RV Parks In Burlington, Iowa

Our top pick is Big Hollow Recreation Area, a Des Moines County Conservation park 10 miles north of town with full-hookup and electric sites on a 175-acre lake. For camping right on the Mississippi, the Army Corps of Engineers' 4th Pumping Plant Recreation Area has electric sites, water, and a central dump station and is popular with boaters. Welter Recreation Area offers quiet first-come county camping. For private full-hookup convenience, Crossroads RV Park has long pull-thru sites with free wifi, and Timberview Lakes Campground adds family lakeside sites with a swimming pond. The right choice depends on whether you want lake, big river, or easy interstate access.

Yes, at several. Big Hollow Recreation Area north of town has 32 full-hookup sites with water, sewer, and 30/50-amp electric, plus 18 electric-only sites. On the private side, Crossroads RV Park offers full-hookup pull-thru sites with free wifi, and Timberview Lakes Campground has full-hookup lakeside sites. The Army Corps' 4th Pumping Plant on the Mississippi has electric on 22 sites with a central water supply and a central RV dump station, but not individual sewer at each site. Welter Recreation Area is electric-only. So if full hookups are a must, Big Hollow or a private park is your best bet.

It's a budget-friendly area. The public parks are the value play: the county's Big Hollow sites and the Army Corps' 4th Pumping Plant river sites both sit at the low-to-mid range, with the Corps site being one of the cheaper riverside options anywhere. Welter Recreation Area is a low-cost, first-come county spot. Private parks like Crossroads RV Park and Timberview Lakes run a bit higher for the full-hookup pull-thrus and amenities, but stay reasonable. Add the standard reservation booking fee on the county and state systems, and expect summer weekends and October color weekends to be the priciest, tightest windows.

It varies by park and season. Big Hollow Recreation Area's full-hookup sites book ahead for summer weekends and fall color, so reserve those weeks to a couple of months out through Des Moines County Conservation. Iowa state parks more broadly take reservations around three months in advance through the ReserveAmerica system. The Corps' 4th Pumping Plant has a mix of first-come and reservable sites. Welter Recreation Area is entirely first-come, first-served, so it's your fallback for a last-minute night. Midweek and shoulder-season stays are easy almost anywhere here, but October weekends fill fast because of the river-bluff color.

Late spring through fall is the sweet spot. Summer is warm, humid, and busy, with great river boating but also afternoon thunderstorms and peak crowds at the full-hookup sites. Our favorite is fall: October brings spectacular color along the Mississippi bluffs, comfortable temperatures, and beautiful walks at Snake Alley and Crapo Park, though weekends book up. Spring is cool and wet with the river running high and the easiest availability of the year, just watch flood levels for the lowest riverside sites. Winter camping is limited to year-round private parks since most county and Corps campgrounds close.

Yes. Big Hollow Recreation Area has a modern RV loop built for larger rigs with full hookups, and Crossroads RV Park is specifically set up with long, wide pull-thru sites that big rigs handle easily, plus free wifi. Timberview Lakes Campground can take larger rigs too, though it's worth a quick call to confirm length. The older Army Corps and smaller county sites like Welter tilt a bit smaller, so if you're running 35 to 40 feet or more, confirm the site length before booking those. Overall, big-rig owners have good options here as long as you lean toward Big Hollow or the private pull-thru parks.

Yes. The Army Corps of Engineers' 4th Pumping Plant Recreation Area sits directly on the Mississippi north of town and is a popular destination for boaters, anglers, and RVers, with 46 sites, electric on 22 of them, a central water supply, and a central RV dump station. It's the go-to if you want to camp on the big river and launch a boat. In town, the Burlington riverfront has walking paths, parks, and Mosquito Park overlooks even if you're camped elsewhere. Just keep an eye on spring river levels, since high water can occasionally affect the lowest riverside sites.

There are first-come options, though truly free camping is limited in this river-town setting. Welter Recreation Area, run by Des Moines County Conservation, is first-come, first-served with a dozen electric sites, making it a reliable fallback when the reservable parks are full. The Army Corps' 4th Pumping Plant also has first-come sites in the mix along the river. For a guaranteed hookup on a busy weekend you'll want to reserve at Big Hollow or a private park, but midweek and shoulder season you can usually roll into the first-come county sites without a booking. Always top off water and dump before heading out.

Quite a lot for a river town. The headliner is Snake Alley, the crookedest street in the world, built in 1894 from limestone and blue-clay brick and named a Ripley's Believe It or Not! oddity. The Great River Bridge carries US-34 over the Mississippi and lights up at night, with river-view walking access. Crapo Park and the downtown riverfront offer trails, picnic spots, and wide Mississippi overlooks at Mosquito Park. Out at Big Hollow Lake you can paddle, fish, and hike, and the big river itself is prime for boating and fishing. Fall color along the bluffs turns the whole area into a scenic drive.

A few are. Most of the county and Army Corps campgrounds, including Big Hollow and 4th Pumping Plant, close for the cold season, which runs freezing and snowy with wind off the river and January highs around 32 degrees. Your reliable cold-season options are the year-round private parks like Crossroads RV Park, which keeps its full-hookup pull-thru sites open. If you're passing through in winter you'll want a rig prepared for freezing temperatures with tank heaters and good insulation. For most travelers, though, Burlington is a spring-through-fall destination, with the camping season really running from about May into late October.

It's an easy drive. US-34 runs east-west through town and crosses the Mississippi to Illinois on the Great River Bridge, and US-61 is the main north-south route through southeast Iowa, both big-rig friendly with truck-accessible fuel. Downtown and the riverfront are minutes off the main routes. Big Hollow Recreation Area is a simple 10-mile run north on good county roads, and the Corps' 4th Pumping Plant is just north along the river. Crossroads RV Park is set up for easy interstate-style overnights. For fly-and-rent trips, the Quad Cities and Quad City International Airport are about 75 miles north with RV-rental yards.

You have good options. The Army Corps' 4th Pumping Plant Recreation Area on the Mississippi has a central RV dump station, and the full-hookup sites at Big Hollow Recreation Area and the private parks let you dump right at your site. If you're heading out on a road trip, empty your tanks and top off fresh water before you leave, since the smaller county and river sites have limited facilities. For a full rundown of local disposal points, hours, and any fees, check our companion guide to RV dump stations in Burlington, which covers the area's dump options in detail alongside these campground picks.

Our top pick is Big Hollow Recreation Area, a Des Moines County Conservation park 10 miles north of town with full-hookup and electric sites on a 175-acre lake. For camping right on the Mississippi, the Army Corps of Engineers' 4th Pumping Plant Recreation Area has electric sites, water, and a central dump station and is popular with boaters. Welter Recreation Area offers quiet first-come county camping. For private full-hookup convenience, Crossroads RV Park has long pull-thru sites with free wifi, and Timberview Lakes Campground adds family lakeside sites with a swimming pond. The right choice depends on whether you want lake, big river, or easy interstate access.

Yes, at several. Big Hollow Recreation Area north of town has 32 full-hookup sites with water, sewer, and 30/50-amp electric, plus 18 electric-only sites. On the private side, Crossroads RV Park offers full-hookup pull-thru sites with free wifi, and Timberview Lakes Campground has full-hookup lakeside sites. The Army Corps' 4th Pumping Plant on the Mississippi has electric on 22 sites with a central water supply and a central RV dump station, but not individual sewer at each site. Welter Recreation Area is electric-only. So if full hookups are a must, Big Hollow or a private park is your best bet.

It's a budget-friendly area. The public parks are the value play: the county's Big Hollow sites and the Army Corps' 4th Pumping Plant river sites both sit at the low-to-mid range, with the Corps site being one of the cheaper riverside options anywhere. Welter Recreation Area is a low-cost, first-come county spot. Private parks like Crossroads RV Park and Timberview Lakes run a bit higher for the full-hookup pull-thrus and amenities, but stay reasonable. Add the standard reservation booking fee on the county and state systems, and expect summer weekends and October color weekends to be the priciest, tightest windows.

It varies by park and season. Big Hollow Recreation Area's full-hookup sites book ahead for summer weekends and fall color, so reserve those weeks to a couple of months out through Des Moines County Conservation. Iowa state parks more broadly take reservations around three months in advance through the ReserveAmerica system. The Corps' 4th Pumping Plant has a mix of first-come and reservable sites. Welter Recreation Area is entirely first-come, first-served, so it's your fallback for a last-minute night. Midweek and shoulder-season stays are easy almost anywhere here, but October weekends fill fast because of the river-bluff color.

Late spring through fall is the sweet spot. Summer is warm, humid, and busy, with great river boating but also afternoon thunderstorms and peak crowds at the full-hookup sites. Our favorite is fall: October brings spectacular color along the Mississippi bluffs, comfortable temperatures, and beautiful walks at Snake Alley and Crapo Park, though weekends book up. Spring is cool and wet with the river running high and the easiest availability of the year, just watch flood levels for the lowest riverside sites. Winter camping is limited to year-round private parks since most county and Corps campgrounds close.

Yes. Big Hollow Recreation Area has a modern RV loop built for larger rigs with full hookups, and Crossroads RV Park is specifically set up with long, wide pull-thru sites that big rigs handle easily, plus free wifi. Timberview Lakes Campground can take larger rigs too, though it's worth a quick call to confirm length. The older Army Corps and smaller county sites like Welter tilt a bit smaller, so if you're running 35 to 40 feet or more, confirm the site length before booking those. Overall, big-rig owners have good options here as long as you lean toward Big Hollow or the private pull-thru parks.

Yes. The Army Corps of Engineers' 4th Pumping Plant Recreation Area sits directly on the Mississippi north of town and is a popular destination for boaters, anglers, and RVers, with 46 sites, electric on 22 of them, a central water supply, and a central RV dump station. It's the go-to if you want to camp on the big river and launch a boat. In town, the Burlington riverfront has walking paths, parks, and Mosquito Park overlooks even if you're camped elsewhere. Just keep an eye on spring river levels, since high water can occasionally affect the lowest riverside sites.

There are first-come options, though truly free camping is limited in this river-town setting. Welter Recreation Area, run by Des Moines County Conservation, is first-come, first-served with a dozen electric sites, making it a reliable fallback when the reservable parks are full. The Army Corps' 4th Pumping Plant also has first-come sites in the mix along the river. For a guaranteed hookup on a busy weekend you'll want to reserve at Big Hollow or a private park, but midweek and shoulder season you can usually roll into the first-come county sites without a booking. Always top off water and dump before heading out.

Quite a lot for a river town. The headliner is Snake Alley, the crookedest street in the world, built in 1894 from limestone and blue-clay brick and named a Ripley's Believe It or Not! oddity. The Great River Bridge carries US-34 over the Mississippi and lights up at night, with river-view walking access. Crapo Park and the downtown riverfront offer trails, picnic spots, and wide Mississippi overlooks at Mosquito Park. Out at Big Hollow Lake you can paddle, fish, and hike, and the big river itself is prime for boating and fishing. Fall color along the bluffs turns the whole area into a scenic drive.

A few are. Most of the county and Army Corps campgrounds, including Big Hollow and 4th Pumping Plant, close for the cold season, which runs freezing and snowy with wind off the river and January highs around 32 degrees. Your reliable cold-season options are the year-round private parks like Crossroads RV Park, which keeps its full-hookup pull-thru sites open. If you're passing through in winter you'll want a rig prepared for freezing temperatures with tank heaters and good insulation. For most travelers, though, Burlington is a spring-through-fall destination, with the camping season really running from about May into late October.

It's an easy drive. US-34 runs east-west through town and crosses the Mississippi to Illinois on the Great River Bridge, and US-61 is the main north-south route through southeast Iowa, both big-rig friendly with truck-accessible fuel. Downtown and the riverfront are minutes off the main routes. Big Hollow Recreation Area is a simple 10-mile run north on good county roads, and the Corps' 4th Pumping Plant is just north along the river. Crossroads RV Park is set up for easy interstate-style overnights. For fly-and-rent trips, the Quad Cities and Quad City International Airport are about 75 miles north with RV-rental yards.

You have good options. The Army Corps' 4th Pumping Plant Recreation Area on the Mississippi has a central RV dump station, and the full-hookup sites at Big Hollow Recreation Area and the private parks let you dump right at your site. If you're heading out on a road trip, empty your tanks and top off fresh water before you leave, since the smaller county and river sites have limited facilities. For a full rundown of local disposal points, hours, and any fees, check our companion guide to RV dump stations in Burlington, which covers the area's dump options in detail alongside these campground picks.

Yes — there are free RV waste disposal options available near Burlington.