Walnut Woods State Park Campground, near West Des Moines, Iowa, is a cozy spot that offers a blend of nature and convenience just a short drive from the city. With its wooded surroundings, visitors can enjoy plenty of shade and a peaceful atmosphere, making it a great escape for both tent campers and RV enthusiasts.
The campground features paved, mostly level sites equipped with picnic tables and fire rings, perfect for evening gatherings. Many campers appreciate the availability of electric hookups, and some sites even offer water and sewer connections. As one visitor noted, “The pad was a little small but fit our camper fine,” highlighting the practicality of the setup.
For those looking to stretch their legs, there are hiking trails nearby that meander along the Raccoon River, providing a scenic backdrop for outdoor adventures. While some trails can get muddy, the natural beauty of the area is a big draw. Plus, the campground is pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friends along for the fun.
Though the campground is on the smaller side, it’s well-maintained and offers essential amenities like clean bathrooms and trash disposal. Visitors have remarked on the friendly vibe and the opportunity to connect with fellow campers, making Walnut Woods a solid choice for a weekend getaway or a longer stay.
Read More SubmittedWalnut Woods State Park Campground is located in Iowa
From Iowa Hwy.5 take exit 102 and follow signs to Walnut Woods. From Interstate 35 take exit 68(IA Hwy 5) then exit 102 and follow signs to Walnut Woods.
Copy Directions8951 SW 52nd Avenue
West Des Moines , IA 50265
41.5380005 N
93.7470004 W
Get reservations at sold-out campgrounds.
Scout
Reviewed Sep. 16, 2023We stayed 2 nights, the park was nice and well maintained with walking trails. It is wooded so there is a lot of shade. The pad was a little small but fit our camper fine.
Read More Submitted Month of Visit October Share Report
Legend
Reviewed Jun. 14, 2022Walnut Woods is conveniently located 25 minutes outside of downtown Des Moines. Sites are paved and mostly level, although we did have to throw a couple of blocks under one side of our TT tires. Most sites feature 20/30/50 electric, a fire ring and a picnic table. Some also have water and sewer hookups. Sites are relatively small and close together, so get comfortable looking into your neighbors’ site/camper depending on how your site is oriented. The road around the campground is paved, but very narrow. We had to ask our neighbor across the street to temporarily move their tow vehicle so that we’d have adequate room to back into our site.
There is a bathroom, trash dumpsters, and a dump station with both potable and tank cleanout water spigots. There are trail heads near the campground that follow along the raccoon river for almost 2 miles. It was very muddy when we camped here, so we had to turn around about 1.5 miles into our hike and backtrack due to an impassible area.
3 bars of T-Mobile and 2 bars of AT&T were more than sufficient for internet browsing and streaming.
Read More Submitted Month of Visit July
Guide
Reviewed May. 8, 2022We spent two nights here. All sites have a concrete pad, but not al concrete pads are created equal. Ours was smallest which didn’t allow for a lot of room to avoid muddy areas of grass even with our tiny camper. The campground is very small, but clean and well taken care of. The bathrooms were modern and clean. Some sites have full hookups, ours had only electrical. Potable water was close by though. If we were to go back, we would try to get a site with a bigger concrete pad. Site 14 wasn’t big enough. There was a trail nearby, but it was too muddy. Overall the price was worth the nice clean two nights stay.
Read More Submitted Month of Visit June
Traveler
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2021It is a very small camp but all site have a concert slab. Dump station can use some work, have watched may rig almost wipe oit the side of their unit
Read More Submitted Month of Visit September Share Report
Traveler
Reviewed Nov. 26, 2020Awesome site for campers. Very nice pass with table and fire pit. Utilities were top notch!
Read More Submitted Share Report
Scout
Reviewed Oct. 4, 2020My family and I are new to the RV World. We are currently renting a Class A Motorhome(33ft; double slide) and traveling to the 48 contiguous states. Our trip originated in Columbus, OH(our home), and we made our way to Des Moines for our fourth-night stay. We arrived after dark, and it was difficult to locate our site. It was also a tight, back-in spot, which added to the complexity; however, once we found the site, the hook-ups were in good shape and easy to use. If you are looking for a reasonably-priced site in the woods, this is an excellent place for you with basic amenities!
Read More Submitted Month of Visit November Share Report
Traveler
Reviewed Mar. 4, 2020Beautiful river access and camping in the trees. However the mosquitos get crazy here!
Read More Submitted Share Report
Guide
Reviewed Dec. 16, 2018Full service flat sites!!
Read More Submitted
Guide
Reviewed Jul. 31, 2018The campground is a nice area. Campsites are not very secluded. They have some nice hiking trails through the woods and along the river. I was hoping the trails would be longer but they are still nice. Dogs are welcome, but they must be on a leash. If I remember correctly they had a nice outdoor bird viewing building. They also have some nice picnic areas through out the park as well.
Read More Submitted Share Report
Guide
Reviewed Jul. 3, 2018Always full. Floods with lots of rain but still great. No showers.
Read More Submitted Month of Visit August
Legend
Reviewed Jul. 20, 2017This is a beautiful State Park on the southwest side of the Des Moines metro. It is hidden from most of suburbia but very close to shopping, movies, restaurants, and the Des Moines night life.
It is also a perfect place to escape all of those things and enjoy the huge walnut trees, green grass, and trails.
The campground is clean but it is very small with very few amenities. Most of the campers had small RVs or camper trailers, but there were a few tents. This would be rated higher if it had larger facilities.
All in all, this is a nice park to get away from the suburbs or enjoy them. It's up to you.
Read More Submitted
Guide
Reviewed Mar. 15, 2017This is a nice little campground. Its sits on the Raccoon River and has good catfishing. Nice trail that is aproximately 1.5 miles long that goes along the river. Its very clean and well kept. There is a pkayground that is a little ways from the campground. There is a modern bathroom also.
Read More Submitted Share Report
Legend
Reviewed Jul. 25, 2016We just did a day trip here with families who have a bunch of kids. Great park for kids and they loved floating down the river. We did a fun short hike as well. We checked out the camping situation for our next visit to Des Moines and decided a park a bit further away was worth a more secluded camping experience. Sites were not secluded and not very exciting plus they seemed very set up for an RV experience not so much tent camping. The bathrooms look pretty nice though. Definitely a nice place to spend a few hours, but the campground leaves something to be desired for me.
Read More Submitted Share Report
Legend
Reviewed Jul. 25, 2016the land they have is substantial. There's a boat camp, a bird watching area, a playground, plany of park space with picnic tables and BBQ pits, hiking and biking trails, and even a lodge that I assume can be rented for events. There are roughly 25 campsites, and I recommend a reservation ahead of time. I camped on a Monday in late July and there were only 4 sites not reserved when I arrived. There are electrical and full hook up options. If you just car camp and don't need electric, unfortunately there is no lower price for tent-only camping. Translation: tent campers pay electric hook up prices. Enjoy charging your phone? If you have a dog, walking the grounds would be a good time. There's a lot to check out here and with the bike trails, bringing a bike to check out the area and surrounding lakes could be fun.
Read More Submitted
