This campground is VERY family friendly and the owners couldn't be more helpful. The camping area is large, flat and grassy with shade available. There are 2 cabins that can be rented. The sites are huge and the area is quiet enough to hear the river running beside the campground. Canoes and kayaks are available to rent and the owners will shuttle. If you paddle the Upper Iowa River try to come out of the river in the late afternoon so you can relax at your site and watch the eagles that soar above the scenic bluff that overlooks the campground. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We found this park to be well maintained and well groomed. There is a check-in office with an attendant on duty. The interior roads are paved with gravel sites, lots of space for each site and most looked to be level. There is no water/sewer to the individual sites. There are several water stations spaced throughout the campground if needed, and the dump station is on the way out. lots of mature shade trees and plenty of grass. Located right on a trout stream and the bike trail. close to the highway so there is some road noise. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a very nice campground. It is owned and maintained by the city of Decorah. Check-in was a breeze and the lady at the desk was extremely helpful. She even offered to help me hook up my electricity. The sites are gravel and level. I had one of the pull thru sites. I had an expansive view of a wonderful lawn that ran down to the river on the curb side of the coach. My electric meter stayed in the green zone all of the time. It is a no reservation park and it fills up rather fast on Thursdays. I would definitely stay here again. I camped in a motorhome. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a nicely maintained city park. The park was well kept. The park backs to a nice, clear stream and provides for nice walking opportunities. Sites were level and electrical power was stable. There was plenty of room between sites. The restrooms and showers were reasonably clean but are not air conditioned. They left the entrance doors open, presumably to allow air flow, but this meant large amounts of flies inside the rest rooms. The location is good with easy walking or bike riding along the river, including to the popular Whippy Dip ice cream shop. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This park has a serious name issue. The official name is Pulpit Rock Campground but the receipt has the name of Decorah Campground. The park has two loops, the second loop is called Twin Creeks Campground: not Twin Creeks loop. Typical of most campgrounds in Iowa, you can move your rig onto a site and not come back until the weekend. Many of the local residents do that. Since this campground does not take reservations it would be best of arrive before Thursday night. The Pulpit Rock loop has more sites and are a bit more crowded then the Twin Creeks Campground. There is a restroom and shower in both loops. The bathroom/showers were clean and usable. Wi-Fi is available but the best reception is at the office. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. The interior roads are asphalt and the sites are on packed gravel. All sites have 30/20 amp service and the voltage was good. There are a number of pull-through sites but on the weekends they may double up on these sites. Fresh water is available near the dump stations located at both loops. Some sites overlook the river. Verizon air card had two bars with Broadband access. Verizon cell phone worked well. You can walk to the town of Decorah via the bike/walking paths. This is a very quiet park, even on the weekends. There is some freeway noise from Hwy 52 but not bad at night. We would definitely come back here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
If you are traveling any distance don't waste your time. They don't take "reservations" but many locals "store" junk campers for $8 a day on their chosen site and thus "reserve" their spots. We also found out that if someone is camping and wants your spot they can move to it and you have to move to their site because they were there before you, which just happened to us! This used to be our favorite campground and after camping here for 9 years we are fed-up. The way the campground is being run is a joke and a waste of a beautiful campground. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
It is actually Pulpit Rock Campground. Very nice campground, although near Highway 52 which can be busy. Do climb Pulpit Rock and view the flood plain to see the Thunderbird, then go to Phelps park and see it from another angle. A bike path leaves the park into Decorah. Check out the architecture of the town, especially near Phelps park. Would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Sampson Springs campground is located about 10 miles SE of Decorah on Highway 9 and 2 miles north on 133rd Avenue which is a graveled road. See their website for additional info. (Note, current online directions say the address is 2271 133rd Ave; but that is their house just down the road on the west. If you rely on your GPS, look for 2244 on the east side of 133rd). The RV sites are graveled. The 10 electric and water RV sites along the west side by the road have shade trees. It seemed a longer than usual distance to the water and electric hookups so you may need double length electric cable and water hose. The campground is in a valley surrounded by tree-lined hills and a stream runs along the north side. We were there mid-week, so the campground was not crowded and very quiet. There was very little traffic on the gravel road. There is only one shower/sink bathroom available but it is very clean. The restroom is a kybo, but it was new and also very clean with ground lights leading to it to find your way at night. Sampson Springs has no dump station. You use the city of Decorah’s dump station that has a garden hose to rinse with. The couple that owns/operates Sampson Springs were extremely friendly and accommodating. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.