CAMPANAC.Powered by public lands intelligenceMore Than Just Parks

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · IA

Bridgeview (Rathbun Lake)

ReservableOut of season, no booking; November 1 opens May 1.

Book on recreation.govWe make nothing when you book

Right now: Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
A night: $15–$44Across the site types the agency prices
Sites: 103All of them booked ahead

Photos · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

159 ftLongest rig

970 ftElevation

499 ftWater · an unnamed pond

11.2 miNW of Centerville, IA

0%Tree cover

The place

the agency’s own description · what’s there · 7 notices

In the agency’s own words

Bridgeview Park is located on beautiful Rathbun Lake, just 13 miles northwest of Centerville, Iowa. Camping, boating, swimming, fishing and picnicking are popular activities at this waterfront recreation area. Keep reading

Recreation

The 11,000-acre lake provides a variety of fishing opportunities for any angler. Crappie, channel catfish, walleye and largemouth bass are most common. Whether power boating or sailing, Rathbun Lake, also known as Iowa's Ocean, has something to offer everyone. In particular, the water's prevailing winds make it one of the best sailing lakes in Iowa.

Facilities

This large campground offers 106 family sites, 95 of which have electric hookups. A day-use group picnic shelter for up to 24 people is also available. Amenities include flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water, a dump station, boat ramp, playground and horseshoe pits.

Natural Features

Rathbun Lake is situated in the gently rolling hills of the Chariton River Valley in southeast Iowa. The campground consists of open grassy areas dotted with trees. Bald eagles, white-tailed deer, Canada geese, wild turkey, and other wildlife can be found at Rathbun Lake. Contact Info This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (641) 647-2464.

Nearby Attractions

Southern Iowa's only Off Highway Vehicle Park is just three miles from the campground. It is located on the south bank of the South Fork Chariton River and encompasses nearly 125 acres of an abandoned rock quarry. The Rathbun Fish Hatchery is located near the main dam, and offers self-guided tours Monday through Friday year-round. Hundreds of thousands of catfish and walleye are produced here each year.

Source: Recreation.gov data (RIDB), full extract · Aug 23, 2026

What the agency tells you

Rule

14 Day Policy on Rathbun Lake: Campers are only allowed to camp at the same camping loop a maximum of 14 nights within a 30 night period. After the 14th night, they will be required to move (physically move the camping unit) to a different camping loop, which can be in the same campground.

Rule

Please register for campsites during booth hours, 8 a.m.-10 a.m. and 3 p.m.-8 p.m.

Rule

If late, you must contact this park within 24 hours after your original check-in time or you will be considered a 'no show' resulting in the cancelation of your reservation.

Everything else this campground posts · 4

Rule

For more information, visit the Rathbun Lake website http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Lakes/Rathbun-Lake/

Rule

Purchase firewood from a local source.

Rule

If you must bring your own firewood, don't leave any firewood behind at your campsite.

Rule

Don't Move Firewood: Protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information.

Read them on the agency’s own page →

Source: recreation.gov facility notices, quoted verbatim · Sep 9, 2026

Tents and rigs

Sites: 103
Hookups: 94 electric
Longest rig: 159 ft
Accessible sites: None listed
Pets: Allowed
Campfires: Allowed, barring fire bans
Shade: Every site

Source: Recreation.gov campsite records · Aug 23, 2026

Facilities

Toilets: Pit Toilets; “…available. Amenities include flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water, a dump station, boat…”
Showers: Yes, the record doesn’t say what kind; “Amenities include flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water, a dump station, boat ramp, playground and horseshoe pits.”
Drinking water: Yes; “…include flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water, a dump station, boat ramp, playground and…”
Dump station: Yes; recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
Boat ramp: Yes
Playground: Yes
Stay limit: 14 nights; recreation.gov facility rule maxStay

Source: Stated in the agency description · Aug 23, 2026

Water, toilets and showers: read from the agency description, shown above · Sep 12, 2026

Around the campground

On the water: Lake, River, Coast; Biking; Boating; Canoeing; Fishing; Hiking; Ice Climbing; Information Site; Kayaking; Picnicking; Sailing; Swimming; Water access; Wildlife viewing
Night sky · darkest of 32 in IA: Bortle 4

Source: Recreation.gov activity records · Aug 23, 2026

Night sky: VIIRS Day/Night Band annual cloud-free composite, VNL V2 2024 (Earth Observation Group, Colorado School of Mines), read at the published coordinate · Sep 8, 2026

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.

Booking windowOut of seasonOut of season, no booking. On November 1, 2026 at 10 AM ET, availability opens through May 1, 2027.recreation.gov Add to calendar (.ics)

Max stay14 nightsthe facility record

A night$15–$44plus $8 to reserve, once per bookingthe agency’s rate schedule

A weekend$38–$96DerivedFriday and Saturday, everything includedours, from the lines above

If plans change$10 to cancel$10 to change a reservationrecreation.gov’s schedule

Runs itU.S. Army Corps of EngineersBooked through recreation.govthe agency’s record

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.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.

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.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.

Book on recreation.gov

We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.

Every line of the receipt · 16

What you actually pay

The sign priceU.S. Army Corps of Engineers

A night, per site$15–$44

Standard Nonelectric$15

Standard Electric$22

Standard Electric$25

Standard Electric$44

Group area, a night$25

These are next season’s rates, May 1, 2027 to Sep 29, 2027. The campground is between seasons now.

The booking feerecreation.gov

Reservation fee, booked online$8

One fee per reservation, however many nights you book, and it’s non-refundable. $9 if you book by phone, $3 in person.

Pass discounts only apply to the recreation (or use) fee for the facility. Other charges such as electricity or water hookups, reservation or other fees are not eligible for a discount.

What a stay costs

One nightDerived$23–$52

A weekend, Friday and SaturdayDerived$38–$96

Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rates for this season, $15–$44 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.

If your plans changerecreation.gov

Change fee, moving to dates outside your booking$10

Cancellation fee$10

Cancelling the day before, or the day of$10 + your first night

No-show$20 + your first night

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

Sign price: recreation.gov facility rate schedule, quoted as the agency publishes it · Oct 1, 2026

Booking fee, change fee, cancellation fee, no-show: Rules and Reservation Policies, Recreation.gov, the published fee schedule, curated by hand into lib/reservation-fee-schedule.json (9 rows, each carrying its own verbatim sentence). The publisher states these policies were last updated September 2019. · Sep 9, 2026

The two totals: Derived by CAMPANAC by adding the agency’s own published nightly rate to recreation.gov’s own published reservation fee. Both components are cited above; the addition is ours and is shown only where every component is known. · Sep 9, 2026

Who keeps the booking fee: Recreation.gov facility policy text, Dead Swede Campground (facility 234221) · Not on the national policy page. This is agency policy text recreation.gov publishes on individual campground pages; this site holds it verbatim on 45 active campgrounds (campground_rules.cancellation_description, scripts/load-facility-rules.mjs). · Sep 9, 2026

The contract: Reservation Gods: Who Stole Our Campsites and Sold Them Back to Us, More Than Just Parks, April 2025 · Apr 1, 2025

Source: Recreation.gov data (RIDB), full extract · Aug 23, 2026

rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Oct 1, 2026 · How we know all this

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

The sites

104 records · which ones have room · the site map

The sites, ranked

from 103 mapped sites

66 ftbetween you and the next site, typically

33%of tent sites sit clear of electric or RV sites

Most roomA13 120 ftLoop BBIC F01 111 ftLoop BBIC F02 111 ftA04 102 ftLoop BBIC F16 101 ft

Least roomM10 30 ftM11 30 ftLoop BBIC F05 42 ft

Source: Derived by CAMPANAC from recreation.gov per-site coordinates (nearest-neighbor distance) · Oct 12, 2026

All 104 records

104 of 104 records located

Standard9RV / electric94Day use1

F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 F06 F07 F08 F09 F10 F11 F12 F13 F14 F15 F16 A01 A02 A03 A04 A05 A06 A07 A08 A09 A10 A11 A12 A13 A14 A15 A16 A17 A18 A19 A20 A21 A22 B01 B02/03 B04 B05 B06 B07 B08 B09 B10 B11 B12 B13 B14 B15 B16 B17 B18 B19 B21 B22 B23 B24 H01 H02 H03 H04 H05 H06 H07 H08 H09 H10 H11 M01 M02 M03 M04 M06 M07 M08 M09 M10 M11 M12 M13 M14 M15 M16 M17 M18 M19 Q01/02 Q03 Q04 Q05 Q06 Q07/08 Q09 Q10 R01 R02 R03 R04 R06 R08 BVS

Aerial · Esri World Imagery

Sites: recreation.gov (RIDB), coordinates as published · Aug 23, 2026

Imagery: Esri World Imagery

SleepsTakes aUp to

The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 103 of the 104 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.


BBIC	F01	standard electric	78 ft	50 amp	111 ft	736 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F02	standard electric	159 ft	50 amp	111 ft	766 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F03	standard electric	136 ft	50 amp	89 ft	657 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F04	standard electric	90 ft	50 amp	89 ft	596 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F05	standard electric	79 ft	50 amp	42 ft	469 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F06	standard electric	70 ft	50 amp	58 ft	436 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F07	standard electric	68 ft	50 amp	55 ft	378 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F08	standard electric	80 ft	50 amp	53 ft	391 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F09	standard electric	81 ft	50 amp	55 ft	325 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F10	standard electric	78 ft	50 amp	59 ft	341 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F11	standard electric	78 ft	50 amp	84 ft	327 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F12	standard electric	80 ft	50 amp	69 ft	374 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F13	standard electric	76 ft	50 amp	69 ft	370 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F14	standard electric	56 ft	50 amp	42 ft	439 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F15	standard electric	82 ft	50 amp	88 ft	371 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BBIC	F16	standard electric	65 ft	50 amp	101 ft	509 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A01	standard electric	50 ft	50 amp	82 ft	836 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A02	standard electric	46 ft	50 amp	82 ft	784 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A03	standard electric	74 ft	50 amp	69 ft	690 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A04	standard electric	50 ft	50 amp	102 ft	674 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A05	standard electric	62 ft	50 amp	60 ft	630 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A06	standard electric	58 ft	50 amp	60 ft	586 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A07	standard electric	50 ft	50 amp	81 ft	571 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A08	standard electric	62 ft	50 amp	63 ft	540 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A09	standard electric	56 ft	50 amp	77 ft	493 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A10	standard electric	56 ft	50 amp	66 ft	492 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A11	standard electric	64 ft	50 amp	77 ft	417 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A12	standard electric	50 ft	50 amp	66 ft	453 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A13	standard electric	59 ft	50 amp	120 ft	422 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A14	standard electric	55 ft	50 amp	49 ft	482 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A15	standard electric	53 ft	50 amp	71 ft	537 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A16	standard electric	67 ft	50 amp	49 ft	531 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A17	standard electric	65 ft	50 amp	71 ft	605 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A18	standard electric	53 ft	50 amp	69 ft	678 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A19	standard electric	56 ft	50 amp	72 ft	625 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A20	standard electric	68 ft	50 amp	54 ft	570 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A21	standard electric	65 ft	50 amp	72 ft	554 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	A22	standard electric	48 ft	50 amp	66 ft	490 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B01	standard electric	57 ft	30 amp	73 ft	956 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B02/03	standard electric	52 ft	30 amp	73 ft	894 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B04	standard electric	48 ft	30 amp	98 ft	902 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B05	standard electric	55 ft	30 amp	42 ft	988 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B06	standard electric	60 ft	30 amp	77 ft	913 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B07	standard electric	52 ft	30 amp	42 ft	1,002 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B08	standard electric	54 ft	30 amp	82 ft	936 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B09	standard electric	54 ft	30 amp	61 ft	1,024 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B10	standard electric	52 ft	30 amp	64 ft	964 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B11	standard electric	60 ft	30 amp	61 ft	1,039 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B12	standard electric	58 ft	30 amp	68 ft	995 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B13	standard electric	56 ft	30 amp	68 ft	941 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B14	standard electric	59 ft	30 amp	49 ft	874 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B15	standard electric	59 ft	30 amp	64 ft	913 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B16	standard electric	57 ft	30 amp	80 ft	837 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B17	standard electric	57 ft	30 amp	91 ft	806 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B18	standard electric	52 ft	30 amp	68 ft	772 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B19	standard electric	51 ft	30 amp	68 ft	761 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B21	standard electric	50 ft	30 amp	89 ft	719 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B22	standard electric	49 ft	30 amp	79 ft	815 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B23	standard electric	47 ft	30 amp	79 ft	805 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	B24	standard electric	50 ft	30 amp	83 ft	888 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	H01	standard electric	55 ft	30 amp	66 ft	691 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	H02	standard electric	66 ft	30 amp	66 ft	703 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	H03	standard electric	55 ft	30 amp	55 ft	732 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	H04	standard electric	58 ft	30 amp	55 ft	761 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	H05	standard electric	48 ft	30 amp	66 ft	736 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	H06	standard electric	55 ft	30 amp	66 ft	670 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	H07	standard electric	51 ft	30 amp	49 ft	597 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	H08	standard electric	43 ft	30 amp	49 ft	553 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	H09	standard electric	49 ft	30 amp	54 ft	534 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	H10	standard electric	50 ft	30 amp	54 ft	571 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	H11	standard electric	49 ft	30 amp	74 ft	629 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M01	standard electric	50 ft	30 amp	49 ft	829 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M02	standard electric	58 ft	30 amp	57 ft	786 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M03	standard electric	40 ft	30 amp	62 ft	704 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M04	standard electric	57 ft	30 amp	59 ft	671 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M06	standard electric	53 ft	30 amp	59 ft	613 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M07	standard electric	49 ft	30 amp	51 ft	644 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M08	standard electric	62 ft	30 amp	74 ft	550 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M09	standard electric	45 ft	30 amp	51 ft	594 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M10	standard electric	52 ft	30 amp	30 ft	521 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M11	standard electric	60 ft	30 amp	30 ft	491 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M12	standard electric	53 ft	30 amp	71 ft	488 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M13	standard nonelectric	55 ft		53 ft	441 ftRathbun Lake	$15
BCIR	M14	standard nonelectric	56 ft		82 ft	408 ftRathbun Lake	$15
BCIR	M15	standard nonelectric	57 ft		75 ft	441 ftRathbun Lake	$15
BCIR	M16	standard electric	59 ft	30 amp	71 ft	514 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M17	standard electric	50 ft	30 amp	49 ft	603 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M18	standard electric	55 ft	30 amp	49 ft	646 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	M19	standard electric	49 ft	30 amp	51 ft	685 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	Q01/02	standard electric	58 ft	30 amp	61 ft	456 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	Q03	standard electric	43 ft	30 amp	60 ft	599 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	Q04	standard electric	47 ft	30 amp	65 ft	534 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	Q05	standard nonelectric	53 ft		43 ft	414 ftRathbun Lake	$15
BCIR	Q06	standard nonelectric	53 ft		43 ft	394 ftRathbun Lake	$15
BCIR	Q07/08	standard electric	53 ft	30 amp	72 ft	463 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	Q09	standard nonelectric	50 ft		78 ft	415 ftRathbun Lake	$15
BCIR	Q10	standard nonelectric	58 ft		61 ft	476 ftRathbun Lake	$15
BCIR	R01	standard electric	60 ft	30 amp	75 ft	483 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	R02	standard electric	57 ft	30 amp	75 ft	429 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	R03	standard electric	60 ft	30 amp	65 ft	385 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	R04	standard electric	64 ft	30 amp	63 ft	351 ftRathbun Lake	$22–$44
BCIR	R06	standard nonelectric	48 ft		50 ft	323 ftRathbun Lake	$15
BCIR	R08	standard nonelectric	55 ft		50 ft	342 ftRathbun Lake	$15
BVSH	BVS	day use				1,014 ft	$25

The agency files 1 more record here that isn’t a site for the night. It files it as day use. It’s in the table above, marked for what it is, and it isn’t counted as a site.

Price: Derived by CAMPANAC: each site takes the per-night rate this campground publishes for the site’s own site type (recreation.gov rate schedule). recreation.gov publishes no per-campsite fee, and a site whose type carries no published rate is left blank rather than called free · Oct 1, 2026

25 of 104 listed

Source: Recreation.gov data (RIDB), full extract · Aug 23, 2026

Getting there

the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number

Coordinate40.87861, -93.02667

The mapSee it on the map

The driveDirections ↗

The phoneFOR CAMPGROUND INQUIRIES DURING MAY-SEPTEMBER PLEASE CALL 64

The agency’s pageOfficial page ↗

Where it is

Also near here

Island View (Rathbun Lake)6.5 mi

Prairie Ridge (Rathbun Lake)7.3 mi

Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake)8.4 mi

Ivans33 mi

Whitebreast Camp34 mi

Howell Station34 mi

Getting there

From Moravia, IA, travel 10 miles west on Highway J18 and follow signs into the campground.

Directions: Driving directions as the agency wrote them · Sep 9, 2026

Source: Recreation.gov data (RIDB), full extract · Aug 23, 2026

The weather

the next four days · the thirty-year normal

Next four days, and the thirty-year normal

Forecast

Overnight34°Patchy Frost

Saturday60°Areas Of Frost then Sunny

Saturday Night39°Clear

Sunday66°Sunny

NWS forecast for Melrose, IA

Source: National Weather Service, DMX forecast office · Oct 17, 2026

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.

90°32°0°

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.

Measured at: CENTERVILLE, IA (USC00131354), 12 miles away and 65 ft lower

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, monthly normals · Sep 8, 2026

The land, and who answers for it

who answers for it

Who answers for this land

Bridgeview (Rathbun Lake) 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 →

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

Source: U.S. Census district boundaries and the MTJP Congressional Public Lands Score

How we know

every fact on this page, and where it came from

Right now: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers publishes no season and no closure for this campground, and it takes no bookings we can read. That’s a gap in the record and not a locked gate: the number below is the only way to be sure.

Sites on recreation.gov: recreation.gov’s own month availability payload for this facility, asked for October 2026 and November 2026. It names 104 of the 103 campsites the agency files here, and every one of them carries an answer either way. A campground nobody has read carries no answer at all, never a no. · Oct 14, 2026

Elevation: USGS 3DEP elevation point query at this campground’s coordinate · Sep 7, 2026

Tree cover: NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC), one 30 m cell at this coordinate, taken as the median across the 104 campsites here that carry a reading · Sep 9, 2026

Water: USGS National Hydrography Dataset, nearest perennial lake, reservoir, river or stream to this campground’s coordinate · Sep 8, 2026

Night sky: VIIRS Day/Night Band annual cloud-free composite, VNL V2 2024 (Earth Observation Group, Colorado School of Mines), read at the published coordinate: 0.28 mcd/m² of artificial all-sky glow, ranked against the 32 rated federal campgrounds in Iowa · Sep 8, 2026

Sky-glow model: Duriscoe, Anderson, Luginbuhl and Baugh (2018), a simplified model of all-sky artificial sky glow derived from VIIRS Day/Night band data, the National Park Service sky-glow model

Cell signal: the Army Corps’s own campground description, read as text by CAMPANAC. None of this is a measurement. It’s what the land manager published about the place, and phones, carriers and weather all disagree with each other; treat it as a warning, not a promise.

Nearest place of any size: Melrose, IA, 6.4 mi S. Straight line.

Nearest town: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 places, measured by CAMPANAC to the town boundary; population is the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimate · Sep 9, 2026