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River Camp

Hosted by Loren · Iowa City, Iowa

4 guests max

99%

50 reviews

Best Hipcamps in Iowa

Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2025.

Nomadic camping

Best for self-contained campers. There are no toilets, showers, or potable water at this Hipcamp.

Loren is a Star Host

Star Hosts are highly rated, responsive, and committed to providing incredible experiences.

All to yourself

98% of recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp felt private.

Learn more about this land: Private 28 acre parcel with scattering of cabins and houses. Includes many feet of river frontage with private road along river that makes for good biking or walking. Some trails in forest. Lots of birds and wildlife. Large 100 year old oak trees, giant sycamores and cottonwood trees on the property. Short trail to river provides access for kayaking or fishing. Put in at Sturgis Ferry Park by airport in Iowa City and kayak to campsite or go further to Hills Access at Hills, Iowa. Camp site is close to Iowa City, but the quiet site seems 100's of miles away. River Camp is close to Ryerson's Woods State Forest Preserve, Johnson County Fairgrounds, Terry Trueblood Recreation Area and a 10 minute drive to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.Camp along the river and fish from the bank or if the river is low, fish from the rocks in the river. Enjoy the peace and quite of the country and the variety of wildlife. You can expect plenty of privacy. There is a loose dog in the area, so you may have to keep track of your pet. There is a trail into the woods another 50 yards down the lane off to your right. Another 50 yards further down is a cul-de-sac to turn around. The cul-de-sac is about 70' in diameter. Trailer limit is maybe 34', 5th wheel or motor home 40'. Please check out you can make the turn, if not you will have to back up to first open area and get turned around. Please arrive in daylight hours, as there are no lights in the area. There is a small hump on the cul-de-sac with a stump cut flush to the ground you should be aware of. I don't think it will cause any difficulty in turning around in the cul-de-sac, but you should be aware.

Rig suitability

Vehicles under 46 feet allowed

Allowed rigs: travel trailers, fifth wheels, toy haulers, pop-up campers, class A RVs, class B RVs, and class C RVs

A 30 foot motor home is perhaps the biggest that can be turned around in that area and maybe a 24' travel trailer is the biggest travel trailer that can turn around there. One can check out the end of the road where there is a small circle drive that might work better for them.

Pull-in site

Need to turn around in the cul-de-sac at the end of the road. Stay far right and cut across grass to complete turn around. Depending on RV setup, may want to investigate cul-de-sac first to see if it will accomodate your particular arrangement of tow vehicle and trailer.

Accommodates slideouts

Surface type: Loose Gravel

Surface levelness: Flat

No cars, campervans, truck campers, and rooftop tents

Generators allowed

No electrical hookup

Only a fire ring at site with steel cooking grate.

No water hookup

No sewage hookup

Need a self contained unit with its own toliet.

No TV hookup

What to expect

Vehicle site

You'll have this Hipcamp all to yourself.

4 guests max

Campfires allowed

Firepit. Fire ring with cook grate.

Pets allowed

Off leash. off leash possible, but there is another dog that roams freely in neighborhood. She may bark, but basically not mean.

No toilet; campers must bring camp toilets

No potable water

Bring your own water

No showers

Pack it out

Cooking equipment absent

There is a cooking grate for the campfire ring.

Picnic table absent

No wifi

Laundry absent

Hot Tub absent

No playground

Things to know

Getting there

Check in: After 2:00 PM

Check out: Before 12:00 PM

On arrival: Head straight to site

Cancellation policy:

Minimum nights: 1 night

Accepts bookings: 3 months out

Park at listing

No wheelchair access

Max 2 vehicles

2WD accessible

During your trip

Follow the

Leave it better

Inclusion policyWe have a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination at Hipcamp. We are committed to helping our Host and Hipcamper communities be inclusive.

Select a site

RV-only sites

1 site

Fish Camp

100%

(7)

Vehicle site · Sleeps 4 · Vehicles under 46 ft

Camp along the river and fish from the bank or if the river is low, fish from the rocks in the river. Enjoy the peace and quite of the country and the variety of wildlife. You can expect plenty of privacy. There is a loose dog in the area, so you may have to keep track of your pet. There is a trail into the woods another 50 yards down the lane off to your right. Another 50 yards further down is a cul-de-sac to turn around. The cul-de-sac is about 70' in diameter. Trailer limit is maybe 34', 5th wheel or motor home 40'. Please check out you can make the turn, if not you will have to back up to first open area and get turned around. Please arrive in daylight hours, as there are no lights in the area. There is a small hump on the cul-de-sac with a stump cut flush to the ground you should be aware of. I don't think it will cause any difficulty in turning around in the cul-de-sac, but you should be aware.

Campfires allowed

No toilet

No potable water

Pets allowed

No electrical hookup

No water hookup

Reviews

99% Recommend60 ratings · 50 reviews

The River Camp RV site offers a serene escape with its private setting and proximity to nature, including the Iowa River and local wildlife. Campers appreciate the full hookups and spaciousness, making it a comfortable stay for both families and pets. The host, Loren, is noted for his friendliness and helpfulness, enhancing the overall experience. While the site is peaceful and feels remote, it's conveniently close to Iowa City for any forgotten necessities or additional activities.

Summary AI-generated from real reviews

Recommends

· November 2026

22 ft Class B

Great boondocking site along the river. Host was responsive and detailed. Thanks for sharing your property!

Recommends

· October 2026

24 ft travel trailer

Very secluded on beautiful property with full hookups. Easy to work with the host. Highly recommend.

Recommends

· October 2026

27 ft travel trailer · With pets

We love staying at this spot. I almost want to leave a bad review so it doesn't get overbooked. 🤫 But Loren is great; the site is convenient, beautiful, and has full hookups.

Recommends

· October 2026

25 ft travel trailer

Beautiful property!

Recommends

· September 2026

10 ft pop-up camper

Fun time at the site and near the Iowa river. Close to town and activities. Owner was very accommodating and nice.

Recommends

· September 2026

41 ft fifth wheel · With pets

Beautiful, private, and well maintained! Our dogs had space to run around (beware the burrs!), and we were close enough to Iowa City if we needed anything. Highly recommend this site!

Recommends

· August 2026

Peaceful riverside camping site

18 ft pop-up camper · With pets

We enjoyed staying right by the river, with an easy drive into town! Great, peaceful stop on our road trip.

Recommends

· July 2026

Peaceful night

27 ft Class B · With pets

This was a beautiful and peaceful space to enioy nature and bird watch. We loved the fire at river view. Proximity to IC is a bonus!

Recommends

· July 2026

26 ft travel trailer · With pets

Had a great weekend stay at River Camp RV site. It is secluded and private as advertised. Our 2 golden retrievers were able to be off leash all weekend. The setup and layout of the campsite are very user friendly with an easy pull through spot. Definitely plan on going back!

Recommends

· June 2026

24 ft Class C · With pets

What a wonderful spot! Full hookup was lovely after free camping out west. quiet spot, dogs loved to roam free. two dogs did approach our camp but owner came to get them. would definitely recommend!

Recommends

· May 2026

37 ft Class C · With pets

It was an amazing stay, we really enjoyed it. Might be back.

Recommends

· October 2025

34 ft travel trailer · With pets

If you are looking for a quiet spot this is the place. Plenty of wildlife to see deer bald eagles.

Recommends

· October 2025

Our Favorite Spot Near Iowa City

27 ft travel trailer · With pets

This is the perfect spot for people who love fishing, the Hawkeyes, or have family in Iowa City. Full hook-ups and a quiet spot. Loren is easy to work with and very accommodating.

Recommends

· May 2025

20 ft pop-up camper · With pets

Awesome campsite for a weekend getaway. Great place to let the dogs roam around off leash.

Recommends

· May 2025

32 ft Class C · With pets

Great private spot! Loren was very friendly and a great host.

Recommends

· September 2024

Beautiful, private property!

24 ft Class C

My husband & I spent the most wonderful 3 day weekend on Loren’s land. It was private & peaceful surrounded by trees. The highlight of our weekend was sitting around the campfire on Saturday afternoon and directly above us were 5 bald eagles flying around. Nature at its best! Loren was a wonderful host & we will definitely be returning!

Recommends

· August 2024

Private camping

28 ft travel trailer · With kids

Great private camp site. The family really enjoyed staying here and will be back. We really appreciated the full hookup. My boys spent alot of time down by the river.

Recommends

· August 2024

Beautiful, peaceful, and wonderful.

36 ft travel trailer · With kids

This location is a diamond. You get to have a peaceful location and lots of room to yourself. Near a river. Lots of little critters. And full hook ups. As long as you are good with backing in, you won’t be disappointed at all with this camp spot.

Recommends

· July 2024

32 ft Class C

Very private, peaceful location. Close to highway access and not far from "civilization", but far enough that you can pretend you're out in the wilderness. Nice to have full hookups and good water pressure. Lots of wildlife, birds singing in the morning, bunnies hopping about all day. Close to the river.

Recommends

· July 2024

17 ft travel trailer

Beautiful wooded site with well kept grounds surrounding a secluded flat raised pad with all the services. Great to sit outside and be one with the deer, birds, and bunnies, although the mosquitoes were ferocious. A short walk down a gravel road is old man river garlanded with wildflowers.

Recommends

· June 2024

24 ft travel trailer

Great spot and easy to pull into. Close drive to the state park from the campground. The wildlife and birds in the mornings are wonderful to wake up to. Only a few steps away from the creek and great for the dogs to run around in!

Recommends

· June 2024

18 ft travel trailer

Loren was a great host and very receptive to questions. The river was high so there wasn't a place to get down to the water. We will come back again.

Recommends

· May 2024

18 ft travel trailer · With kids

The site was very private and quiet, exactly what we were looking for!

Recommends

· May 2024

Private and quiet

26 ft Class A

We stayed in May for a few days with our dog. We picked this place because of the reviews and we were visiting Dyersville (Field of dreams) Loren was a great host, and replied quickly to any questions we had. We loved how private we were. Although our stay was wet and cool, I would stay there again. Very thick bush. I wish we could have seen the river from camp, but it was a quick 2 minute walk to the rivers edge. Thank you Loren.

Recommends

· April 2024

Feels like country, close to town

20 ft travel trailer

Private single RV full hook up along the Iowa River. Less than 10 minutes from Iowa City. Able to walk through the woods with our dogs off leash. Will be even nicer after owner has spring time to clear off the little trails. Would stay again.

Recommends

· November 2023

20 ft campervan

Very clean comfortable site. So close to everything in Iowa City yet felt like we were completely alone. Very dark so star gazing amazing

Recommends

· October 2023

22 ft travel trailer · With pets

Private! Beautiful woods. Still close to city. We would come back again.

Recommends

· October 2023

Beautiful and peaceful!

30 ft Class A

We loved staying at the River Camp RV site! It has full hookups, picnic table, trash/recycling and a large fire ring. The land was beautiful with nice paths through the woods to the river and our dog loved that he could run around off a leash! Loren the "super host" was very friendly, helpful with any questions and we got to enjoy a wonderful conversation about the area and history of the property. We'll definitely come back on our next trip though the area! Lauren, Sascha, and Pepper

Recommends

· October 2023

36 ft Class A · With pets

Great site, short walk to the river. Nice quiet getaway. Loren was friendly and great to talk with. Recommend highly!

Recommends

· September 2023

13 ft travel trailer

Very peaceful, would come again next time we’re in the area. Super close to Iowa city if u forget anything too.

Location

Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

River Camp

Things to know

Select a site

RV-only sites

Fish Camp

Reviews

Location

Hosted by Loren S.

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