By:
Submission
From Interstate-80 take exit 46 (Walnut exit). Go north on county road M-47 8 miles to park entrance.
Beautiful at night. Felt very magical! And there is something very, very big in that lake. Wish my phone hadn't been dead so I could have gotten pictures. Will definitely be going back during the day!
Park is well-run and plenty of space to enjoy the outdoors. Walk-up tent spots were easy to secure and the park rangers are kind and helpful. LOTS of bugs due to the heat and humidity after a cool rainy period. The lake was gorgeous 😍 and the park was quiet after dark.
The camp sites have fire rings and you can purchase firewood $5/bundle-- the money goes back into park maintenance.
Toilets are not flush-toilets but they have lighting and plenty of TP, these are well maintained despite being the kids least-favorite part. 😆
It was fine. I honestly don't know why this is a state park. It's basically a small lake and some camp grounds but not much more than that.
Good walking or jogging trail but nothing breathtaking in terms of scenery.
Our favorite thing about Prairie Rose Campground was the views. Almost every camp site has water views. We stayed in spot 4 (down below) and recommend choosing a spot up top (look at the road closest to the bathroom. The breeze was better up there and it was way closer to the bathrooms. Now, the bathrooms left a lot to be desired. We understand this is a campground but Iowa state parks have really been updating a lot of their facilities in recent years and it’s about time for an update here. We were surprised to find that with 60+ spots there was one bath house with a second outhouse looking facility (both pictured). We also had a lot of problems with bugs (again we know we’re camping but most campgrounds treat their grass -Prairie Rose doesn’t appear to. The views were great and if we had stayed up closer to the bathrooms we would have enjoyed it more. Nothing terrible just not our favorite spot.
I love this park. I’ve come here for day trips and also weekend camping trips. Their reservation system is easy to use. Tent camping is fun and convenient and safe. Cabins are great. Lake is beautiful, facilities and trails are well maintained.
