PRAIRIE RIDGE (RATHBUN LAKE)
PRAIRIE RIDGE (RATHBUN LAKE)
PRAIRIE RIDGE (RATHBUN LAKE)

Available sites

54 total sites

About Prairie Ridge (Rathbun Lake)

Prairie Ridge Park is located 6 mi, SW of the Jct of Iowa Highway 5 and J18 at Moravia. Awesome Sunsets- No Extra Charge! Rathbun's off-the-beaten path park offers unique opportunities for lover's of the outdoors. Nestled between Buck Creek and Honey Creek, the high ridge offers wonderful vistas of the lake while surrounded by Iowa's Natural and enhanced prairie life community, with woodland draws and timbered hillsides.

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Birding

Birding

Year-round
Fishing

Fishing

Year-round
Hiking

Hiking

Year-round

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently closed

Campground Amenities

RV Utilities and Hookups

RV Utilities and Hookups

  • Dump station on site
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
Water Access

Water Access

  • Lake Access
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

54 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 A01, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 51 × 20 ft
🚐 A02, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 55 × 25 ft
🚐 A03, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 52 × 16 ft
🚐 A04, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 74 × 25 ft
🚐 A05, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 70 × 19 ft
🚐 A06, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 64 × 23 ft
🚐 A07, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 64 × 34 ft
🚐 A08, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 52 × 23 ft
🚐 A09, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 53 × 26 ft
🚐 A10, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 71 × 29 ft
🚐 A11, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 42 × 25 ft
🚐 A12, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 44 × 20 ft
🚐 A13, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 51 × 22 ft
🚐 A14, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 111 × 19 ft
🚐 A15, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 49 × 28 ft
🚐 A16, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 59 × 26 ft
🚐 A17, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 64 × 28 ft
🚐 A18, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 59 × 27 ft
🚐 A19, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 80 × 25 ft
🚐 A20, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 62 × 27 ft
🚐 A21, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 68 × 26 ft
🚐 A22, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 54 × 35 ft
🚐 A23, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 67 × 29 ft
🚐 A24, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 73 × 32 ft
🚐 A25, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 46 × 31 ft
🚐 A26, Loop: PRIP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 68 × 29 ft
🚐 B01, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 43 × 33 ft
🚐 B02, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 37 × 33 ft
🚐 B03, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 43 × 29 ft
🚐 B04, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 47 × 32 ft
🚐 B05, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 87 × 35 ft
🚐 B06, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 45 × 36 ft
🚐 B07, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 43 × 33 ft
🚐 B08, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 90 × 35 ft
🚐 B09, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 69 × 38 ft
🚐 B10, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 50 × 31 ft
🚐 B11, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 45 × 25 ft
🚐 B12, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 42 × 34 ft
🚐 B13, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · Gravel
🚐 B15, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 75 × 47 ft
🚐 B16, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 88 × 25 ft
🚐 B17, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 56 × 29 ft
🚐 B18, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 57 × 28 ft
🚐 B19, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 65 × 39 ft
🚐 B20, Loop: PPL. RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 110 × 35 ft
🚐 B21, Loop: PUMP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 48 × 24 ft
🚐 B22, Loop: PUMP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 48 × 28 ft
🚐 B23, Loop: PUMP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 45 × 33 ft
🚐 B24, Loop: PUMP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 65 × 35 ft
🚐 B25, Loop: PUMP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 67 × 40 ft
🚐 B26, Loop: PUMP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 61 × 36 ft
🚐 B27, Loop: PUMP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 79 × 28 ft
🚐 B28, Loop: PUMP RV
Pet Friendly · 50 amp · 82 × 24 ft
🚐 PR Group Camp, Loop: PRID RV
Pet Friendly

Reviews (203)

What Guests Are Saying

Prairie Ridge at Rathbun Lake is praised for its great fishing, peaceful atmosphere, and family-friendly environment, making it ideal for reunions. Campers appreciate the friendly staff, clean facilities, and beautiful lake views, although some express concerns about the rough access roads and inadequate shower facilities. Overall, visitors enjoy the campground's tranquility and plan to return despite some minor drawbacks.

Review Summary

4.0
203 reviews
5
49.3%
100
4
21.2%
43
3
16.7%
34
2
7.9%
16
1
4.9%
10

Robert C

Verified

September 10, 2021 • Stayed at: A03, Loop: PRIP

4

Great place to camp but the gravel road going there is horrible.

Kristi and Adam S

Verified

September 10, 2021 • Stayed at: B28, Loop: PUMP

5

We love coming to Prairie Ridge/Lake Rathbun. The staff is always friendly. Bathrooms are clean. We only had one complaint and that was there wasn’t any toilet paper restocking and all the bathrooms we frequented didn’t have TP the last day we were there. That was unacceptable to us.

Robert C

Verified

September 10, 2021 • Stayed at: A03, Loop: PRIP

4

Great place to camp but the gravel road going there is horrible.

Kristi and Adam S

Verified

September 10, 2021 • Stayed at: B28, Loop: PUMP

5

We love coming to Prairie Ridge/Lake Rathbun. The staff is always friendly. Bathrooms are clean. We only had one complaint and that was there wasn’t any toilet paper restocking and all the bathrooms we frequented didn’t have TP the last day we were there. That was unacceptable to us.

Robert C

Verified

September 10, 2021 • Stayed at: A03, Loop: PRIP

4

Great place to camp but the gravel road going there is horrible.

David M

Verified

September 17, 2021 • Stayed at: B17, Loop: PPL.

5

Quiet and peaceful

David M

Verified

September 17, 2021 • Stayed at: B17, Loop: PPL.

5

Quiet and peaceful

David M

Verified

September 17, 2021 • Stayed at: B17, Loop: PPL.

5

Quiet and peaceful

Jeff E

Verified

June 6, 2022 • Stayed at: B13, Loop: PPL.

5

Spacious campsite. Clean shower house. Host were very pleasant. Would have been nice to have water and sewer at site, but the price was cheap. This is my new favorite place to camp. I will definitely return!

Jeff E

Verified

June 6, 2022 • Stayed at: B13, Loop: PPL.

5

Spacious campsite. Clean shower house. Host were very pleasant. Would have been nice to have water and sewer at site, but the price was cheap. This is my new favorite place to camp. I will definitely return!

Location & Directions for Prairie Ridge (Rathbun Lake)

20112 Hwy J5 T, Centerville, IA 52544-8308 United States

Elevation: 286 ft

Getting There

From Moravia, IA, travel 4 mi west on Highway J18, then south 2.5 mi on 200th Avenue (gravel). Follow signs into campground.

Nearest town

Centerville, IA - 16 mi

About 23 min to downtown

Policies & Rules

Arrival & departure

  • Contact the park within 24 hours if you are going to be late to avoid cancellation.
  • Register for campsites during booth hours.

Site capacity

  • Campers can stay a maximum of 14 nights in the same loop within 30 nights, after which they must move to a different loop.

General

  • For more information, visit the Rathbun Lake website http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Lakes/Rathbun-Lake/

Fires & fuel

  • Buy firewood from local suppliers.
  • If you bring your own firewood, do not leave any behind.
  • Do not move firewood to protect against pests; buy locally and burn on-site.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: October 7, 2026

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Explore Centerville, IA

Population: 5,372

Nearby larger city

Des Moines, IA

Approx. 62 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 1,007 ft

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Managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers