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Draco Hill Nature Farm

Hosted by Suzan · West Branch, Iowa
4 sites · RV, Tent · 75 acres
98%
·
386 reviews
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Best Hipcamps in Iowa
Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2026.
Best in Iowa: 3rd place
Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2024.
Amazing views
Hipcampers say this spot has amazing views.
Staff verified
Accuracy verified by Hipcamp's on-the-ground team.
As of 9/19, the ground is currently saturated and we have more rain in the forecast. If you decide to reserve, please drive on the ridges of the farm road entering the farm and not in the ruts. If you've never seen the tallgrass prairie, this is your chance! Right now, the prairie is in full bloom. Turkey tail, Indiangrass, partridge pea and many other beautiful native plants are at their best. The orchard trees are also loaded with fruit and nuts. If you've never seen a chestnut burr, a bundle of heartnuts, or Asian pears book now. No picking please - they aren't ripe yet. The weather is great and the campsites are mowed and ready for you! The river is low enough for you to walk down to it. You can only do that from Sun and Swimming and Shade and Swimming so be sure to book one of those if you want to dip your toes in the water. We know everything's expensive these days. Camping is a cheap and easy way to get away. Don't own a tent? Rent one from us. Would rather use a gas stove than struggle with a fire? We've got those too. We've also reduced our Sycamore Site to a super low $20/night for those of you pinching pennies. We hope you can enjoy it at that rate. Remember, a load of firewood is included. Please don't reserve this site if you're towing a trailer. Book over the October 17 weekend and catch our Chestnut Festival. Come any time for privacy at your site or a hike trails. Take a dip in the pond if you dare! Learn more and see map at our website. A convenient 7 miles north of Interstate 80 but feels like an oasis away from it all. Enjoy nature in a private, wooded river valley setting. And check out our extras! -- Fatwood for starting fires easily -- Up to 3 extra bundles of firewood -- A 7-person tent for rent -- A Coleman stove, matches and tank of fuel -- A personal tour of the exotic fruits and nuts and ecological restoration we're growing here. NO generators or large RVs please. Campers like to go to sleep under the stars to the sound of frogs, cicadas, coyotes, deer and the rustling wind through the tallgrass prairie. Wake to an amazing sunrise over the river. Enjoy a hike through our 4 miles of trails on 75 acres of rolling woodlands and prairie, picking berries, finding mushrooms, scaring up a turkey or pheasant in the brush or listening to the birds. (Pull out your Merlin app to see who's singing!) Play in the river or upland pond, cut cattails and prairie grasses for souvenirs and enjoy being unplugged for a while. Your hosts are here if you need us, but we leave you to enjoy this beautiful place at your own pace. This is "socks and shoes, jeans and boots" kind of camping. You're visiting wild places and a working perennial farm, so please dress appropriately for your optimal enjoyment. If you go off trails and other mowed places, you increase your chances of contact with poison ivy and ticks. Please research these ahead of time and be prepared. We live here and encounter them frequently without more than a slight inconvenience.

Select a site

RV/tent sites

4 sites
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Shade and Swimming

97%
(177)
RV/tent site · Sleeps 6 · Vehicles under 30 ft
Enjoy mature trees and hammock camping if you choose. It is a short walk to the river with a river view all season. It does have a narrow winding entrance. It is the most popular site so book right away!
Campfires allowed
Toilet
No potable water
Pets allowed
No electrical hookup
No water hookup
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Sun and Swimming

98%
(155)
RV/tent site · Sleeps 6 · Vehicles under 30 ft
Our Sun and Swimming site is wide open, flat and grassy with an expansive view of the river. It's best for trailers to turn around in. If you love open sky and space, this is the place for you!
Campfires allowed
Toilet
No potable water
Pets allowed
No electrical hookup
No water hookup
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Trees and Terrace

100%
(114)
RV/tent site · Sleeps 6 · Vehicles under 25 ft
Trees and Terrace is the longest distance from the other 3 and the most private. It has access to a beautiful natural terrace along the river where you can sit and enjoy the birds and jumping fish but we don't encourage river access as it will cause further erosion of the riverbank at that spot and isn't particularly safe. The site is mostly surrounded by green and timber and is a convenient distance to the outhouse.
Campfires allowed
Toilet
No potable water
Pets allowed
No electrical hookup
No water hookup
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Sycamore Grove

92%
(32)
RV/tent site · Sleeps 4 · Vehicles under 30 ft
As the cost of living skyrockets, we wanted to offer a very affordable option for you to enjoy. A private distance from other sites, flat and wooded along a walking trail. NOT accessible for river swimming yet still a beautiful view of the river. Hammock camping available here. It is a smaller site and the farthest from an outhouse which has a mowed path leading to it. Larger vehicles should reserve any of the other sites.
Campfires allowed
Toilet
No potable water
Pets allowed
No electrical hookup
No water hookup

Reviews

98% Recommend745 ratings · 386 reviews
Draco Hill offers a serene camping experience with beautiful views and plenty of nature to explore. Many campers appreciate the seclusion and well-maintained trails, making it a peaceful retreat. However, a few noted challenges in finding the site and some areas being overgrown. Despite this, the majority find it a welcoming and enjoyable spot for a quiet getaway.
Summary AI-generated from real reviews
Recommends
· September 2026
Exceeded expectations!
Tent ·
Shade and Swimming
Absolutely perfect! Suzan is the most gracious, incredible host. The campsites are beautiful, well maintained and very private. There's detailed signage for the campsites, trails, and outhouses. Fair warning, if you do decide to walk the trails, there is some very steep parts, so bring good hiking shoes and a bottle of water. Suzan even gave us some of her walnuts, chestnuts, pawpaws (Iowa fruit), and tomatoes that they grow on their farm. We spent three nights there, but wanted to stay forever. Lots of interesting animal sounds at night, some of which I've never heard before. We can't wait to go back.
Recommends
· September 2026
21 ft truck camper · With kids ·
Shade and Swimming
We had a wonderful family camping time at Suzan's place. We had the beautiful Shade site, overlooking the river. There was plenty of nice flat space for our truck camper, two small tents and a screen tent over the table. We loved the quiet and the privacy. The composting outhouse is a bit of a walk, but is adequate for the purpose. We enjoyed walking the nicely mowed trails around the prairie and through the woods. We added on the farm tour, and enjoyed our morning with Suzan admiring the fruit and nut trees and prairie she has planted. She is knowledgeable about sustainable and diverse agriculture. Highly recommend this beautiful, peaceful place!
Recommends
· September 2026
16 ft car ·
Shade and Swimming
Is this heaven? No it’s Draco Farm! Great relaxing evening under the stars.
Recommends
· August 2026
Tent · With pets ·
Sycamore Grove
My daughter and I had a blast tent camping at Draco Hill! Our site had plenty of space and we enjoyed walking the trails through the beautiful prairie and wooded areas. Bonus being right on the river and being able to explore there too! We’ll definitely be back.
Recommends
· August 2026
Tent · With kids ·
Shade and Swimming
Excellent experience! Suzan was an excellent host. Her land is a little oasis near home and we can’t wait to visit again.
Recommends
· August 2026
10 ft campervan ·
Sun and Swimming
Very cool sites for primitive camping. The Sun site offered a great view of the sunset, sunrise and the night sky.
Recommends
· August 2026
Riverside Relief
16 ft car ·
Shade and Swimming
Perfect set up for our Van! Right by the river, flat and with a picnic table. A slice of heaven in Iowa
Not recommend
· August 2026
Has potential but needs upkeep
Tent ·
Sycamore Grove
Location of the site is great and the views are beautiful. Unfortunately the site appeared abandoned and overgrown, the firewood was uncovered, soaked, and completely rotted, and there was tall grass and plants growing all around the fire pit. There was also almost no signage and no explanation posted for how to enter and find the sites and it was very difficult to locate.
Recommends
· July 2026
Tent · With pets ·
Trees and Terrace
Beautiful campsite. My kids and dog loved it too.
Recommends
· July 2026
16 ft truck camper · With pets ·
Sycamore Grove
Perfect stop for the night. Well taken care of sites. Easy to get to and wonderful host!
Recommends
· July 2026
Sun & swimming
16 ft campervan · With pets ·
Sun and Swimming
The Sun and swimming site is amazing, with a beautiful view of the lake and meadows. I also walked the trails with my dog to check out the other sites. I did not let my lab off leash because there were so many rabbits and I didn’t want to have to deal with ticks. Pretty buggy on a hot humid July afternoon but the bug repellent worked well. It is easy to find, well marked and very remote. No cell service. The river was very inviting but I didn’t go in, since I was a lone camper.
Recommends
· July 2026
Tent ·
Shade and Swimming
This was a great area to camp. The Shade Site was beautiful with great views of the river and sunrise. Tranquil for sure. All campsites are quite far from each other. The only exception is the site nearest to the Shade site. We were the only people there for two of the three nights stayed over July 4th! Suzan was very friendly and swung around to say hi one of the days. Would go back.
Recommends
· July 2026
16 ft car · With pets ·
Sun and Swimming
Just stopped for the night, but it was pretty, stop! Would stay again!
Recommends
· July 2026
8 ft travel trailer ·
Sun and Swimming
This is a beautiful property that we enjoyed exploring! The sites are all great. We will be back! The host also makes you feel welcome and keeps the property and site maintained.
Recommends
· July 2026
20 ft truck camper ·
Trees and Terrace
Really nice secluded camp sites that are very well maintained. Loved it!
Recommends
· July 2026
Secluded and serene
16 ft car ·
Trees and Terrace
I stayed only one night, but loved it! The walking trails were perfect after a long day behind the wheel. When I went to sleep, I was serenaded by a large hoot owl, sounded like a great horned owl. I appreciated the views of the river and the picnic table for meals and the outhouse was nice to have nearby
Recommends
· July 2026
Tent ·
Sun and Swimming
This is a lovely lovely lovely spot. Nicely prepared grounds. Fireflies and owls at night; and an unbelievable chorus of birds in the morning. And quiet! No background noise anywhere. The sunny spot is sunny, the shady spot is shady. Everything is well marked with good signage. Suzan swung by once to see if all was well; otherwise it was completely and totally private. If I was looking for a place in Eastern Iowa to just chill out, this would be the place!
Recommends
· July 2026
quiet camping very near the river
18 ft truck camper ·
Sycamore Grove
rustic, isolated and quiet. much green and nature 😎
Recommends
· June 2026
Tent ·
Shade and Swimming
Beautiful property right on the river! Car battery turned up dead in the morning due to leaving a light on, called the host and she drove right up to help jump me! 10/10 communication and response time
Recommends
· June 2026
Tent ·
Sun and Swimming
Beautiful area, very peaceful and easy to access. It’s apparent that these folks put a lot of care into land stewardship.
Recommends
· June 2026
16 ft car · With pets ·
Shade and Swimming
This property was gorgeous, private, quiet, and well-equipped! Had a lovely stay car camping on my road trip.
Recommends
· June 2026
Tent · With pets ·
Sycamore Grove
This quiet secluded spot was the perfect size for our 3 person tent. Signage and directions were spot on to locate the site. We loved being able to access the trails to walk our dog and having a view of the river.
Recommends
· June 2026
Would definitely visit again!
17 ft campervan ·
Trees and Terrace
Beautiful property with clear directions to the spot. There were a couple other sites, but either there was no one else there or they were perfectly seperated because it was SO peaceful, never heard or saw another person. LOTS of birds, bunnies, and deer! Be forewarned, there were LOTS of bugs too, but thats to be expected in a wooded area by the river. Good news, despite hundreds of mosquitoes and other bugs, only like 3 bites over the span of multiple days.
Recommends
· June 2026
10/10 would recommend
16 ft car ·
Sun and Swimming
Easily the best camping experience I’ve ever had in Iowa. Beautiful campsites that are complimented by a nice trail system, but the real highlight is the view of and proximity to the river. Suzan was a wonderful host, as she helped my dumbass find the campsite after I got lost on the property. I arrived after the sun had set, and I missed the *clearly marked* turnoff sign for the site, but she was incredibly helpful and patient when she gave me directions. I’ll definitely be back, and I’ve already recommended this site to my family. 10/10 would recommend. Thanks again, Suzan!
Recommends
· June 2026
Tent · Group trip ·
Shade and Swimming
We absolutely loved camping at Draco Hill. This was our second visit to the property. This was the best place to spend my husband's 30th birthday! It was wonderful to meet Suzan and one of her dogs as well. We especially love how far apart the sites are from each other. Would recommend to anyone!
Recommends
· May 2026
Tent ·
Sycamore Grove
It was very well kept and Suzan was an awesome host who very obviously has a lot of pride in her land!!!
Recommends
· May 2026
Sycamore Grove
Very cute spot kind of in the middle of nowhere but perfect place to stop for the night. Easy to find!
Recommends
· May 2026
Tent ·
Sycamore Grove
The property was beautiful and the sycamore site and trees sites are amazing, everything is well kept. Will come back.
Recommends
· May 2026
14 ft travel trailer ·
Sun and Swimming
I’ve stayed here 3 or 4 times now. A couple of those times I’ve had the whole place to myself. Nice and remote and right on the Cedar River. Host is great.
Recommends
· May 2026
22 ft truck camper ·
Sun and Swimming
Beautiful spot, well marked, clear instructions provided. I had been driving 10+ hours so mostly made a small dinner and fire and set off early the next day for another long drive, next time would love to return w time to explore. Recommend.

Location

West Branch, Cedar, Iowa, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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Hosted by Suzan E.

Joined in April 2018

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