RV Parks In Clarksville, Iowa

The main option is Heery Woods State Park, a 380-acre Butler County Conservation park about two miles south of town on the Shell Rock River. It has 19 electric sites with on-site water fill, flush toilets, and showers. A second nearby public option is the Shell Rock Recreation Area, roughly 130 acres on the west edge of Shell Rock a short drive downriver, with 27 electric hookup posts plus seasonal showers and flush toilets. Both are affordable, reservable county parks rather than private resorts, so you get real electric camping close to the river without commercial resort pricing or membership requirements.

No. Heery Woods State Park offers electric and water but no sewer hookups at the sites, which is standard for a county park like this. There are 19 electric sites, 11 with 50-amp service and 8 with 30-amp, and on-site water is available for filling your fresh tank. To empty your tanks you use the dump station in the town of Clarksville, which is set up to serve campers coming and going. Plan to arrive with empty tanks or dump on your way in, then dump again on your way out, and you will have no trouble managing waste for a normal weekend or week-long stay.

Heery Woods State Park charges $25 per night for an electric site with water fill, which is a strong value for a shaded county park on the Shell Rock River. The Shell Rock Recreation Area sits in a similar affordable range for its electric hookup posts. There are no resort fees, membership gates, or premium waterfront surcharges here, so your nightly cost stays low. Your only real extra is the town dump station and a resupply run to Waverly for propane and groceries. For electric, water, showers, and trail access, this is about as budget-friendly as Iowa RV camping gets.

You can reserve. Butler County Conservation takes online reservations for Heery Woods State Park up to a full year in advance, which we strongly recommend for summer weekends and holidays because the 50-amp electric loops book up quickly. Booking ahead locks in your site and saves you from arriving to a full campground. If you are traveling midweek in the shoulder seasons you often find open sites, but the safe move for any Friday or Saturday night from Memorial Day through Labor Day is to reserve early. Confirm your dates against the seasonal open window, which runs roughly May 1 to October 15.

Camping around Clarksville is seasonal. Heery Woods State Park and the other Butler County Conservation campgrounds are generally open from about May 1 through October 15, depending on weather. During that window water and the dump station are running and the shower buildings are open. Once mid-October arrives, staff turn off the water, close the dump station, and shut the shower houses for the freeze, so there is no serviced RV camping in winter. If you are planning a late-season trip, call ahead or check the Butler County Conservation schedule to confirm facilities are still on before you commit to the drive.

Heery Woods State Park works well for most trailers and motorhomes, with electric sites and good access on paved Highway 188 running south from town. The county roads getting there are wide and RV-friendly, so big rigs do not have a problem reaching the park. The spot to be careful is the old downtown Clarksville grid, which is tight for anything much over 30 feet, so we stage at the campground and take the tow vehicle into town. If you are running a large fifth wheel or Class A, book early to grab one of the roomier 50-amp sites and you will be comfortable.

Yes. There is a dump station in the town of Clarksville that serves Heery Woods campers, since the campground itself has electric and water but no sewer at the sites. Our database shows several dump-related stations in and around town, so keeping your rig serviced here is easy. The town station is seasonal, running roughly on the same May-to-mid-October schedule as the parks. The routine most of us follow is simple: arrive with empty tanks or dump on the way in, fill your fresh water at the campground, then stop at the dump station again on your way out of town.

Plenty for a small town. Heery Woods State Park has a nature center, hiking trails, canoeing and fishing on the Shell Rock River, and fishing at the dam. The Rolling Prairie Trail is a flat 21-mile paved rail-trail linking Clarksville, Shell Rock, Bristow, and Allison, with tree canopy and scenic river bridges, and it is perfect if you carry bikes. In town, the Clarksville popcorn stand at Pioneer Park is a 50-plus-year tradition open weekend evenings from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The river itself is great for paddling and tubing, and the whole area is calm, uncrowded, and easy to enjoy at an RVer pace.

Yes, Iowa county and state parks are pet-friendly, and Heery Woods State Park welcomes dogs as long as they are leashed and cleaned up after. The wooded sites and the Rolling Prairie Trail make this a comfortable stop for RVers traveling with dogs, with plenty of room for walks along the river. Keep pets leashed around the campground and the water, watch for other campers on busy summer weekends, and bring bags to clean up on the trails. As always, do not leave animals unattended at your site, especially in the summer heat, and confirm any specific pet rules when you make your reservation.

Waverly, about 15 miles away, is your service hub. AmeriGas has a location there for propane refills and tank exchange, and there are several RV repair options in the Waverly area if something breaks on the road. Blue Skyz Mobile RV Tech serves North Central Iowa and can come to you for propane, electrical, and water system troubleshooting, which is handy if you would rather not move the rig. Clarksville itself is small, so plan to combine any repair or propane run with a grocery trip to Waverly to make one efficient outing rather than several short drives back and forth.

Summers are the sweet spot, with warm humid days near 83 degrees and cooler evenings around 62, though afternoon thunderstorms are common and severe weather is possible in peak season. Spring is muddy and variable as the parks reopen around May 1, and the river can run high after heavy rain. Fall brings crisp clear mornings and good color along the Shell Rock River before facilities close in mid-October. Winter is freezing, snowy, and windy, with roughly 30 inches of snow and no serviced RV camping. For a comfortable trip, late May through September is the reliable window.

It works well if you want a quiet, affordable river base rather than a busy tourist hub. From Heery Woods State Park you are on US Highway 20 within a short drive, which puts Waterloo and Cedar Falls easily in reach for a bigger day trip with shopping, dining, and museums. Waverly is close for supplies, and the Rolling Prairie Trail connects several small Butler County towns for low-key exploring. If your style is peaceful nights on the Shell Rock River with day trips into the Cedar Valley, Clarksville is a solid, low-cost home base that keeps you out of the crowds and the resort pricing.

For Heery Woods State Park and the Shell Rock Recreation Area you pay a nightly camping fee through Butler County Conservation rather than a separate annual pass, and your reservation covers your electric site. Iowa parks typically enforce a stay limit around 14 nights, which is far more than a normal RV visit needs. Day-use of the parks and trails is generally free. If you plan to bounce between several Iowa state parks on a longer trip, it is worth checking the Iowa DNR reservation system for any statewide details, but for a straightforward camping stay near Clarksville, your nightly campsite reservation is all you need.

The main option is Heery Woods State Park, a 380-acre Butler County Conservation park about two miles south of town on the Shell Rock River. It has 19 electric sites with on-site water fill, flush toilets, and showers. A second nearby public option is the Shell Rock Recreation Area, roughly 130 acres on the west edge of Shell Rock a short drive downriver, with 27 electric hookup posts plus seasonal showers and flush toilets. Both are affordable, reservable county parks rather than private resorts, so you get real electric camping close to the river without commercial resort pricing or membership requirements.

No. Heery Woods State Park offers electric and water but no sewer hookups at the sites, which is standard for a county park like this. There are 19 electric sites, 11 with 50-amp service and 8 with 30-amp, and on-site water is available for filling your fresh tank. To empty your tanks you use the dump station in the town of Clarksville, which is set up to serve campers coming and going. Plan to arrive with empty tanks or dump on your way in, then dump again on your way out, and you will have no trouble managing waste for a normal weekend or week-long stay.

Heery Woods State Park charges $25 per night for an electric site with water fill, which is a strong value for a shaded county park on the Shell Rock River. The Shell Rock Recreation Area sits in a similar affordable range for its electric hookup posts. There are no resort fees, membership gates, or premium waterfront surcharges here, so your nightly cost stays low. Your only real extra is the town dump station and a resupply run to Waverly for propane and groceries. For electric, water, showers, and trail access, this is about as budget-friendly as Iowa RV camping gets.

You can reserve. Butler County Conservation takes online reservations for Heery Woods State Park up to a full year in advance, which we strongly recommend for summer weekends and holidays because the 50-amp electric loops book up quickly. Booking ahead locks in your site and saves you from arriving to a full campground. If you are traveling midweek in the shoulder seasons you often find open sites, but the safe move for any Friday or Saturday night from Memorial Day through Labor Day is to reserve early. Confirm your dates against the seasonal open window, which runs roughly May 1 to October 15.

Camping around Clarksville is seasonal. Heery Woods State Park and the other Butler County Conservation campgrounds are generally open from about May 1 through October 15, depending on weather. During that window water and the dump station are running and the shower buildings are open. Once mid-October arrives, staff turn off the water, close the dump station, and shut the shower houses for the freeze, so there is no serviced RV camping in winter. If you are planning a late-season trip, call ahead or check the Butler County Conservation schedule to confirm facilities are still on before you commit to the drive.

Heery Woods State Park works well for most trailers and motorhomes, with electric sites and good access on paved Highway 188 running south from town. The county roads getting there are wide and RV-friendly, so big rigs do not have a problem reaching the park. The spot to be careful is the old downtown Clarksville grid, which is tight for anything much over 30 feet, so we stage at the campground and take the tow vehicle into town. If you are running a large fifth wheel or Class A, book early to grab one of the roomier 50-amp sites and you will be comfortable.

Yes. There is a dump station in the town of Clarksville that serves Heery Woods campers, since the campground itself has electric and water but no sewer at the sites. Our database shows {{stationCount}} dump-related stations in and around town, so keeping your rig serviced here is easy. The town station is seasonal, running roughly on the same May-to-mid-October schedule as the parks. The routine most of us follow is simple: arrive with empty tanks or dump on the way in, fill your fresh water at the campground, then stop at the dump station again on your way out of town.

Plenty for a small town. Heery Woods State Park has a nature center, hiking trails, canoeing and fishing on the Shell Rock River, and fishing at the dam. The Rolling Prairie Trail is a flat 21-mile paved rail-trail linking Clarksville, Shell Rock, Bristow, and Allison, with tree canopy and scenic river bridges, and it is perfect if you carry bikes. In town, the Clarksville popcorn stand at Pioneer Park is a 50-plus-year tradition open weekend evenings from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The river itself is great for paddling and tubing, and the whole area is calm, uncrowded, and easy to enjoy at an RVer pace.

Yes, Iowa county and state parks are pet-friendly, and Heery Woods State Park welcomes dogs as long as they are leashed and cleaned up after. The wooded sites and the Rolling Prairie Trail make this a comfortable stop for RVers traveling with dogs, with plenty of room for walks along the river. Keep pets leashed around the campground and the water, watch for other campers on busy summer weekends, and bring bags to clean up on the trails. As always, do not leave animals unattended at your site, especially in the summer heat, and confirm any specific pet rules when you make your reservation.

Waverly, about 15 miles away, is your service hub. AmeriGas has a location there for propane refills and tank exchange, and there are several RV repair options in the Waverly area if something breaks on the road. Blue Skyz Mobile RV Tech serves North Central Iowa and can come to you for propane, electrical, and water system troubleshooting, which is handy if you would rather not move the rig. Clarksville itself is small, so plan to combine any repair or propane run with a grocery trip to Waverly to make one efficient outing rather than several short drives back and forth.

Summers are the sweet spot, with warm humid days near 83 degrees and cooler evenings around 62, though afternoon thunderstorms are common and severe weather is possible in peak season. Spring is muddy and variable as the parks reopen around May 1, and the river can run high after heavy rain. Fall brings crisp clear mornings and good color along the Shell Rock River before facilities close in mid-October. Winter is freezing, snowy, and windy, with roughly 30 inches of snow and no serviced RV camping. For a comfortable trip, late May through September is the reliable window.

It works well if you want a quiet, affordable river base rather than a busy tourist hub. From Heery Woods State Park you are on US Highway 20 within a short drive, which puts Waterloo and Cedar Falls easily in reach for a bigger day trip with shopping, dining, and museums. Waverly is close for supplies, and the Rolling Prairie Trail connects several small Butler County towns for low-key exploring. If your style is peaceful nights on the Shell Rock River with day trips into the Cedar Valley, Clarksville is a solid, low-cost home base that keeps you out of the crowds and the resort pricing.

For Heery Woods State Park and the Shell Rock Recreation Area you pay a nightly camping fee through Butler County Conservation rather than a separate annual pass, and your reservation covers your electric site. Iowa parks typically enforce a stay limit around 14 nights, which is far more than a normal RV visit needs. Day-use of the parks and trails is generally free. If you plan to bounce between several Iowa state parks on a longer trip, it is worth checking the Iowa DNR reservation system for any statewide details, but for a straightforward camping stay near Clarksville, your nightly campsite reservation is all you need.

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