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Saylorville Lake - COE/Acorn Valley

Saylorville Lake is a reservoir located in central Iowa, just north of the city of Des Moines. It is part of the Des Moines River watershed and is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The lake was created in the late 1970s to provide flood control and recreational opportunities for the area. The lake is located in Polk County, with the majority of the lake located in the city of Johnston. The lake is surrounded by the Saylorville Lake Wildlife Management Area, which includes the Coe Acorn Valley area. This area is a popular spot for fishing, camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities.

Amenities

- Recreational Facilities

• Lake
• Swimming
• Fishing
• Ramp
• Boat Marina
• Body Of Water (Saylorville Lake)
• Playground
• Kayaking/Canoeing
• Watersports

- Policies

• Pets Welcome
• Day Max Stay (14)
• Tent Camping Allowed

- Other Amenities & Services

• Restroom and Showers

- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)

• Fishing
• Hiking
• Boating
• Kayaking/Canoeing
• Mountain Biking

- Facility

• Type (Public Corps)
• Partial Handicap Access

- Hunting Nearby (within 20 miles)

• Season: Winter,Fall

- On-Site Rentals

• 

- Sites

• Spaces Available (29)
• Gravel Sites (29)
• 30 Amp
• 50 Amp
• Water (2)
• Electric (29)
• Max Amps (50)
• Fire Rings

User Reviews

Matt

October 02, 2025

It's a decent campground close to the metro. Seems to be fairly well cared for. Playground is fun for the kids. No real trails connected to the site other than a really small path around the pond or patch of goldenrod to walk around. We took the road down to the water. Not a very clear path (overgrown) down to the shore from the end of the road, but the shore was fun to skip rocks, find shells and do a little fishing. Some people were nightfishing for catfish. We caught a drum in the morning. There was a pretty loud group after quiet hours for some time and I never heard or saw the park host talk with them. Kids yelling on the playground until 1030 and then a loud movie on an outdoor projector after that. We didn't get a great sleep and it took away from the experience of camping and getting away to the outdoors.

Sean Smith

August 30, 2024

Nice place, booked last minute only $24. Electric hookup, nice bathroom/shower house. Some Parking spots are nestled into the woods and flat. Did the reservation online.

Colleen Duncan

June 19, 2024

Well kept park, beautiful trees, showers batrooms are in good condition. Nice metal picnic tables & fire rings at each site. There is a really large group camping area with covered pavilions. More tent camping available than RV sites with electric. But potable water is available at one end of dump station. Nice area - bear in mind there really is no access to Saylorville lake, but some of the tent sites do overlook the lake.

Precision Insulation and Coatings

June 25, 2022

This is a great campground. We like going here because it’s an alcohol free campground. No late night loud parties. This is a clean place. They have camping for tents and RV hook ups. The bathrooms and showers are well kept. There are places to fish around the campgrounds, and parks for the kids throughout. There are dumpsters for trash, you bring your own trash bags and utilize the dumpsters. It’s a beautiful quiet campground. Handicap accessible.

Mary Murtaugh

November 28, 2021

Secluded, clean, peaceful place! Large sites for groups. Bathhouse was clean. A volunteer puts reservation cards on posts, we didn’t have one. He showed up on day 2 with it. Snuck up behind me and frightened me. Other than that episode it was a wonderful time.

RV LIFE Trip Wizard
Map for Saylorville Lake - COE/Acorn Valley

Contact information