft | 189 ft | 291 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHE | 17 | standard electric | 50 amp | 31 ft | 96 ft | 311 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHE | 18 | standard electric | 50 amp | 38 ft | 93 ft | 348 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHE | 19 | standard electric | 50 amp | 70 ft | 199 ft | 361 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHE | 20 | standard electric | 50 amp | 40 ft | 100 ft | 385 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 22 | standard electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 58 ft | 530 ft | 362 ft | $22–$26 | |
| BSHM | 23 | standard electric | 55 ft | 30 amp | 58 ft | 550 ft | 399 ft | $22–$26 | |
| BSHM | 24 | standard electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 66 ft | 573 ft | 342 ft | $22–$26 | |
| BSHM | 25 | standard electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 53 ft | 623 ft | 326 ft | $22–$26 | |
| BSHM | 26 | standard electric | 35 ft | 30 amp | 53 ft | 644 ft | 345 ft | $22–$26 | |
| BSHM | 27 | standard electric | 30 amp | 58 ft | 695 ft | 201 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 28 | standard electric | 30 amp | 46 ft | 727 ft | 200 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 29 | standard electric | 30 amp | 46 ft | 722 ftSaylorville Lake | 214 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 30 | standard electric | 50 ft | 30 amp | yes | 74 ft | 789 ft | 97 ft | $22–$26 |
| BSHM | 31 | standard electric | 30 amp | 39 ft | 749 ftSaylorville Lake | 99 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 32 | standard electric | 30 amp | 39 ft | 710 ftSaylorville Lake | 120 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 33 | standard electric | 30 amp | 61 ft | 817 ftSaylorville Lake | 107 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 34 | standard electric | 50 ft | 30 amp | 53 ft | 760 ftSaylorville Lake | 133 ft | $22–$26 | |
| BSHM | 35 | standard electric | 30 amp | 53 ft | 707 ftSaylorville Lake | 163 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 36 | standard electric | 30 amp | 62 ft | 816 ftSaylorville Lake | 225 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 37 | standard electric | 30 amp | 37 ft | 756 ftSaylorville Lake | 242 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 38 | standard electric | 30 amp | 37 ft | 721 ftSaylorville Lake | 262 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 39 | standard electric | 30 amp | 44 ft | 798 ftSaylorville Lake | 349 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 40 | standard electric | 30 amp | 44 ft | 754 ftSaylorville Lake | 358 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 41 | standard electric | 30 amp | 54 ft | 700 ftSaylorville Lake | 370 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 42 | standard electric | 30 amp | 52 ft | 817 ftSaylorville Lake | 441 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 43 | standard electric | 30 amp | 45 ft | 766 ftSaylorville Lake | 455 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 44 | standard electric | 30 amp | 45 ft | 725 ftSaylorville Lake | 479 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 45 | standard electric | 30 amp | 45 ft | 819 ftSaylorville Lake | 386 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 46 | standard electric | 30 amp | 45 ft | 775 ftSaylorville Lake | 392 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 47 | standard electric | 30 amp | 51 ft | 724 ftSaylorville Lake | 391 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 48 | standard electric | 30 amp | 50 ft | 826 ftSaylorville Lake | 297 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 49 | standard electric | 30 amp | 50 ft | 780 ftSaylorville Lake | 274 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 50 | standard electric | 50 ft | 30 amp | 71 ft | 711 ftSaylorville Lake | 299 ft | $22–$26 | |
| BSHM | 51 | standard electric | 30 amp | 46 ft | 817 ftSaylorville Lake | 210 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 52 | standard electric | 30 amp | 46 ft | 771 ftSaylorville Lake | 201 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 53 | standard electric | 30 amp | 56 ft | 716 ftSaylorville Lake | 207 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 54 | standard electric | 30 amp | 55 ft | 830 ftSaylorville Lake | 108 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 55 | standard electric | 30 amp | 55 ft | 776 ftSaylorville Lake | 98 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 56 | standard electric | 62 ft | 30 amp | 77 ft | 701 ftSaylorville Lake | 117 ft | $22–$26 | |
| BSHM | 57 | standard electric | 30 amp | 30 ft | 798 ftSaylorville Lake | 115 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 58 | standard electric | 30 amp | 30 ft | 771 ftSaylorville Lake | 104 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 59 | standard electric | 30 amp | 49 ft | 724 ftSaylorville Lake | 112 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 60 | standard electric | 30 amp | 76 ft | 821 ftSaylorville Lake | 190 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 61 | standard electric | 30 amp | 34 ft | 743 ftSaylorville Lake | 215 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 62 | standard electric | 30 amp | 34 ft | 717 ftSaylorville Lake | 203 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 63 | standard electric | 30 amp | 52 ft | 821 ftSaylorville Lake | 314 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 64 | standard electric | 30 amp | 44 ft | 771 ftSaylorville Lake | 298 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 65 | standard electric | 30 amp | 44 ft | 727 ftSaylorville Lake | 305 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 66 | standard electric | 30 amp | 63 ft | 826 ftSaylorville Lake | 414 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 67 | standard electric | 30 amp | 63 ft | 764 ftSaylorville Lake | 412 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHM | 68 | standard electric | 50 ft | 30 amp | 67 ft | 697 ftSaylorville Lake | 415 ft | $22–$26 | |
| BSHM | 69 | standard electric | 30 amp | 107 ft | 837 ftSaylorville Lake | 522 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHW | 02 | standard electric | 30 amp | 44 ft | 136 ft | 313 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHW | 03 | standard electric | 30 amp | 55 ft | 172 ft | 393 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHW | 04 | standard electric | 30 amp | 43 ft | 170 ft | 275 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHW | 05 | standard electric | 30 amp | 48 ft | 214 ft | 348 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHW | 06 | standard electric | 30 amp | 43 ft | 196 ft | 234 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHW | 07 | standard electric | 30 amp | 29 ft | 248 ft | 312 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHW | 08 | standard electric | 30 amp | 40 ft | 231 ft | 195 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHW | 09 | standard electric | 30 amp | 29 ft | 271 ft | 294 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHW | 10 | standard electric | 30 amp | 40 ft | 258 ft | 162 ft | $22–$26 | ||
| BSHW | 11 | standard electric | 25 ft | 30 amp | 173 ft | 289 ft | 52 ft | $22–$26 |
25 of 67 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Cottonwood Recreation Area0.9 mi
Lake View Recreation Area (Saylorville)1.0 mi
Cherry Glen Campground2.1 mi
Cherry Glen Picnic2.1 mi
Walnut Ridge Recreation Area2.7 mi
Acorn Valley3.2 miFrom I-35, take exit 90 to Ankeny/Oralabor Road and go west for 4.8 miles. The road turns into Highway 415. Turn left onto 37th Street, then turn right onto Horseshoe Road. Turn right and drive across the Saylorville Lake Dam to the campground.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Johnston, IA
Typical weather
Typical October night 41°F, day 64°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 12°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Bob Shetler Recreation Area is in Iowa’s 3rd congressional district. Its representative, Zach Nunn (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →