Bob Shetler Recreation Area in IA -- Campground & RV Camping

Bob Shetler Recreation Area sits in the tailwater section below Saylorville Dam on the Des Moines River. Grassy camping areas are shaded by large mature trees and offer direct river views within walking distance of the shore. The park has 67 campsites, all equipped with electric hookups, along with flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water, and a dump station. The 24-mile paved Neal Smith Trail passes through the area for biking and walking, while a boat ramp, fishing dock, visitor center, volleyball court, and disc golf course are close by.

Getting there: From I-35, take exit 90 to Ankeny/Oralabor Road and go west for 4.8 miles. The road turns into Highway 415. Turn left onto 37th Street, then turn right onto Horseshoe Road. Turn right and drive across the Saylorville Lake Dam to the campground.

• Little separation from through roads or other sites here, a 67-site campground with the nearest through road 0.1 miles off.
• Des Moines River runs 0.1 mi off.
• Estimated night sky: Bortle 6, a suburban sky.
• Open country, with nothing named rising within 30 miles.
• Most sites here have an electric hookup.

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