Iowa / Polk County / Johnston

Bob Shetler Recreation Area

Closed — Closed for the season. Reopens May 1, 2025. Reservations available up to 6 months in advance through Recreation.gov. Camping limited to 14 consecutive nights per 30-day period.

About

Bob Shetler Recreation Area is an Army Corps of Engineers campground located in the tailwater area below the 26,000-acre Saylorville Lake Project along the Des Moines River Valley. The campground features 67 camping sites, all with electric hookups, situated on open grassy areas dotted with large shade trees. Most campsites are within easy walking distance of the river shore and offer excellent views of the Des Moines River. The campground provides full amenities including flush and pit toilets, hot showers, drinking water, and a dump station. Nearby facilities include a visitor center, volleyball courts, disc golf course, boat ramps, and an accessible fishing dock. The paved Neal Smith Trail, a designated National Recreation Trail, runs for 24 miles from Des Moines to Big Creek State Park and connects the campgrounds on the east side of the lake, providing excellent opportunities for biking, hiking, jogging, and in-line skating. The tailwater location below Saylorville Dam makes this campground especially popular with anglers targeting walleye, wiper, largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, and northern pike. The broader Saylorville Lake area offers boating, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing, and swimming. Wildlife is abundant throughout the project area, with white-tailed deer, turkeys, waterfowl, and other small game animals commonly spotted around the lake and campground.

Directions

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.

Nearby Campgrounds