Lake Macbride State Park
Lake Macbride State Park things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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We camped at the primitive (south) campground this weekend. There are beautiful trails, a bazillion places to fish, boat, hike, picnic, and nature-watch. The bathrooms at our campsite were decent (although no showers). There is free firewood for registered campers (we had no idea, and had already gone out to purchase some in Solon, until we were driving around to find a better site for next time and saw a tiny sign on a wooden structure kind of tucked away at the northern part of the primitive campground). There was nobody at the campground, that we found, to answer any questions or check in and we discovered that the boat rental place was actually closed for the season (check their Facebook page instead of Google, cause we had erroneously planned on some boat activities and realized we were ill informed). We had chosen a site next to the lake, but had a constant stream of people walking in and around our site to go to the lake, bathroom, trails, and playground. Day and night we had no "bubble" of space. They would walk within a foot or two of all our stuff and often were speaking very loudly and (when dark) flashing lights at our tent. We also had to listen to loud music all day and until around 11PM, dogs barking non-stop, kids yelling from the lake/park back to their site, kids gatekeeping the bathroom, etc. While all this is "normal" and camping is a mixed bag... it really was amplified by the way the campground is laid out and the site we chose. Highly recommend tucking yourself in the northern area of the primitive campground vs the southern area. The sound is buffered better with trees, there's less traipsing through your site, and a bit more privacy (although not by much). Overall a beautiful area with lots to do (more in the obsession, but still plenty without the boating or camp office) and a mixed bag of possible human obstacles that can help you master your patience.
Christa
10
Great Camping, Fishing, & Rec This is my family's favorite place top camp in Iowa. the campground (primitive) is clean, big, and close to fun stuff, the fishing is pretty good, and the recreation options here are unbeatable CAMPING - we tent camped in the primitive campground. the best lots here are 57 and 56 IMO. they are right next to the lake, the closest to the water-flush bathrooms & playground, the flattest, and both have shade trees. the other sites on the primitive campground lot go up the hill away from the lake, the further you go up, the more shade you'll get. the campground was really busy when we arrived on Sunday and thinned out into the week. FISHING - my kids had a good time catching bluegill, crapie, and even walleye. We fished from the shore. we caught 10 walleye over 2 days, but they were all in the 8-12 inch range. we put them back into the water for you, good time with largemouth as well. My family does not catfish, but we saw some really nice channel cats get pulled out (>24") while we were hunting walleyes RECREATION - the rec options here are unbeatable. the waterfall/spillway is the highlight. It is situated between two cool bluffs, you can safely walk around in the rushing water and climb up and down the fall (be sure to bring water shoes/sandals) some of the pools in the falls were 2.5' deep and fun for my kids to splash around in. My boys (8 & 6) played there for 3 hours and had a blast. There is cliff jumping on the opposite side of the bluff (towards the macbride side of the dam) from the waterfall, we saw people going off a 15' ledge, it looked like a blast. The beach here is sandy and clean. the swimming area is basically sea-weed free and sandy bottom (not mucky). there is alot of watercraft to chose from at the rental concession which is right next to the beach. this is a fantastic spot to spend a few days
Joel Nielsen
00
Where do I start? First it’s very confusing to even find your campground! The park is large, using GPS is NOT the way to get there either! We drove to the wrong place and found a sign that gave “semi”specific and still incorrect directions. We finally arrived to find a shady spot but were concerned about getting our in our departure as there was only a very small turn around for RV’s! Not much information on site and we couldn’t even find the camp host if there was one. Our site was VERY un-level and even with our sophisticated auto leveling system on our 5th wheel our tires came off the ground on one side to level the rig. Quiet place, electric and water were in good working order. I would NOT recommend for large rigs. We have a 40 ft 5th wheel and my spouse is an excellent driver with phenomenal backup skills. Sites are not for the novice due to turning radius to leave. Reservation system stated site was ok for 40 (which it was) but there should be a warning that they have a small turn radius to leave area!
Grandma Cece
30
The campsites were well taken care of and firewood was nearby due to trees having been cut down and the emerald ash beetle being in the state of Iowa. There are places to hike and bike ride as well. Walking along the spillway there are wonderful views and what's even cooler is the part of Iowa this park is in has a plethora of fossils to find! Make sure not to take any since it's illegal but it's still a fun activity to look for them and take pictures. The only downside is the first half of April the water is off in the indoor bathrooms and showers are off so you have to find the nearest porta-john either at the bottom rental or the boat docks
Luna SilverWolf
10
Definitely one of the most accessible and well maintained lakeside walking trails I've had the privilege of exploring. Plenty of splendid scenes to see, with places to stroll or lightly hike, and enough shade or sun for any casual hiking preference. The water spreads restful without any real waves or current, so it made kayaking an altogether leisurely experience. Nothing too exciting, since you have to stop at the falls, but still worth it if you're seeking out a gentler occasion. The falls themselves are gentler still, making it a fairly tame place to meander and enjoy the sounds of water. Thank you Iowa, I had a time and a half.
Elliott Yu
00
Great area to enjoy the sounds and scents of summer. Fun fishing off the fishing pier. Clean restrooms. A little piece of heaven here on earth.
Donovan S. (Dono, Donny, Big D, D)
00
Nearby Attractions Of Lake Macbride State Park
Lake MacBride Beach
Lake MacBride
Osprey Trailhead

Lake MacBride Beach
4.6
(161)
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Lake MacBride
4.7
(78)
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Osprey Trailhead
4.5
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Basic Info
Address
3525 Hwy 382 NE, Solon, IA 52333
Map
Phone
(319) 624-2200
Call
Website
iowadnr.gov
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.6
(950 reviews)
Ratings & Description
outdoor
adventure
family friendly
pet friendly
Description
Lake Macbride State Park is a 2,180-acre state park in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, located near the city of Solon. The park is composed of two units centered on the 900-acre Lake Macbride. Both the park and the lake are named for Iowa conservationist Thomas Huston Macbride.
attractions: Lake MacBride Beach, Lake MacBride, Osprey Trailhead, restaurants:
