Prairie Flower Recreation Area

Photo · USACE Staff

Not publishedStatus

ReservableAccess

252Sites

85 ftMax rig

The place

Prairie Flower Recreation Area is located on 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. 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. Keep reading

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 Prairie Flower is a large, open campground covering more than 60 acres. It offers 153 family sites and 10 group sites, all with electric hookups. Many of the family sites in the south end offer a pleasant view of the 6000-acre lake. The north end is made up of mostly group sites in a circle-the-wagon design. Amenities include flush toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station. The campground also provides educational programs, group shelters, playgrounds and a swimming beach. Nearby amenities include a visitor center, hiking trail, volleyball courts and a disc golf course. Boat ramps and a fishing dock are also close by. Natural Features Iowa's prairie heritage is celebrated in more than 40 acres of prairie plantings throughout the campground. The wide variety of grass and flowers provides vivid colors from mid-summer to fall. Wildlife is abundant throughout the project. White-tailed deer, turkeys, waterfowl and other small game animals roam the lands around the lake.

SRC · Recreation.gov RIDB full extract · 2026-08-23

The sites · 252

Loop	Site	Type	Max rig	Electric	ADA
ASTE	A01	standard electric	60 ft	50
ASTE	A02	standard electric	66 ft	50
ASTE	A03	standard electric	65 ft	50
ASTE	A04	standard electric	68 ft	30
ASTE	A05	standard electric	64 ft	50
ASTE	A06	standard electric	68 ft	50
ASTE	A07	standard electric	70 ft	50
ASTE	A08	standard electric	68 ft	50	yes
ASTE	A09	standard electric	66 ft	50
ASTE	A10	standard electric	62 ft	50
ASTE	A11	standard electric	52 ft	50
ASTE	A12	standard electric	64 ft	50
ASTE	A13	standard electric	62 ft	50
ASTE	A14	standard electric	50 ft	50
ASTE	A15	standard electric	67 ft	50
ASTE	A16	standard electric	42 ft	50
ASTE	A17	standard electric	60 ft	50
ASTE	A18	standard electric	61 ft	50
ASTE	A19	standard electric	60 ft	50
ASTE	A20	standard electric	72 ft	50
ASTE	A21	standard electric	64 ft	50
ASTE	A22	standard electric	50 ft	50
ASTE	A23	standard electric	72 ft	50
ASTE	A24	standard electric	60 ft	50
ASTE	A25	standard electric	60 ft	50
ASTE	A26	standard electric	72 ft	50
ASTE	A27	standard electric	72 ft	50
ASTE	A28	standard electric	66 ft	50
ASTE	A29	standard electric	46 ft	50
ASTE	A30	standard electric	66 ft	50
ASTE	A31	standard electric	36 ft	50
BLAZ	B32	standard electric	58 ft	50
BLAZ	B33	standard electric	33 ft	50
BLAZ	B34	standard electric	70 ft	50
BLAZ	B35	standard electric	65 ft	50
BLAZ	B36	standard electric	45 ft	50
BLAZ	B37	standard electric	45 ft	50
BLAZ	B38	standard electric	60 ft	50
BLAZ	B39	standard electric	25 ft	50
BLAZ	B40	standard electric	60 ft	50
BLAZ	B41	standard electric	60 ft	50
BLAZ	B42	standard electric	70 ft	50
BLAZ	B43	standard electric	56 ft	50
BLAZ	B44	standard electric	44 ft	50
BLAZ	B45	standard electric	60 ft	50
BLAZ	B46	standard electric	65 ft	50
BLAZ	B47	standard electric	65 ft	50
BLAZ	B48	standard electric	68 ft	50
BLAZ	B49	standard electric	70 ft	50
BLAZ	B50	standard electric	70 ft	50
BLAZ	B51	standard electric	60 ft	50
BLAZ	B52	standard electric	70 ft	50
BLAZ	B53	standard electric	68 ft	50
BLAZ	B54	standard electric	70 ft	50
BLAZ	B55	standard electric	70 ft	50
BLAZ	B56	standard electric	70 ft	50
BLAZ	B57	standard electric	75 ft	50
BLAZ	B58	standard electric	70 ft	50
BLAZ	B59	standard electric	70 ft	50
BLAZ	B60	standard electric	68 ft	50

SHOWING 60 OF 252 SITES

SRC · Recreation.gov RIDB full extract · 2026-08-23

Booking

183 daysBooking window before arrival

Recreation.gov default: most campsites can be booked six months prior to arrival date. Most campgrounds go on sale at 7am PT / 8am MT / 10am ET, but not always; check the facility Seasons and Fees tab. Some locations also offer shorter supplemental booking windows.

Book on recreation.gov

SRC · Rules verified against recreation.gov · 2026-08-24

Your representative

This campground sits in IA-03. This member’s public-lands record →

SRC · U.S. Census TIGER · MTJP Scorecard