Motocamp USA

Cottonwood Recreation Area

US Army Corps of Engineers · Iowa

Cottonwood Recreation Area in Iowa. Ringed marker is this site; the other dots are the 51 public campsites we map in Iowa.

Cottonwood Recreation Area is a day-use facility located in the tailwater area below Saylorville Dam. The 26,000-acre Saylorville Lake Project stretches over 50 miles up the Des Moines River Valley. The lake provides a wide variety of recreational activities, including boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and hunting. Recreation Visitors come to Saylorville Lake for its great boating, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and swimming opportunities.

What we know about it

Managed by
US Army Corps of Engineers
Fee
Not published (the agency does not list one)
Booking
Reservation required
Dogs
Allowed on a leash (USACE policy)
Site type
RV & Tent Campground
Suits an RV
Yes
Phone
515-276-4656
Coordinates
41.69056, -93.67472

Plan the ride in, not just the night

Motocamp routes the vehicle you are actually in and picks up the road surface on the way. Download the state and it keeps working with no signal.

Start a 14-day trial

Nearest sites we map

Source: Recreation.gov, dated 2026-02-25, fetched 2026-09-07. Official listing.

All camping near Des Moines · All camping in Iowa