Cherry Glen Campground

About

Cherry Glen is the oldest and most popular campground on Saylorville Lake, nestled on a wooded 13-acre ridge above the Des Moines River Valley. The 26,000-acre Army Corps of Engineers reservoir offers excellent fishing for walleye, wiper, largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, and northern pike, along with boating, sailing, water skiing, and swimming. All 125 family sites are Standard Electric with 50-amp service and gravel back-in driveways accommodating RVs and trailers up to 40 feet. Each site allows up to 8 occupants with either 3 tents or 1 RV plus 2 tents. Campfires are permitted and gathering fallen deadwood is allowed. The campground has flush restrooms, hot showers, potable water, a dump station, playgrounds, group shelters, and a boat ramp. The paved 24-mile Neal Smith Trail, a designated National Recreation Trail, connects Cherry Glen to Big Creek State Park and downtown Des Moines, ideal for biking, jogging, and inline skating. White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and waterfowl are commonly spotted throughout the project lands.

Directions

From I-35, take exit 90 to Ankeny Industrial Parkway. Continue onto Highway 160 west for 4.8 miles. The road turns into Highway 415. Continue for another 4 miles and follow signs into the campground.