The Waukee Brief
Waukee sits on the west edge of the metro, which is good news for camping: you're closer to the Raccoon River corridor than to the big northern reservoirs. There's a private campground right on the edge of town, and the nearest state park is a short hop southeast on the river. Here's where to camp, what kind of stay each one offers, and how close it all really is.
The closest option is Timberline Campground - a private, year-round park at 31635 Ashworth Road on Waukee's western edge, with RV sites, cabins, a glamping area and a pool. For a state park, Walnut Woods State Park sits on the Raccoon River in West Des Moines just southeast of town, with electric and full-hookup sites you book on ReserveAmerica. The big reservoir campgrounds around Saylorville and Big Creek are up on the metro's north side - a longer haul from Waukee.
Waukee doesn't run a city-owned public campground, but you barely have to leave town to camp: Timberline Campground is a private park at 31635 Ashworth Road, just off I-80 on the western edge of Waukee. It's open all year and offers RV sites (30/50-amp, big-rig friendly), cabins and a glamping area known as Horseshoe Bend, plus a swimming pool, playground, rec hall and camp store. It's the easy pick for a first family trip or a weekend that's more "camp-adjacent" than roughing it. Confirm rates and site types with the campground before you book.
For an actual state park on the river, Walnut Woods State Park is your nearest bet - a 260-acre park wrapped in black-walnut woodland along the Raccoon River at 3155 SE Walnut Woods Dr, West Des Moines, just southeast of Waukee. The shaded campground has 8 full-hookup and 13 standard electric sites, modern restrooms and a dump station (but no showers), and it's pet-friendly and open year-round. Sites are reservable through iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com. Bonus: it ties into three miles of riverside trails.
The Des Moines area's largest campgrounds ring Saylorville Lake and sit near Big Creek State Park - but those are up on the north side of the metro, closer to Ankeny and Polk City. From Waukee they're roughly a 45-minute drive, so they're a weekend destination rather than a quick local trip. For something close, start with Timberline or Walnut Woods.
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The closest campground is Timberline Campground, a private year-round park at 31635 Ashworth Road on the western edge of Waukee, with RV sites, cabins, a glamping area and a swimming pool. For state-park camping, Walnut Woods State Park sits on the Raccoon River in West Des Moines, just southeast of Waukee, with electric and full-hookup sites reservable through Iowa's ReserveAmerica system.
Waukee does not run a city-owned public campground, but Timberline Campground is a private campground right on the western edge of town at 31635 Ashworth Road. It is open year-round and offers RV sites, cabins and a glamping area called Horseshoe Bend, plus a heated pool, playground and other amenities.
Yes. Walnut Woods State Park in West Des Moines, on the Raccoon River just southeast of Waukee, is the nearest state park with camping. It has 8 full-hookup and 13 standard electric campsites, modern restrooms and a dump station (no showers), and it is open year-round with sites reservable through iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com.
Timberline Campground is on Waukee's western edge, only a few minutes from town. Walnut Woods State Park in West Des Moines is roughly a 15 to 20 minute drive southeast. The bigger reservoir campgrounds around Saylorville and Big Creek are on the north side of the metro, closer to 45 minutes away, so they are a longer haul from Waukee.
Yes. Timberline Campground on the western edge of Waukee rents cabins and offers a glamping area called Horseshoe Bend, alongside its RV and tent sites, and it is open year-round. Confirm cabin types, rates and availability directly with the campground before you book.
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