Dakins Lake Park and Campground: Quiet, Family-Friendly Retreat Near Zearing, IA

110 reviews

70613 130th St, Zearing, IA 50278, USA
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Hours

Monday, 5:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Tuesday, 5:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Wednesday, 5:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Thursday, 5:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Friday, 5:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Saturday, 5:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Sunday, 5:00 AM - 10:30 PM

Dakins Lake Park and Campground Introduce

Dakins Lake Park and Campground, located near Zearing, Iowa, USA, provides a quiet and family-friendly camping experience. As part of the Campgrounds & RV Parks category, this park is praised for its clean facilities, spacious campsites, and recreational amenities.

Dakins Lake Park and Campground offers the following features and services:

Spacious and Level Campsites: The main camping area features spacious, level campsites with fire rings and tables.
Clean Restrooms and Showers: The shower house/restrooms are clean, with spacious stalls and family bathrooms available.
Well-Maintained Trails: Gravel trails are well-maintained with benches, offering opportunities for hiking and nature walks.
Playground: A playground is available, suitable for children and handicap accessible.
Pavilion Rental: A lovely pavilion is available for rent for events.
Fishing Amenities: Jetties and docks are provided for fishing, and a boat ramp is available for small boats.
Kayak Rentals: Kayaks are available for rent, with a designated area for launching.
Quiet and Rural Atmosphere: The park offers a very quiet and rural camping experience, despite its proximity to Zearing.
Proximity to Ames: The park is a quick drive to Ames, making it a convenient alternative to motel stays.
Fishing: The lake is stocked with bluegill, bass, and walleye.

However, it is important to be aware of the following potential challenges:

Lack of Shade: The main camping area currently lacks mature trees, resulting in limited shade.
Limited Shower Adjustments: The showers have push-button water control with no adjustments for temperature, pressure, or direction.
Limited Sink Space: The shower house has only one sink and no counter space with outlets.
Off-Trail Walking: The area is not suitable for off-trail walking due to thick prairie grasses and wildflowers.

Guests have consistently praised Dakins Lake Park and Campground for its quiet atmosphere, clean facilities, and recreational amenities. The spacious campsites and well-maintained trails make it a comfortable and enjoyable place to stay. The availability of fishing, kayaking, and a playground adds to the park's appeal. The convenient location near Ames makes it a practical choice for visitors. However, potential visitors should be aware of the lack of shade in the main camping area and the limited shower adjustments.

Dakins Lake Park and Campground is ideal for families, couples, and individuals seeking a quiet, rural camping experience with recreational activities near Zearing, IA. It is particularly suitable for those who enjoy fishing, kayaking, and hiking. The clean facilities and spacious campsites make it a comfortable and enjoyable place to stay. Visitors should be prepared for the lack of shade and limited shower adjustments.

For inquiries, you can contact Dakins Lake Park and Campground at:

Address: 70613 130th St, Zearing, IA 50278, USA

Location

Customer Reviews

4.0

110 reviews

Shannah Armstrong

Aug 06, 2024

Nice, quiet campground. The main camping area is all relatively new. Spacious, level campsites with nice fire rings and tables. The main campground does not have mature trees at this time, so the sites are not shaded. They have planted lots of trees, so in the future, it will be. The east campground I saw when walking the trail. It looked like it did have lots of mature trees there. Showerhouse/ restrooms are clean. They have push-button water control in the showers that do not have any adjustments for temperature, pressure, or direction. Pressure was pretty strong, and the water temperature was nice. Stalls were spacious and had benches in them. The only complaint was that there was only 1 sink and no counter space with outlets to do things like blow dry your hair and such. There are family bathrooms available. The trails are gravel and well maintained, with benches available at various locations. The area is thick prairie grasses and wildflowers. It's not good for walking off trail. I enjoyed looking at all the beautiful grasses, flowers, and wildlife that this habitat offers. There are nice amenities available that make it family and fishing friendly. The playground is something the kids would definitely enjoy. I believe it is also handicap friendly. There is a lovely pavilion available to rent for events. There are jetties and docks for fishing. A boat ramp for putting in small boats. Also available are kayaks to rent and a special area set up for getting them into the water. Even though this 20-acre lake is located next to the small town of Zearing, Iowa, it is very quiet and makes for a wonderful, rural camping experience that is very family friendly. One reason we chose to stay at this campground is that it is close to Ames. It was a quick drive there so we could visit our daughter and a lot cheaper than renting a motel room for 2 nights. We will definitely visit this campground again, and the next time, we will take advantage of the kayaks and fishing.

Andy Frey

May 12, 2024

Great little County park for a close to home getaway. Nice path around the lake to walk. I've never reeled in a lunker here but always caught something. The camping facilities are nice as well. Update on fishing 🎣 5/12/24. Fly Fishing...lots of bluegill, some bass and one walleye this weekend.

Shelly Richardson

Jun 06, 2023

A great place to fish, picnic, camp, or just relax. The “lake” Is small but clean. Some good fishing!! 🐟 The full service camping area is new so not a lot of shade established. The primitive camping area has a lot of trees and shade.

Carol Vincent

Sep 18, 2022

Very nice campground. So peaceful and I love how the campsites are positioned. So spacious, and you feel like you have your own private spot. The lake is nice too and the path to walk around it is really wide and great for walking.

Jake /Dash Of Madness/ Andrew/ since 2011

Feb 11, 2025

Sat out on the tailgate and played so.e guitar! Very peaceful!