SP Campsite Review – Stone State Park (Sioux City, IA)

August 24, 2010 by libertatemamo 1 Comment

We stayed at this campsite for ~4 days whilst getting some practical things done (dog to the vet, me to the dentist and such). It’s a different kind of place… 

Link to campsite here: Stone State Park, Iowa 

1. Site Quality = 1.5/5
   Very odd site setting here. There’s basically 2 big semi-circles of grass when you enter the park and that’s where the sites are (all together on a grass parking lot). There are 10 sites w/ electricity so the place does get a bonus for that, but the site spacing is very tight and you’d be hard pressed to fit everyone in if it got booked up (luckily it rarely does). The grass is uneven, gets moist and soft when wet and only 2 sites would fit a big-rig (#8 at the bottom and #12 at the top). In all other sites you’d need to park at an angle to fit or be somewhat level.
2. Facilities = 3/5
   Good, basic facilities. There’s flush and vault toilets and full showers which are not too bad. Also central potable water. No dump station, however. The park does have lots of picnic areas and rest areas, plus a very nice Nature Centre.
3. Location = 4/5
   The campground is in a decent location. It’s smack in the middle of Loess Hills and covers 1,069 acres of land in forested, rolling hills. It’s also only ~6 miles from Sioux City.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Good, pet friendly park. Almost no-one comes here so lots of space for pooch and you to roam alone. Hiking trails start right from your RV.

Overall Rating = 3.3
BONUS ALERT = Loess Hills at your doorstep 

Summary: This is a nice setting, but an odd park. It’s geared mostly towards tenters and that was quite obvious when we saw the sites. They’re on a big grass “parking lot” which gets muddy and soft when wet and isn’t really deep or level enough for most big-rigs. I think the park rangers were surprised we managed to get in, and even more surprised that we stayed for more than a day. On the plus side this is one of the least visited State Parks in Iowa so we were really (really) on our own most of the time, plus it’s set right smack in the Loess Hills with plenty of hiking trails right from your RV. Now, it was particularly buggy while we were here so that did put a damper on the experience, but at the right time of year this could be a nice stop. Just don’t expect any fancy sites and be prepared for smaller roads and a bit of a squeeze to get in. 

 Extra Info: Neither AT&T phones, nor Verizon wireless worked (no access at all). Sites cost $11/night in peak season. 30 sites total (mostly tent), 10 with electric. Potable water. No dump station.