10
Pull-thru
USACERathbun Lake · Iowa
Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake)
Overview Buck Creek Campground is located on beautiful Rathbun Lake, just 9 miles northwest of Centerville, Iowa.
Sites42all reservable
Elev.925ft
Comf.Apr-Oct7 months
Max rig96 ft10 pull-thru
Electric425×50-amp
From Des Moines1h51real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 925 ft, Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake) has a 7-month comfortable window (Apr-Oct). Winter nights average around 17°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 42 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Of the sites, 10 pull-through, 5 with 50-amp, and the longest takes a 96-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Feb
Apr-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
78%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 23
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 26.
68°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Des Moines
78 mi
1h51
02
Cedar Rapids
139 mi
3h03
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 2 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 42 SITES
Color byShow only
42 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
5
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
42
Sites
★ The standout
Site B04
LOOP B · pull-through · shaded.
To neighbor
215 ft
Max rig
78 ft
Type
Pull-thru
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
32
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
2 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.