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4.5
36 votes

Bob Shetler Campground

5600 NW 78th Ave, Johnston, Iowa 50131-1941 USA

Open Now
Fri 7:30a-4p
  • Independent
  • Credit Cards
    Accepted
  • Pet Friendly
  • Not Wheelchair
    Accessible
  • Public
    Restrooms
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It is located below the Saylorville Lake dam and features two portions of the campground on either of the river channel and the main campground along the dam. Amenities include; drinking water, dump station at entrance station, electric, 1 handicap accessible paved campsite (w/water), flush toilets, showers, playgrounds, telephone (pay), easy access to Neal Smith Bike Trail.

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Reviews of Bob Shetler Campground

10 people have reviewed this location

Ratings Summary

4.1 Access
4.2 Location
4.8 Cleanliness
4.2 Site Quality
4.5 Noise

Cell Coverage

Verizon 4G

Confirmed by 7 users | Last reported on September 07, 2022

AT&T 4G

Confirmed by 2 users | Last reported on August 23, 2018

T-Mobile 4G/5G

Confirmed by 2 users | Last reported on August 19, 2019
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Reviewed by
Cejones

  • 33 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
February 16, 2017
Rated

We stayed here due to Prairie Flower being totally booked. We were pleasantly surprised as how well we liked it. Sites were decently spaced. Bathrooms were clean and well kept. Bob Shetler Campground sits below the damn and during our time here the lake was very full and they were releasing water. Many people from the city seemed to come watch the water so it made for a very busy park. A lot of gawkers.
The sites were level and fairly easy to back into but having the sites laid out a bit differently would have helped. We saw others with longer trailers struggle a bit just due to the 90 degree angle. Our short Airstream didn't hurt for our ease of backing in, not so sure we wouldn't have been a bit frustrated with our fifth wheel. Access to the dump wasn't too bad but not the easiest we have seen. Electricity worked fine even during extremely hot days.
This isn't your "out in nature" spot but if you want something close to the city, it isn't bad. Traffic noise at night was low.

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Cejones would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $10.00

Days Stayed: 8

Site Number: 64

3 Access
3 Location
4 Cleanliness
3 Site Quality
3 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

Photo of Campendium

Reviewed by
Campendium

August 14, 2017
Rated

We had wanted to try a COE campground and Bob Shetler Recreation Area was a beautiful place. Very clean. Staff was very friendly and explained how COE's operate. We got the 50% discount for the the America the Beautiful senior pass. Site 15 was concrete pad with fire ring. Next to the river and view of the dam. Took the scooter out and drove across dam and got great pics. Stopped by the boat launch which was very busy and checked out the lake.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $10.00

Days Stayed: 1

Site Number: 15

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
4 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

AT&T 4G

  • 34 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
August 23, 2018
Rated

Saylorville Lake provides a lot of water activities including fishing, water skiing, and boating. Neal Smith bike trail is 1 mile down the road and winds through the shore of Saylorville Lake. The site was decent and plenty of room.

Verizon and AT&T worked well with 10 mg/s up and down and T-Mobile was not usable.

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Andy & Wendy Hull would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 1

Site Number: 67

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

AT&T 4G

T-Mobile 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

May 21, 2019
Rated

Located on Saylorville Lake, Bob Shetler Campground is a Corp of Engineers park is nicely spaced and sites are very level. We were in the first section (before the spillway), but you still need to go to the other side of the park to check in; there is plenty of space to turn around.

We were camped on the lower, smaller section and literally right on the river, just below the dam's spillway. If you like to fish, this is an excellent park. Although its out in the woods, the location is very convenient to the down town area. There are lots of trees and, yet, our DirecTV sat grabbed a signal right away.

Johnston is a small suburb of Des Moines. The Bridges of Madison County was filmed about 25 minutes from here and the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage sites are everywhere to explore.

Note, the $10 nightly fee reflects our America The Beautiful National Park Pass discount.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $10.00

Days Stayed: 2

Site Number: 5

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

June 08, 2019
Rated

Loved staying there! Our site 14 backed to the water the view was amazing.
The sound of the waters at night is enchanting!
No water or sewer just electric but the view form our site made it up for it!
Great phone signals

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $22.00

Days Stayed: 1

Site Number: 14

3 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise

Reviewed by
kawm3843

  • 9 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
July 20, 2019
Rated

We only stayed one night due to our limited time but this place has so much to offer. Nice sites and our 45’ Motorhome did very well. Discount applies because we have the park pass. Although the $20 rate was a deal, too.

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Nightly Rate: $11.00

Days Stayed: 1

Site Number: 13

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

August 19, 2019
Rated

This was our first engineer corps reservation/stay. The campsites were clean, fairly flat, and evenly spaced out. Depending on the site, some offer shade others sit in the sun. Plenty of space to walk our dog. Easy to complete the walk-up registration process and select a spot. Being in the valley below the damn, road noise from above could be loud at times.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 1

Site Number: 30

5 Access
4 Location
5 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
4 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

T-Mobile

Reviewed by
Cejones

  • 33 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
August 16, 2020
Rated

We stayed here six years ago and this last weekend was our most recent. We stayed in a different loop this time which was right by the public area for fishing at the spillway. Our site was great. One of only three pull throughs but because of its location I cannot rate it higher this time. The campers behind us all had lots of visitors and partied late. One had another class B pull into their site and stay the night and ran their generator for hours in the afternoon and again in the morning and it was LOUD.
As far as the site it was extremely spacious, in fact huge! Nice wide concrete pad with picnic table and fire pit. It was level and the electrical hookup was in a good location.

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Cejones would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $12.00

Days Stayed: 1

Site Number: 16

4 Access
3 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

September 03, 2020
Rated

Very well maintained campground! Fairly level, gravel parking pads and sites came with water+electric hookup.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 1

Site Number: 37

3 Access
3 Location
5 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

  • 62 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
September 07, 2022
Rated

The campground has three sections all below the dam. You must have reservations. This area of Lake Saylorville is very, very busy on the weekends with many people picnicking and fishing next to the spillway with others traveling park roads. The East campground next to the spillway has concrete pads. It's tight getting in this little loop because of tree branches and the approach getting through the gate. Big rigs take it wide by going in the grass at the entrance or the branches will get you. Spot #19 is a pull thru, 50 amp, on the inside of the loop at the end of the row. I picked up one satellite with Dish.  I recommend spot #20 which is on the end and backs in next to the spillway. It has the most green space, the most privacy, farthest from the day use areas and should be good for satellites. If you are not self contained, I would not stay in either campground next to the spillway on the weekend. I would stay in the large loop away from the spillway where the bathrooms get significantly less use. One last thing, a lot of fish were getting caught in the spillway.

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roadtripper507329 would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $22.00

Days Stayed: 1

Site Number: 19

3 Access
4 Location
4 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
4 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

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Bob Shetler Campground

5600 NW 78th Ave
Johnston, Iowa
50131-1941 USA
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Hours

Open now until 4:00 pm
  • Mon - Fri: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm

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  • Unavailable
    Parking
  • Check
    Pets Allowed
  • Check
    Restrooms
  • Unknown
    Wifi
  • Unavailable
    Wheelchair Accessible
  • Check
    Credit Cards Accepted
Affiliation
Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE)
Back In RV Sites Count
20
Last Nightly Rate
10.0
Longest Vehicle Length Reported
40.0
Lowest Nightly Rate
10.0
Max Length
55ft
Max Stay
14
Sites Count
67
  • Unavailable
    Paved Sites
  • Unavailable
    Fifty Amp
  • Unavailable
    Full Hookup
  • Unavailable
    Pull Through
  • Check
    Tent Sites
  • Check
    Dump Station
  • Check
    Big Rigs
  • Unavailable
    Open Seasonally
  • Unavailable
    Age Restricted
  • Check
    Back In RV Sites
  • Unavailable
    Boondock
  • Unavailable
    Cabin Sites
  • Unavailable
    Dispersed Sites
  • Unavailable
    Firewood
  • Unavailable
    Fulltime Residents
  • Unavailable
    Group Tent Sites
  • Unavailable
    Laundry
  • Unavailable
    Mobile Homes
  • Unavailable
    Permit Required
  • Check
    Potable Water
  • Unavailable
    Propane
  • Check
    Public Water
  • Unavailable
    Pull Through RV Sites
  • Check
    Reservations
  • Unavailable
    Sewer Hookup
  • Check
    Showers
  • Check
    Sites
  • Check
    Standard Tent Sites
  • Unavailable
    Vehicle Wash Permitted
  • Unavailable
    Water Hookup
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