Acorn Valley in IA -- Campground & RV Camping

Acorn Valley Campground covers 26 acres on the edge of an upland bur oak stand along Saylorville Lake. The facility provides 29 family sites with electric hookups, 54 primitive walk-to tent sites, and two group tent areas, including a dedicated youth group loop. On-site amenities include flush toilets, showers, drinking water, and a dump station. The paved 24-mile Neal Smith Trail runs right by camp for biking and walking, while nearby facilities offer boat ramps, a marina, and fishing access for walleye, bass, and catfish on the 26,000-acre reservoir.

Getting there: From I-35/80 north of Des Moines, Iowa, take exit 131 toward Johnston/Saylorville Lake. Turn north on Merle Hay Road and continue for 2.8 miles. At the four-way stop, turn left on Northwest Beaver Drive and continue for 3.7 miles. Turn right onto Northwest Coryden Drive and follow signs into the campground.

• Little separation from through roads or other sites here, a 91-site campground with the nearest through road 0.1 miles off.
• Estimated night sky: Bortle 5, a rural sky with a glow on the horizon.
• Open country, with nothing named rising within 30 miles.
• 1 hike-in site, with one on the water and most of them shaded.