Rock Creek State Park — Attraction in Grinnell

TLDR; Camo is clean and well staffed but a lot of misses (most of which is out of their control) can make or break the experience.

We camped there for seven days total leading up to the fourth of July. The weekend prior was the usual rush of campers rolling in Thursday Friday night and you could tell most of them were regulars. It was a little busy but normal for a popular park. Monday rolled around and it was just us and a handful of other campers. The park was clean and maintenance crews were doing a good job of keeping things trimmed up while still respecting our spaces. The lake was clean even with a lot of traffic but the fishing wasn't the best. Pro Tip from the locals go before the sun comes up or head out while it's raining for some good hits. The campground itself appears to have some recent improvement in both the lots as well as the addition of the new showers house at the top of the hill.our only complaint is the rows lacked any signage telling which row your site was in and being only one lane wide they should be marked for one way and aren't. The lack of signs led to a lot of traffic through grass and off roadways to get by oncoming traffic Now the stuff outside of their control. Lack of data service and weather radio coverage was spotty at best. We had a couple good size storms roll up on us with very little information available. Also the holiday campers and their kids are disgusting individuals with little regard for other people. The park was quick to clean up the messes they left in the shower houses but it's aggravating.

Probably could use another shower house to keep up with high...

Beyond rude DNR!!! Currently camping here and will never come back again ever! I left my dog in my camper for about an hour came back and the DNR started yelling and freaking out on me because my dog was barking the entire time I was gone.. He also said if it happens again we all have to leave.. Uhm excuse me? I obviously don't know my dogs barking if im not here.. Could have been much nicer about it!!!! Even a note on the door saying she was barking while we were gone could have saficed.. Or coming maybe after I got every thing back into my camper come and kindly tell me she was barking and ask nicely that she not be left alone.. Not threaten me with making us leave.. Yet camping next to a bunch of people constantly yelling and screaming at there kids and there kids constantly crying gets nothing.. Will never come back again. Also my dog deffinitly isn't the only one out here and I havent heard her bark at all except supposedly when were gone.. However many other dogs in the area are barking.. Speaking of dogs barking I hear one barking as...

Staff were super friendly and helpful on the phone as this was our first time visit and uncertain of the self reserve walk up process. The grounds were fairly busy [I'd guess 70% capacity] but folks simmered down and were very quiet at a reasonable hour. Park was mostly clean our non electric tent site had some stray plastic strewn about. I feel many of the sites on the south half have way more slope than described so be prepared. Site map calls out a concession area where you could buy firewood could not for the life of me find it. Asked a few folks about it they had no idea so I ventured into town to buy some.

Our only negative experience was the cleanliness of the bathrooms and showers. F in that regard. Never saw anyone maintain them the day and half we were there. The shower vent fan looked as if it hadnt been cleaned in years and there was trash on the floor. I've seen roadside rest areas cleaner.

Overall though a good experience would certainly give this place...