SP Campground Rating – Waubonsie State Park (Sidney, IA)

August 29, 2010 by libertatemamo 2 Comments

1. Site Quality = 4.5/5
   The sites here are nice. Very long, flat hard-gravel back-ins with picnic table, grill/fire-pit and nicely trimmed grass. Half of the sites are available with electric and there’s a nice spattering of shade trees. Good separation between campers as well.
2. Facilities = 4/5
   Very decent facilities here. There’s vault/flush toilets, showers and on-site water and dump station. Around the park there’s also lots of picnic sites and rest areas.
3. Location = 3/5
   This park is in a great natural location to explore the Loess Hills, but is a bit “out there” otherwise with mostly farmland around the hills. There’s 2,000 acres of natural habitat, hiking trails, a large lake for fishing and great views from the top of some of the hills. Nearest small town is Sidney, 6 miles north.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Great, pet friendly park. Lots of space for pooch to roam and hike.

Overall Rating = 4.1
BONUS ALERT = Walk in the footsteps of Lewis & Clark and the Loess Hills  

Summary: This turned out to be a great little stop-over for us on our way to Missouri. We’d heard from others that Iowa has lovely State Parks and this one confirmed it. It’s a beautiful setting, right smack in the Loess Hills and on the Lewis and Clark Historical Trail. It has a with a nice selection (7 miles) of hiking trails, some equestrian trails and even a fishing lake. The sites themselves were spacious and comfortable and had the bonus of electric hook-ups. However there’s not much else out here. So, a great little stop for exploring a corner of the Loess Hills, but probably not a long-term visit.  

 Extra Info: AT&T cellphones and Verizon wireless card worked (just barely!) here. Selection of reservable and electric sites. Central dump and potable water.  Electric sites cost $16/night in summer, $11/night in off-season.