Lake Keomah State Park RV & Campground Guide
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Lake Keomah State Park is a 366-acre recreation area that includes an 83-acre man-made lake. The wooded area features hiking trails and a canopy that has been the site of many happy occasions. While the lake's beach is popular during the summer, ice fishers like to set up camp here in winter. Located just west of Oskaloosa, this park is in a mostly rural area of southeastern Iowa. Ottumwa is 25 miles to the south while Rose Hill is seven miles east. Keomah Village is nestled on the eastern end of the park.
Spring 39-63 F
Summer 60-82 F
Fall 53-77 F
Winter 17-35 f
RV Resorts & Campsites in Lake Keomah State Park
The open road is more inviting when you are traveling in an RV. Plus RVers can stay at the Lake Keomah campground, which features electrical hookups, modern showers, restrooms, and a trailer dump station. If you plan on taking a camping trip and visiting Oskaloosa, consider renting your RV with RVshare.
Eveland Access Campground
Eveland Access Campground sits right on the Des Moines River about 14 miles southwest of Lake Keomah. Altogether, there are 44 campsites available for use here, and they offer drinking water and electricity. The site is set up into two sides. On the east side of Eveland Campground, there are 30-amp electric sites. On the west side of the site, you will find both 30- and 50-amp sites available for camping. Rates are $15 per night, and campers may stay up to 14 consecutive nights.
Playground
30- and 50-amp electric
Fire pit
Picnic tables
Pit toilets
Showers
Five pull-through sites
Kellogg RV Park
Located 40 miles north of Lake Keomah, Kellogg RV Park has 38 camping sites that are all pull-through. There's also a cafe on-site where locals testify that the staff makes the best burgers in the entire state of Iowa. You will want to visit here for good conversations around the fire pit, for stargazing, and for just having the chance to breathe in the fresh air as you sit in the calm of nature. Rates here are $35 per night, but for campers who hold a Good Sam’s membership, the cost is discounted and totals $31.50
Cafe
Showers
Laundry
20/30/50-amp electric sites
Water and sewer
F5 tornado shelter
What to Do at
Lake Keomah State Park
Inside Lake Keomah State Park
With the on-site reservoir, fishing and swimming are the most popular indulgences at Lake Keomah State Park. However, keep in mind that the beach unsupervised. Other things to do here include mountain biking, birdwatching, and enjoying a picnic. If you want to see Keomah Village, trek across the three-mile trail.
Outside Lake Keomah State Park
While you’re in the city of Oskaloosa, you have to explore the surroundings to see the various cultural sites and mouth-watering restaurants. The downtown area reminds you of old western-themed movies, but looks can be deceiving. It’s a thriving district with plenty to do.
Restaurants
Wanderlust
Specializing in gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, Wanderlust is a restaurant located at Penn Central Mall. Opened in 2015, this eatery has expanded to other areas in Iowa, and it’s safe to say, you’ve probably never had a loaded grilled cheese sandwich prepared the way you will at Wanderlust. Since Wanderlust is located at the mall, it’s only natural you’ll want to wander through the stores and see what else treasures may be lurking around.
Type: Fast Food
Location: 200 High Ave West, Suite 31A, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Julie’s Homestyle Café
Julie’s Homestyle Café is a quaint little cafeteria-style restaurant that serves up fresh breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It has been in operation since the year 2009, and menu offerings include burgers, pies, roast beef, and sauerkraut.
Type: Casual Dining
Location: 216 S. Market Street, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
The Brickhouse Cafe
The owners at this restaurant are very communicative with their customers through social media, even holding contests in which customers can come up with the name of new food items they have created, and the winner gets compensated with free food. This restaurant serves as both a coffeehouse and a restaurant where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served.
Type: American, Casual
Location: 212 1st Ave E, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Mi Ranchito Mexican Restaurant
The decor of Mi Ranchito Mexican Restaurant is very artistic and offers patrons a cozy environment with colorful artwork individually painted onto the back of each chair. Authentic Mexican food is served here, as well as vegetarian dishes and seafood. For special occasions, live music may be played for guests.
Type: Mexican
Location: 200 High Ave West, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
The Peppertree
For a night where you don’t want to cook, you can stop by The Peppertree. In addition to offering an extensive menu of rib-eye steaks, tilapia, and chicken dishes at the restaurant, this establishment offers homestyle meals to go. It also runs nightly specials.
Type: American
Location: 2274 Hwy 63, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Shopping
Timeless Treasures Corner
Also located inside of Penn Central Mall is Timeless Treasures Corner. Antique furniture items and toys are the items that can be found here, and the store opens at 10:00 a.m.
Location: 121 High Ave W, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Book Vault
The Book Vault is located in the downtown area of Oskaloosa. It is housed in an old historical building that has been renovated and that offers two floors of bookshelves to browse through.
Location: 105 S. Market St, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Orscheln Farm & Home
Stop by Orscheln Farm & Home when you need to pick up a battery for your boat or just want to browse the aisles and see the various fishing equipment or hunting supplies they have on hand. Additionally, they have toy ride-on tractor-trailers for the little ones.
Location: 1503 3rd Avenue, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Fins ‘N Things
Pet parents can pick up items for their furbabies or reptilian friends at Fins ‘N Things. They have a large inventory of animals, and visitors will feel as though they’re in a sort of mini-zoo when they stop by.
Location: 101 K Ave, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Whet Your Pallet
Whet Your Pallet is a discount store that sells a variety of items you would find in any thrift store, such as clothing, furniture, and hardware tools. Items are affordable, and inventory is ever-changing.
Location: 1115 S 11th St, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Sightseeing
Nelson Pioneer Farm & Museum
If you would like to learn how the pioneers lived and take part in a historical skills class, Nelson Pioneer Farm & Museum is a good place to start. It was originally the farm of the Nelson family and was sold to the county in 1942.
Location: 2211 Nelson Ln, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Chief Mahaska Statue
While you’re out in the downtown area, be sure to visit Oskaloosa Town Square. Right in the center of the square stands a statue of Chief Mahaska. Chief Mahaska was a well-respected Native American tribal leader who adopted the European settlers' lifestyle and who was determined to live in peace with them. Infighting between his tribe members contributed to his death in the year 1834.
Location: 1st Ave, Market St, High Avenue, 1st Street, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Southern Iowa Fair & Exposition Center
The Southern Iowa Fair & Exposition Center is the site of car racing in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The fairgrounds has a schedule of events that changes monthly. It is also used for trade shows and retail services so it can have the feel of a flea market depending on the time of year you visit.
Location: 615 N I St, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
University of Iowa Museum
Traveling an hour away to Iowa City is a fun little side trip you can take. Here you will find the University of Iowa Museum. The museum is one of the oldest university-based museums in the state of Iowa. Visitors can see exhibitions that cover a 500-year history and that detail Iowa’s geological and cultural backstory. Additionally, there is a section dedicated to the evolution of birds where campers will be exposed to 1000 different types of bird species and be educated on a day in the life of birds, from parenting to feeding to flight patterns.
Location: 11 Macbride Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242
Beach Ottumwa
Beach Ottumwa is a water park that features slides, sand volleyball, and a competitive pool area for people who want to spend the day by the water. It is nicknamed the beach within reach, and over 300,000 pounds of water is used to fill this waterpark with gallons of fun for visitors.
Location: 101 Church Street, Ottumawa, IA 52501
How to Get to
Lake Keomah State Park
If you’re driving on Highway 63 North, keep going straight until you reach Route 92. You'll head east on 92 until you turn right on Queen Avenue. From there, turn left on 255th Street. This will take you into the park.
Entering Lake Keomah State Park
Lake Keomah State Park is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Lake Keomah State Park Per person : $0.0
Oskaloosa, Iowa, is a city that contains many hidden little gems that complement the time you will spend camping at and around Lake Keomah State Park. At RVshare, we want to know about your journey. Please tag us on social media and remember to send your stories and photos to [email protected] Enjoy your trip!
Frequently Asked Questions About Lake Keomah State Park
For visitors who enjoy the water, summer is a great time to visit Lake Keomah State Park. People also find winter to be an excellent time to visit and get in some ice fishing.
Lake Keomah State Park has four seasons, with summer temperatures around the low 80s. Spring is cooler, with highs in the 60s. Fall temperatures range from 53-77 degrees Fahrenheit and winters are cold with temps between 17 and 35 degrees.
Lake Keomah State Park in Iowa has many common forest animals, such as squirrels, deer, foxes, coyotes, and bobcats. While exploring the park, you might also see turtles, bullfrogs, snakes, and lizards.
At this state park, there are 65 camping sites for RVing and tent camping. The campground only supports electrical hookups. There aren't water or sewer hookups. However, the campground does have a dump station for trailers.
A fourth of Lake Keomah State Park campsites are first-come, first-serve. However, the remaining are available for advanced recommendations. You'll need to make reservations using the park's reservation system and put in your dates to get pricing.