2 acres hosted by Jessica O.
1 lodging site · 1 tent site
Amazing views
Hipcampers say this spot has amazing views.
Best in Iowa: Finalist
Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2024.
Jessica is a Star Host
Star Hosts are highly rated, responsive, and committed to providing incredible experiences.
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Reviews
96% Recommend141 ratings · 116 reviews
Camping at Jessica's offers a serene retreat where visitors feel genuinely welcomed by a host who goes the extra mile. Guests frequently praise the cozy accommodations, scenic views, and the chance to explore nature. Many find the activities and classes on offer both educational and enjoyable, enhancing their stay. Although there are minor inconveniences like the distance to the bathroom, the overall experience is overwhelmingly positive, with guests eager to return.
Summary AI-generated from real reviews
My wife and I chose this gorgeous spot to spend our 12th wedding anniversary. At first we thought to ourselves “is it safe for a lesbian couple to spend their anniversary, six hours away from Sioux Falls…in eastern Iowa…a place we have never been?”…but after reading reviews , we went for it and were so so happy we did.
First and foremost, Jessica was an amazing host! She was so welcoming and equally brilliant (do yourself a favor and take her classes, we learned so much in just one day about running a homestead) . She welcomed us with champagne soap that she made to celebrate our anniversay and offered To make us tea! Her property was gorgeous and also a product of her family’s incredibly hard work . They have built something so unique and needed in this world.
My wife and I felt so welcomed and loved on! We explored the adorable town and talked to Jessica frequently (she is absolutely an artist and caretaker) . We were also given all the privacy we needed.
The bed in the bunkie was incredibly comfortable and waking up to the sounds of nature and fresh air was rejuvenating.
Stay here, it’s incredible!
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Melly P.
3 months on Hipcamp
We loved our stay at the Bunkie! The site was beautiful and we had everything we needed. The room was exactly as described on the website. Our experience was 10/10.
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Ayşe O.
11 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· April 2025
A cozy place to stay the night! Jessica was a wonderful host. We enjoyed our stay and got some of Jessica’s herbal infused goat milk soap and locally made sausage. I’d definitely visit again 😊
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Julie T.
4 months on Hipcamp
We loved camping here! Wonderful hilltop spot with an overlook view. We also loved getting to see the chickens and baby chicks. Jessica was so kind and hospitable. We can't wait to come back!
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Jordan A.
1 year on Hipcamp
Nice stay! Love the view looking over the church and the town. Had a great time watching the birds and 5 little chicks. So cute. The bunkie is beautiful and the bed is so comfortable. I will definitely come again. The drive nearby is so beautiful!
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Alison C.
3 reviews
Staying on Jessica’s land was one of the single best getaways either I or my partner have had in recent memory! We initially took a trip away from home to alleviate burn out early in the working year and returned home even more refreshed than anticipated.
The Bunkie was perfectly cozy for me, my partner, and our pup. The view was rejuvenating, and we had access to whatever we needed to keep comfortable. We did a lot of reading and board games when inside, and did our cooking on one of the many fire pits outdoors.
Jessica has a wealth of knowledge and earnest love for the land she stewards, and we had a great time learning about the local flora and fauna. She kindly walked us through foraging, apothecary processes, artisanal soap-making, and her husband taught us how to keep our knives razor sharp. Beyond the knowledge we were gifted, we made sure to also leave with a lot of amazing smelling soap and bath salts.
Outside of the space, there’s a lot of beautiful and reasonably accessible hiking in the vicinity. If you’re not one for cooking each night, there’s also a number of good spots in town to get some coffee/tea, food, and beer.
We’re excited to tell everyone back home about the beautiful time we had, and we’re hoping to come back soon to see how the space is during other seasons. Thank you so much, Jessica!
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Alejandro R.
3 months on Hipcamp
Wonderful place with a fantastic host. Made me and my pup feel so welcome, next level soaps, and a pet skunk!! Got to take a soap making class and learned so much! Very peaceful atmosphere with good vibes.
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Stephanie R.
2 reviews
Recommends
· March 2025
Me and my pup had a wonderful time in the bunkie! Jessica is a fantastic host and truly went above and beyond to make sure that me and my dog were comfortable. She had great recommendations for stuff to do around the area and taught me how to make soap! Her soaps are truly next level and it was so cool to see all of her wonderful art! We also had some of her amazing tea!! It was delicious! She also has a pet skunk that was too adorable! Thanks for hosting us Jessica!
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Stephanie R.
2 reviews
The bed was extremely comfortable. The set up was cute and cozy. Everything I needed for the morning was there,ground coffee, coffee maker, water, creamer and sugar. The whole vibe was cozy. 10/10 would reccomend.
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Christina D.
3 months on Hipcamp
Staying at Jessica’s Bunkie was a wonderful experience. The design of the room was so cute and cohesive. Truly felt like a little cabin even though it was functionally a sunroom off the side of the house. The bed was great and views even more beautiful. What was even better though was getting to explore the property. There’s some trails out back that allowed us to climb up the mountain and the hobbit house was so cute. It felt like we could be at home there. When swinging on the swing Jessica invited us inside to meet her pet skunk! She showed us the room where she creates and stores her art (soaps and terrarium like frames). We got to see the birds out her window, so many! And talking with her sun was quite fun, learning about bees. She was so hospital and really made the experience magical. The only thing that could have been better was that the room was quite cold despite the little heater and we didn’t have water till we asked in the morning. But I think some of that had to do with how we didn’t let her know our ETA and arrived quite late! The bathroom was also a decent walk from the room. Maybe 100ft? But felt long cause of the cold. That’s typical hip camp though, right? Overall, would 100% recommend and go back as well!
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Jordan M.
2 reviews
This was a lovely stop-over on our way to family Christmas - even with snow and slush on the ground, she met us in the dark after we arrived with smiles and warm greetings!! Free firewood for our campfire (which is right outside the window of Bunkie) was a bonus. Even though it was a chilly night and we didn't stay outside too long, we could easily see it from the window when we were inside. A wall of windows was perfect to make the smaller space seem even larger. And if it had been summer, I'm sure the flowers and wildlife would have been a lovely sight!! Even in winter, we could see Christmas lights outside the town.
Jessica had tea waiting for me (I ordered it), allowed our pets to stay with us (wonderful to be able to sleep in comfort with our dogs), had a coffeemaker, supplies to shower (if it had been warm enough to do so), extra blankets and a space heater to warm our little private space.
Yes - you must go up and down stone steps to access the parking area and the bathroom, but all you need is shoes and it's totally possible. While this would not be a location for accessibility (for those that need that), if you are able, it's a great little experience. The town is absolutely gorgeous on the Mississippi River with little shops, and a few restaurants.
I'd highly recommend if you want a creative little place to stay, don't mind a gorgeous view, want free firewood with your campfire ring and want to meet a real life pet skunk - yes - that's right :)
Amy G.
5 reviews
Recommends
· December 2024
Best host ever! Attentive and caring! I had a great time and plan to visit again! Beautiful property as well!!
Cody E.
2 years on Hipcamp
We loved camping at the Woodsy tent site! It’s was cozy. Sarah was very welcoming and a great host! Always quick to respond to anything we needed. Downtown Bellevue was cute and had a great book shop. 30 mins to Downtown Dubuque and 50 mins to Galena. The drive was very scenic!
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Anthony H.
8 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2024
Tent ·
Woodsy Campsite
Nice and cozy old home on the hills behind Bellevue! Jessica was wonderfully accomodating!
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Wyatt S.
8 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2024
Cute and interesting property with lots to do there and nearby, host was accomodating and kind. Picking my own eggs out of the hatchbox to cook made breakfast an activity in and of itself!
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Stefano E.
10 months on Hipcamp
We had the most relaxing visit! We picked some veggies from the garden to go along with the local Brats that we purchased from Andrea and grilled them for dinner. We loved exploring the property that included a beautiful vista. Our room was so quiet! I had a refreshing outdoor shower, complete with handmade pumpkin goat milk soap from the homestead. Our 10 year old loved meeting the chickens and a new local friend during our stay. We sipped coffee by our morning campfire on the patio/pond area in front of our room. What a special mini retreat for our family!
Carie T.
4 reviews
We used the small tent camping site and enjoyed our time very much! We arrived late, after sunset, and Jessica was out to greet us and guide us to our set up point. Many stairs, but she even borrowed us a flashlight to our benefit. Fire was easy to get going with plenty of wood and sticks on the premises. The property was fun to adventure around for the sunrise and many critters were heard throughout our stay.
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Fredy L.
11 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Host was incredibly friendly and there are a variety of 'goods' to check out, I got some soap! Bellevue is a neat town too so if you have time to check it out that's worth it.
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Nick F.
3 reviews
Recommends
· September 2024
Tent ·
Woodsy Campsite
Nice site, close to the town on the river and great caving. The hosts were warm, gracious, and accommodating. Definitely recommended!
Bruce L.
2 reviews
Recommends
· September 2024
The host and her family were amazing and very polite. The tour and information we were given and learned 100% made me and my partners experience. planning on coming again soon!
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Jinaeko G.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Tent ·
Woodsy Campsite
We loved camping on Jessica’s property!! Her and her husband were great from the moment of arrival to the moment we left. It was beautiful and peaceful!! The tour and the information were amazing and fun! Would definitely recommend staying!!
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Beth S.
2 reviews
Not recommend
· September 2024
Tent ·
Woodsy Campsite
This was a fine place to stay for the night. The space for a tent is small (my two-person tent was a squeeze) and the walk to it is over slippery tarp. At night, the pathway and camping area gets very dark. There were many mosquitoes (there’s a pond). Jessica offered me coffee in the morning, but my visit and shower felt received as if it was an inconvenience. Maybe it was just a bad day, but Jessica was not the friendliest host.
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Sidney P.
3 reviews
Recommends
· August 2024
Excellent hosts. “Bunkie” very clean and comfortable.
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Jeff W.
2 reviews
I stayed at the Woodsy campsite at Jessica’s house, and I loved it! I came for a nice solo camping trip to relax and unwind for a long weekend and hike at Maquoketa Caves. This spot was perfect for me, and I really enjoyed meeting Jessica and learning more about her homesteading. She is very friendly and offered suggestions about things to do close by. She was very responsive to my messages and made sure I had everything I needed. As a woman, I felt very safe camping here on my own which made the overall trip more enjoyable. I bought some tea and soap too from her and love it! I am definitely coming back to camp here again; I would highly recommend this site and also recommend trying some of her homemade goods!
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Evie V.
10 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2024
Jessica was friendly and made sure any request we had was met. She responded back to messages in a timely manner and gave us some ideas to do in Bellevue. The location was great and the house and yard surrounding it was very cute and old time feel. Would definitely stay again!
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Caleb F.
11 months on Hipcamp
Cute place! Jessica was lovely! We didn’t have time for any of the tours she offers but I bet that would have been fun. We did get the brats. They were delicious! Trails on the land had poison ivy so we didn’t use them. And heads up, the area only fits a tent of 4ppl!!! Did not know that until we were well into our drive. Our 6p tent was too big but we found a way to make it work. I did like the spot overall
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Kathleen M.
4 reviews
Jessica and Pete where kind hosts with a lovely house on the hill at the edge of town. Enjoyed an outside shower after dark with a band playing hotel California off in the distance. Benders grocery store is 4 mins from the house. Good selection of groceries. Enjoy the small town energy and walk Jessica's gardens
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Joseph A.
2 reviews
Recommends
· August 2024
Jessica was such a gracious host, sharing eggs with us and handpicked produce from her garden. She gave us plenty of privacy, yet was very responsive when we needed it, and generous with her intentions to make our stay special. The local meat was delicious to cook over the fire. The bed was comfy and a great space to go in and out of, as we cooked and explored out doors. The outdoor spray shower was more fun and effective than we thought it might be. We delighted in picking out some of her hand poured soaps that were obviously filled with wholesome ingredients and her love.
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Jennifer K.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2024
This is a beautiful spot. The host was very kind and made us coffee in the morning. Two things to keep in mind are the 40 steep stairs to the campsite would be difficult if you had anything heavy and the site was just barely wide enough for my 3 person tent. Had a great time and would definitely recommend to anyone who loves hiking or gardens! Also my dad loved meeting Jessica's pet skunk!
Courtney A.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2024
Tent ·
Woodsy Campsite
This is such a cute stay with such a sweet host! It is very close to the house but it is such a charming piece of property with all sorts of blooms to explore. I unfortunately didn’t get to experience a lot of the extra touches offered here due to an early night and early morning but you can tell there are a lot of thoughtful touches and care put into this place!
Christy C.
10 reviews
Location
Bellevue, Jackson, Iowa, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by Jessica O.
Joined in May 2021Response rate: 100%Response time: Within 2 hours
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