RV Parks In Knoxville, Iowa

The best all-around choice is Marion County Park Campground on the west side of town, with 99 sites, most full-hookup gravel pads with 50-amp electric, water and sewer for around $30 a night, and an easy drive to both the raceway and Lake Red Rock. For lakeside camping, Howell Station is the popular Corps of Engineers campground below the Red Rock dam, and Elk Rock State Park sits right on the water with electric sites. If you want a large private campground in town, RV's Full Facility Campgrounds runs 350 sites off Highway 14. Match your pick to whether you want full hookups near town or a spot on the lake.

The county campground does, which is the headline. Marion County Park Campground offers full hookups on most of its 99 sites, with 50-amp electric, water and sewer on gravel pads, and that is unusual for a public park at its price. The lakeside options are different: Howell Station and the other Corps of Engineers campgrounds, along with Elk Rock State Park, generally offer electric hookups only, with water spigots and a dump station rather than sewer at each site. RV's Full Facility Campgrounds in town offers electric on all sites. For true full hookups with sewer, the Marion County campground is your best bet.

Camping here is a good value most of the year. Marion County Park Campground charges around $30 a night for full-hookup sites with 50-amp service, which is a bargain for full hookups. The Corps of Engineers sites at Lake Red Rock, including Howell Station, and Elk Rock State Park run in the low-to-mid $20s for electric sites. The large private option, RV's Full Facility Campgrounds, runs into the $30s and up. The exception is the Knoxville Nationals in August, when rates and minimum stays climb sharply everywhere near the track, so budget more and book early if you are coming for the big race.

For the Knoxville Nationals in August, reserve a full year ahead, no exaggeration. The race is the biggest sprint car event in the world, the town fills completely, and campsites near the track are booked out well in advance. For ordinary summer weekends and Lake Red Rock lakeside sites, several weeks to a couple of months of lead time is smart, since the Corps campgrounds like Howell Station are popular. The Marion County campground and Elk Rock State Park also fill on nice summer weekends. Midweek stays and the spring and fall shoulder seasons are far easier, and you can often book close to your arrival date outside of race week.

Summer is the peak season, with warm weather, racing at Knoxville Raceway and full access to Lake Red Rock, though it is also the busiest and most humid. If you want the racing energy, August and the Knoxville Nationals are unbeatable, but book far ahead. For quieter, cooler camping, fall is excellent, with crisp air, fall color around the reservoir and thinning crowds. Spring is mild and green and lines up with Tulip Time in nearby Pella in May. Winter closes most campgrounds down, so plan a spring-through-fall visit. Our favorite balance of weather and open sites is late spring and early fall.

Yes. Howell Station, the Corps of Engineers campground below the Red Rock dam, is built for long rigs and accommodates RVs up to 80 feet, so even the biggest fifth-wheel or diesel pusher fits. The Marion County Park Campground full-hookup gravel pads also take larger motorhomes and trailers comfortably. The highways in, IA-14 and IA-92, are easy two-lanes, and I-80 through Des Moines is only about 40 miles away for interstate access. The spots to double-check are a few of the wooded, older loops at Elk Rock State Park and some county sites, which can run shorter, so confirm site length when you book a long rig.

Yes, and public camping is actually the strength here. Elk Rock State Park sits right on Lake Red Rock with electric sites, a modern shower building, a dump station and equestrian trails. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers runs several campgrounds around the reservoir, with Howell Station the most popular, offering over 140 electric sites for rigs up to 80 feet from April through October. The county also runs the excellent Marion County Park Campground in town with full hookups. Reserve the state park through Iowa State Parks, the Corps sites on Recreation.gov, and the county sites through Marion County, especially for summer and race weekends.

Knoxville is the Sprint Car Capital of the World, so start with Knoxville Raceway and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum, which is worth a visit even when there is no race running. The huge draw is the Knoxville Nationals each August. Just northeast, Lake Red Rock, the largest lake in Iowa, offers boating, fishing, beaches and a long trail system for biking and hiking. Fifteen miles north, Pella is a charming Dutch heritage town famous for Tulip Time in May, windmills and bakeries. Add Des Moines about 40 miles northwest for city amenities and you have plenty to fill several days between the track and the lake.

The Knoxville Nationals is the biggest and most prestigious sprint car race in the world, held at Knoxville Raceway each August and drawing tens of thousands of fans to this small town. For RVers it is the single most important thing to know about camping here, because it completely transforms availability and pricing. Campsites near the track, including the county campground and the Lake Red Rock sites, book out roughly a year in advance, rates climb, and minimum-stay requirements kick in. If you want to experience it, plan far ahead and expect a premium. If you would rather avoid the crowds, simply steer clear of that August week and you will find the area calm and affordable.

Absolutely. Lake Red Rock is the largest lake in Iowa, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir just northeast of Knoxville, and it is the natural companion to a camping trip here. You get boating, excellent fishing, sandy swimming beaches, a wildlife-rich shoreline and a long paved trail system that is great for biking and walking. The Corps campgrounds like Howell Station and Elk Rock State Park put you right on the water. Birders love the reservoir, especially during migration, and the dam and visitor area make an easy outing. Even if you came for the racing, budget a day for the lake; it is one of the best outdoor spots in central Iowa.

Central Iowa gives you four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and humid, with highs in the 80s and the occasional strong thunderstorm, which is peak camping and racing season. Spring is mild and green, warming through the 60s, and lines up with Tulip Time in Pella. Fall is crisp and colorful with cool nights, one of the most pleasant times to camp around the lake. Winter is genuinely cold, with highs near freezing, regular snow and most campgrounds closed for the season. Watch for severe weather in spring and summer, keep an eye on the sky, and plan your visit for the warm-weather months when the campgrounds are open.

Knoxville has fuel stations, a grocery store and the everyday basics, which covers most stays comfortably. For a big propane fill, major RV supplies or a larger grocery run, Pella is only 15 miles north and Des Moines about 40 miles northwest, both with plenty of options. The Corps campgrounds, Elk Rock State Park and the county campground all have dump stations, and the Marion County full-hookup sites let you skip a separate dump trip. Since services are lighter out at the lake, top off fuel and stock up in town before you head to a lakeside campground, especially if you are staying a while at Howell Station or one of the quieter Corps areas.

Generally yes, with standard leash rules. The Marion County Park Campground, the Corps of Engineers campgrounds at Lake Red Rock like Howell Station, and Elk Rock State Park all allow leashed pets in the campgrounds, and the private RV's Full Facility Campgrounds is pet-friendly too. The lake shoreline and trails make for good dog walking, though you should keep pets leashed near the beaches and watch for boat traffic. Iowa summers get hot and humid, so carry water for your dog and avoid the midday heat on the trails. As always, confirm each campground pet policy when you book, particularly if you travel with more than one animal or a larger breed.

The best all-around choice is Marion County Park Campground on the west side of town, with 99 sites, most full-hookup gravel pads with 50-amp electric, water and sewer for around $30 a night, and an easy drive to both the raceway and Lake Red Rock. For lakeside camping, Howell Station is the popular Corps of Engineers campground below the Red Rock dam, and Elk Rock State Park sits right on the water with electric sites. If you want a large private campground in town, RV's Full Facility Campgrounds runs 350 sites off Highway 14. Match your pick to whether you want full hookups near town or a spot on the lake.

The county campground does, which is the headline. Marion County Park Campground offers full hookups on most of its 99 sites, with 50-amp electric, water and sewer on gravel pads, and that is unusual for a public park at its price. The lakeside options are different: Howell Station and the other Corps of Engineers campgrounds, along with Elk Rock State Park, generally offer electric hookups only, with water spigots and a dump station rather than sewer at each site. RV's Full Facility Campgrounds in town offers electric on all sites. For true full hookups with sewer, the Marion County campground is your best bet.

Camping here is a good value most of the year. Marion County Park Campground charges around $30 a night for full-hookup sites with 50-amp service, which is a bargain for full hookups. The Corps of Engineers sites at Lake Red Rock, including Howell Station, and Elk Rock State Park run in the low-to-mid $20s for electric sites. The large private option, RV's Full Facility Campgrounds, runs into the $30s and up. The exception is the Knoxville Nationals in August, when rates and minimum stays climb sharply everywhere near the track, so budget more and book early if you are coming for the big race.

For the Knoxville Nationals in August, reserve a full year ahead, no exaggeration. The race is the biggest sprint car event in the world, the town fills completely, and campsites near the track are booked out well in advance. For ordinary summer weekends and Lake Red Rock lakeside sites, several weeks to a couple of months of lead time is smart, since the Corps campgrounds like Howell Station are popular. The Marion County campground and Elk Rock State Park also fill on nice summer weekends. Midweek stays and the spring and fall shoulder seasons are far easier, and you can often book close to your arrival date outside of race week.

Summer is the peak season, with warm weather, racing at Knoxville Raceway and full access to Lake Red Rock, though it is also the busiest and most humid. If you want the racing energy, August and the Knoxville Nationals are unbeatable, but book far ahead. For quieter, cooler camping, fall is excellent, with crisp air, fall color around the reservoir and thinning crowds. Spring is mild and green and lines up with Tulip Time in nearby Pella in May. Winter closes most campgrounds down, so plan a spring-through-fall visit. Our favorite balance of weather and open sites is late spring and early fall.

Yes. Howell Station, the Corps of Engineers campground below the Red Rock dam, is built for long rigs and accommodates RVs up to 80 feet, so even the biggest fifth-wheel or diesel pusher fits. The Marion County Park Campground full-hookup gravel pads also take larger motorhomes and trailers comfortably. The highways in, IA-14 and IA-92, are easy two-lanes, and I-80 through Des Moines is only about 40 miles away for interstate access. The spots to double-check are a few of the wooded, older loops at Elk Rock State Park and some county sites, which can run shorter, so confirm site length when you book a long rig.

Yes, and public camping is actually the strength here. Elk Rock State Park sits right on Lake Red Rock with electric sites, a modern shower building, a dump station and equestrian trails. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers runs several campgrounds around the reservoir, with Howell Station the most popular, offering over 140 electric sites for rigs up to 80 feet from April through October. The county also runs the excellent Marion County Park Campground in town with full hookups. Reserve the state park through Iowa State Parks, the Corps sites on Recreation.gov, and the county sites through Marion County, especially for summer and race weekends.

Knoxville is the Sprint Car Capital of the World, so start with Knoxville Raceway and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum, which is worth a visit even when there is no race running. The huge draw is the Knoxville Nationals each August. Just northeast, Lake Red Rock, the largest lake in Iowa, offers boating, fishing, beaches and a long trail system for biking and hiking. Fifteen miles north, Pella is a charming Dutch heritage town famous for Tulip Time in May, windmills and bakeries. Add Des Moines about 40 miles northwest for city amenities and you have plenty to fill several days between the track and the lake.

The Knoxville Nationals is the biggest and most prestigious sprint car race in the world, held at Knoxville Raceway each August and drawing tens of thousands of fans to this small town. For RVers it is the single most important thing to know about camping here, because it completely transforms availability and pricing. Campsites near the track, including the county campground and the Lake Red Rock sites, book out roughly a year in advance, rates climb, and minimum-stay requirements kick in. If you want to experience it, plan far ahead and expect a premium. If you would rather avoid the crowds, simply steer clear of that August week and you will find the area calm and affordable.

Absolutely. Lake Red Rock is the largest lake in Iowa, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir just northeast of Knoxville, and it is the natural companion to a camping trip here. You get boating, excellent fishing, sandy swimming beaches, a wildlife-rich shoreline and a long paved trail system that is great for biking and walking. The Corps campgrounds like Howell Station and Elk Rock State Park put you right on the water. Birders love the reservoir, especially during migration, and the dam and visitor area make an easy outing. Even if you came for the racing, budget a day for the lake; it is one of the best outdoor spots in central Iowa.

Central Iowa gives you four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and humid, with highs in the 80s and the occasional strong thunderstorm, which is peak camping and racing season. Spring is mild and green, warming through the 60s, and lines up with Tulip Time in Pella. Fall is crisp and colorful with cool nights, one of the most pleasant times to camp around the lake. Winter is genuinely cold, with highs near freezing, regular snow and most campgrounds closed for the season. Watch for severe weather in spring and summer, keep an eye on the sky, and plan your visit for the warm-weather months when the campgrounds are open.

Knoxville has fuel stations, a grocery store and the everyday basics, which covers most stays comfortably. For a big propane fill, major RV supplies or a larger grocery run, Pella is only 15 miles north and Des Moines about 40 miles northwest, both with plenty of options. The Corps campgrounds, Elk Rock State Park and the county campground all have dump stations, and the Marion County full-hookup sites let you skip a separate dump trip. Since services are lighter out at the lake, top off fuel and stock up in town before you head to a lakeside campground, especially if you are staying a while at Howell Station or one of the quieter Corps areas.

Generally yes, with standard leash rules. The Marion County Park Campground, the Corps of Engineers campgrounds at Lake Red Rock like Howell Station, and Elk Rock State Park all allow leashed pets in the campgrounds, and the private RV's Full Facility Campgrounds is pet-friendly too. The lake shoreline and trails make for good dog walking, though you should keep pets leashed near the beaches and watch for boat traffic. Iowa summers get hot and humid, so carry water for your dog and avoid the midday heat on the trails. As always, confirm each campground pet policy when you book, particularly if you travel with more than one animal or a larger breed.

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