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Named after Thomas Macbride, the “father” of Iowa conservation, Lake Macbride State Park is a popular lakeside destination with family friendly outdoor activities. Several multi-use trails wind around the lake, featuring the sights and sounds of Iowa’s native birds. In the summer, soak up the sun by kayaking, paddling or swimming in the lake. Whether you’re visiting for an afternoon or a weekend, Lake Macbride features numerous amenities to enjoy year round.
Camp in one of the two campgrounds at Lake Macbride. A modern campground is located in the northern unit of the park with full and electric hookups, a shower and restroom, and a trailer dump station. One non modern campground can be found in the southern unit of the park with a beautiful shaded setting near the lake. Some campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and advance reservations can be made through the online reservation system for Lake Macbride State Park.
Directions from the main entrance to the modern campground: From Solon take County Road F16 west out of town for 5 miles, when entering the park follow the signs to the campground. Directions to the Primitive campground: From Solon, take 5th St. west out of town for 3 miles. As you enter the park follow the sign to the campground.
Some campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and advance reservations can be made through the online reservation system for Lake Macbride State Park.
Living so close by has me visiting Lake Macbride every chance I get. Whether it's kayaking on the lake, hiking the numerous trails, biking along the northern pea gravel trail, or camping/cooking out with friends in one of the many spots throughout, this place has my heart. Highly recommend going on a trip here if you aren't from around the area. And if you are in the area, know that you have a gem of a park in your backyard.
Went there to take our dog for a walk and maybe a swim too. We went to the spillway. Unfortunately there hasn't been enough rain for the lake to have any spill over. Love the area.
South primitive campground is absolutely gorgeous! Right next to the lake, it's a dream for anglers. A nice playground with sand to play in is right next to the immaculately clean, modern restrooms. Be advised, this South (primitive) campground is NOWHERE NEAR the main modern campground, the beach, and the rest of MacBride State Park proper. It's 15 minutes away, clear on the other side of the lake, just outside Solon, IA. But it is very quiet, secluded, clean, and scenic!
We camped at the primitive (south) campground this weekend. There are beautiful trails, a bazillion places to fish, boat, hike, picnic, and nature-watch. The bathrooms at our campsite were decent (although no showers). There is free firewood for registered campers (we had no idea, and had already gone out to purchase some in Solon, until we were driving around to find a better site for next time and saw a tiny sign on a wooden structure kind of tucked away at the northern part of the primitive campground). There was nobody at the campground, that we found, to answer any questions or check in and we discovered that the boat rental place was actually closed for the season (check their Facebook page instead of Google, cause we had erroneously planned on some boat activities and realized we were ill informed).
We had chosen a site next to the lake, but had a constant stream of people walking in and around our site to go to the lake, bathroom, trails, and playground. Day and night we had no "bubble" of space. They would walk within a foot or two of all our stuff and often were speaking very loudly and (when dark) flashing lights at our tent. We also had to listen to loud music all day and until around 11PM, dogs barking non-stop, kids yelling from the lake/park back to their site, kids gatekeeping the bathroom, etc. While all this is "normal" and camping is a mixed bag... it really was amplified by the way the campground is laid out and the site we chose. Highly recommend tucking yourself in the northern area of the primitive campground vs the southern area. The sound is buffered better with trees, there's less traipsing through your site, and a bit more privacy (although not by much).
Overall a beautiful area with lots to do (more in the obsession, but still plenty without the boating or camp office) and a mixed bag of possible human obstacles that can help you master your patience.
