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316 reviews
Acorn Valley is a well-maintained, peaceful campground with clean facilities, friendly staff, and spacious sites, making it an excellent choice for families and those seeking a quiet getaway. Visitors appreciate the cleanliness of the bathrooms and the beautiful natural surroundings, with plenty of room for activities. While some sites may require leveling and noise from nearby activities can be an issue, overall, guests have had enjoyable experiences and are eager to return.
Based on guest feedback
4.5
Based on 316 reviews
Showing 316 reviews
September 22, 2020 Stayed at: 005, Loop: ACORN VALLEY
Best kept campground in Iowa. Very clean and quiet. Camp sites are spacious and quite level. Bath house facility is spotless.
Campground hosts are very friendly and helpful. Love this place!
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September 20, 2020 Stayed at: 023, Loop: ACORN VALLEY
Great weekend with family, we will be back soon!
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September 14, 2020 Stayed at: 005, Loop: ACORN VALLEY
Campground is way too packed. Sites had more guests and visitors than allowed. We had tents set up between our campsite and the adjoining one because they had more than the authorized camping units. Poorly regulated at best. We also had to wake up the campsite next to us to move their boat so that we could leave in the morning. Won’t return unless the grounds are under better management.
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September 14, 2020 Stayed at: 046, Loop: ACORN VALLEY
Very nice for tent camping.
I like it that cars are confinef to roadways and parking. Very safe and clean.
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September 14, 2020 Stayed at: 025, Loop: ACORN VALLEY
Spaces nice and facilities in great shape.
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September 13, 2020 Stayed at: 061, Loop: ACORN VALLEY
Good, clean, well kept
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September 13, 2020 Stayed at: 098, Loop: ACORN VALLEY
Nice quiet place with saylorville lake just hundreds of feet away.
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August 30, 2020 Stayed at: 023, Loop: ACORN VALLEY
Had a great time camping with family
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August 29, 2020 Stayed at: 019, Loop: ACORN VALLEY
Stayed one out of two nights thanks to our neighbors. Greater to 2 barking dogs, a radio and no one around. The dogs obviously used our area as their toilet area because it smelled of dog shit. They had garbage everywhere and obviously helped spread around by the raccoons. They look like they have been living there for a while by the state of their site. They spent most the night moving around and being loud for being right next to our camper, not to mention the random barks from the dogs. Then at 5 am if we weren’t awake we were woken by a pickup feet from our camper revving it’s engine like it was getting ready for a race before they left. We slept more during the day then we got all night.
Spots are way to close together for nrighbors like that. We left our home after the derecho so we could get a cool night sleep in the air conditioning before we started to figure out how we were going to get through the next week and this was the only campgrounds with electricity. We decided borrowing a generator and sleeping in our driveway with the loud machine was better then staying next to the smells and sounds of our neighbors.
Met by the host as we were packing up and they asked why we were leaving early. I pointed to the trash covered site and explained the smells and sounds that went with it. Not sure how it’s an alcohol free campground because there was plenty of discarded containers there. She apologized and said she would have the ranger come take care of it. Too bad our many calls didn’t get the the same response before we decided to leave. Then she stated she would refund our second day. That never happened. I don't think I’ll go back. When I do go without a weather disaster happening I go to relax, not to smell others dog shit, look at their shit and be kept awake all night.
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August 27, 2020 Stayed at: 010, Loop: ACORN VALLEY
Well ran, fairly large campsites with privacy
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Saylorville Lake Administration Office, Johnston, IA 50131-1941 United States
Elevation: 290 ft
From I-35/80 north of Des Moines, Iowa, take exit 131 toward Johnston/Saylorville Lake. Turn north on Merle Hay Road and continue for 2.8 mi. At the four-way stop, turn left on Northwest Beaver Drive and continue for 3.7 mi. Turn right onto Northw...
From I-35/80 north of Des Moines, Iowa, take exit 131 toward Johnston/Saylorville Lake. Turn north on Merle Hay Road and continue for 2.8 mi. At the four-way stop, turn left on Northwest Beaver Drive and continue for 3.7 mi. Turn right onto Northwest Coryden Drive and follow signs into the campground.
Acorn Valley is accessible from I-35/80 via exit 131, approximately 5 miles away. Merle Hay Road provides direct access north from the interstate.
Check in time
2PM
Check out time
12PM
Last updated: October 22, 2026
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Population: 24,384
Nearby city: Ankeny, IA
Approx. 6 mi away (straight-line distance)
Elevation: 833 ft
Johnston, IA
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