I was traveling back to California and was looking for a place to camp for the night so I yelped…read moreand up to a list of campgrounds in Eastern Iowa. One wasn't rated but that didn't scare me. I called and a nice person named Annette answered and said that yes they were open. I found the place with help from signs leading to the place. I was met and checked in with Annette. Found out that I would have a tent area to myself as it was during the week. I bought some firewood and Annette's husband John delivered it to my site, which was on the river. Very peaceful. They had the usual amenities I.E full hookups plus volleyball, horseshoe pits, showers, hiking and horse trails and a nice beach. John and Annette have a real nice place there. Go check it out.

Excellent campground! Fun tubing down the river! Lots of trees and that means shade, yet as much…read moresun as you want. There's a playground, beach, and lots to do. If you like hiking and relaxing with excellent tent sites and full RV hookups this is for you. We love this campground and look forward in coming back.

I would like to give this two and a half stars, but that's not possible, so I'm going with 2…read more We tented right along the pond (its not really a lake). The sites there are pretty, but not especially flat for tents. The pool is nice, well maintained with lots of seating. Great bathrooms, clean and well kept (possibly the cheapest toilet paper on the planet, though). Lots of other fun campground things to do like a game room, hay rides on the weekends, giant chess board, pedal bikes, canoe and peddle boat rentals, basketball courts and a bar. The bar. That seemed to be the source of the bad side of this campground. There's no information about a bar plus VERY loud, late music they play on the weekends on the website and I feel like we got the bait and switch. The rules as listed make it seem like its a family-friendly campground (quiet times are posted and there seem to be strict rules about kids making trouble and being off their sites after curfew). Maybe if you're staying in an RV with the air running this is no big deal to you. Maybe you like taking your kids to a campground where you can go after dark to drink and listen to loud music. This is your place! If not, try a state park. We had a great time at Timber Lake until dark, and then it was a bit of a nightmare. Tenters, and the peace-seeking campers beware.

I have camped here many times, however, I've been lazy and I haven't written a review yet! I was…read moreprompted to write a review because I camped at a different place this weekend and it was AWFUL. This morning I am feeling very appreciative of Timber Lake so I felt the need to type out my thoughts. Timber Lake is incredibly well maintained. The tent sites by the lake are spacious and feel very private. I would suggest putting up your tent with the door facing the lake. The tent blocks the RV sites and you really have the feeling that you're alone. It's lovely. The pool, restrooms, and showers are clean and well maintained. The staff is very friendly and the manager lives on the property. I read a few of the other reviews and I'd like to comment on the bar situation. Yes, there's a bar and yes - they play music. However, Timber Lake DOES enforce it's posted quiet hours. We have never been kept awake by people partying here. It's kind of the best of both worlds. You can go to the bar, the pool, etc... but you also have a restful/peaceful night. They have a general store in case you forget something. One of my favorite things about Timber Lake is that they have coffee, donuts, and biscuits and gravy available on Saturday and Sunday mornings for very little money. There are indoor tables and chairs set up if you'd like to eat your breakfast inside while watching the news. For the theatre-lovers among you - Timber Lake Playhouse is just up the driveway. They put on fun/lively musicals and plays with professional actors/directors/etc. I highly recommend this place for tent campers, cabin campers, and RV folks. Thanks Ron and everyone on staff at Timber Lake!

Great find and well maintained by the state. Great views! Kayaked on the Mississippi River which…read morewas great but came with some current struggles. The boat launch is right across the road from MP. The hosts were nice. They are only checking in people from 12-4. Find your site and your tag is on the post. There are about 10 walk up sites you can get on FCFS basis. Some electric and some primitive sites. Make sure to select the correct one. Beautiful views are with the hike up the cliffs.

We had a family get together here today and rented the pavilion. For $50, you get a really nice…read morebuilding facility that has a fireplace and several large picnic tables. The public restrooms are in this building however, and you will have people coming and going during your event. It wasn't too busy today so not a problem. There is plenty of open grassy area to play, didn't get enough wind to be able to fly the kites, but we were close! But we definitely had a lot of room to kick the soccer ball, throw the football and run around. The grill worked great, it's 4 feet long and we were able to cook plenty of burgers and hotdog and such for the family. There's also a couple of electrical outlets so we were able to plug-in a couple crockpots for beans and such. There are quite a few mice living in this facility, so just be aware of that, but you are out in the country! There are many hikes and such that leave from this location so you could use this as homebase with other family members being able to go out and take a great hike as well. We had a great day and I have a feeling this is going to become a tradition PS. Bring the bug spray :)

Fun camp! Came here in college for weekend retreats, now returning 30 years later as a counselor…read morefor high school retreats. Nice lodges that can fit 15-100 easily, several 16-bed bunkhouses, fireplaces, outdoor bonfire pits, nice bathroom/showers. Trails, outdoor swimming pool & frisbee golf.

From the owner: Camping and Retreat Center Summer Camp…read moreYouth and children's ministries Adult Ministry Outdoor living

Perfect place to stop right off the interstate. Very flat surfaces sit right next to a cornfield…read moreand apparently a pig farm. It's Iowa. You have to expect smells!

People running the place are absolutely wonderful, very well kept and quiet campgrounds. Spacious…read morelot spaces and pool. Love it!!

Amazing campground, amazing staff and you guessed it, an amazing time. I'm upset it took us so long…read moreto make it out here. I recommend this for family and friends. We will return.

A truly beautiful hike filled with caves to explore! There are a total of nine caves, ranging in…read moresize from massive walk-through caverns to smaller, single-person passages. Two of the largest caves let you walk straight from one entrance to another, while one of the smaller ones requires squeezing through two tight openings before you can barely stand inside--definitely an adventure! The trails are not wheelchair accessible. The full hike took us about three hours at a steady pace. I'd recommend bringing a flashlight for exploring, though it's not absolutely necessary. Between the unique caves and the gorgeous trails, this park is a gem. I'll definitely be returning to Maquoketa Caves in the future!

Fun and interesting state park with plenty of caves to see...but wear good shoes for climbing and…read morewalking along steep paths and clothing that will probably get dirty (layers are best as the caves can get cold). Many of the caves have streams running through which are very cool but can also cause slips and falls... I'd also be careful of some of the off-the-beaten-track paths as one led us to some pretty steep cliffs. And again don't underestimate the slipperiness of even the regular paths... The gift shop is just a few tables set up outside of a shelter-type open building (I had to get my usual magnets) in the parking lot, and the visitors center is a separate building off of the main road (Caves Road) and 98. The visitors center has a few interesting displays and we watched a film about the history of the park, Well worth a visit, and especially recommend seeing the Dance Hall Caves....

Came here on a bike trip - great campsite, friendly host, very clean bathroom with good hot water…read more(which I always appreciate). Also, the signage off the nearest big-ish road was helpful and clear - especially not being a local, I really appreciate it when campgrounds have signs to guide me on the little windy back roads. There was no firepit at my site, which I didn't miss at all but if you really love building fires it might be kind of a bummer. Maybe some of the other sites have them; it might be good to call and check before you go.

My stay here is not recent! My friends and I were attending a concert in Pecatonica in 1998. We…read moredecided to make a weekend of it and went camping as well. We stayed at Emerald Acres. I was 18 years old at the time. My group of friends and I were probably loud and likely obnoxious. When we came in they were full but the owner let us set up shop in a little grassy area that backed to a corn field ( I believe...it's been awhile). At 34 years old I still consider that the most fun weekend of my life. So many of my favorite memories include Emerald Acres. We raised hell in Freeport too (sorry residents for the drive by honkings at 2am) oh and I would also like to apologize to the family that lived right by the campground that had that sweet huge trampoline. My friends dared me to go jump on it at about 3am. I did and got a case of the giggles that ended with me peeing my pants...on your trampoline. I am sorry. Thanks Emerald Acres for putting up with me and my friends, had to not let us stay I wouldn't have about 1000 memories that I hold dear to me. We didn't have phone cameras and facebook back then so all I have is memories. Although it would be pretty cool to see pictures and videos of that. lol I am planing on taking my little guy camping there soon. I remember we found the coolest park (I think Krape Park) out that way and I would love to go back.

I've spent several weekends here tent camping at site 54 (walk up) over the past few months. This…read morepark is about a 10 - 15 drive on 94 (Blairs Ferry) from Cedar Rapids (now that Palo Marsh RD has reopened). Tent sites are generally 'walled off' from one another with patches of natural flora separating the sites, with a walking path leading the length of them. (Water spigots are also available on this center path). Each and every time has been ideal and serene. Most visitors adhere to the 'quiet time' rule (10:30 PM to 6:30 AM, I believe), so noise is generally not a concern. Washroom facilities in both the shower equipped and latrine are clean, and well stocked with toilet paper. DNR staff are both friendly, and generally 'hands off' during your stay. My most recent stay was on 10/22 through 10/23, and albeit a very cold morning, the views were breathtaking with the morning fog surrounding the park. (Image attached). I cannot speak to fishing at the park as I have not fished here, however camping is great, and I highly recommend this park.

We stayed in a 25 foot travel trailer in the middle of the week. Weekends are pretty much…read moreSold out. We love the area. Kayaking, biking, and fishing. Very well maintained grounds. Camp sites do not provide private water/sewer but there is a good water/sewer station on the way in. My only complaint. Thurs evening we had friends join us. The Ranger Man enforced a 2 car per campsite rule. He forced 3 over 65 couples to drive to a parking lot and I shuttled them back and forth. Really? Do us Seniors party too hard for you? Haha I understand rules but I don't have to like them...

Lovely campsites and what could have been a wonderful experience was ruined by loud, drunk and…read morenoisy campers... partying, swearing and obnoxious throughout the evening. The entire area quiet and peaceful except for these two families who chose to make it miserable for the rest of us. We've camped at numerous WI State Parks and have never experienced this kind of rude behavior. These campers proudly displayed they were from Oconomowac, WI. Ugh ...!! We ended up moving to another site. Camp office was gracious and accommodating.

Maiden voyage at this location was quite the surprise. In the middle of rolling luscious green…read morehills. It felt pretty safe with the warden and Ranger making frequent passes. The host was very friendly and helpful with the 411. The sites are close enough together that it doesn't feel very remote though. Unfortunately, it was very extremely high temperatures so I didn't get to explore the hiking trails. But the beach and amphitheater were definitely worth checking out. Educational programs and food truck Saturdays. Wi-Fi is a little spotty so they recommend cash. The grounds are very clean as well as the restrooms and showers. Definitely feels like you're someplace else even if you're from the state of Wisconsin.