About Prairie Flower Recreation Area
Number of accommodations: 153
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
RV Utilities and Hookups
- Dump station on site
Water and Hygiene
- Potable Water
On Site Services
- Playground
Water Access
- Beach Access
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Rates, Sites & Availability
153 Sites Available
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Site Details
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153 Sites Available
No available sites
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Reviews (618)
What Guests Are Saying
Prairie Flower Recreation Area is a well-maintained campground featuring spacious, clean sites with large concrete pads and excellent facilities, including spotless restrooms and friendly staff. Many visitors appreciate the quiet atmosphere and proximity to recreational activities in nearby Ames, Ankeny, and Des Moines. Some suggestions for improvement include adding more paved sites and addressing overgrown grass and weeds, but overall, guests express a strong desire to return for future visits.
What Guests Are Saying
Prairie Flower Recreation Area is a well-maintained campground featuring spacious, clean sites with large concrete pads and excellent facilities, including spotless restrooms and friendly staff. Many visitors appreciate the quiet atmosphere and proximity to recreational activities in nearby Ames, Ankeny, and Des Moines. Some suggestions for improvement include adding more paved sites and addressing overgrown grass and weeds, but overall, guests express a strong desire to return for future visits.
Review Summary
Daren L
VerifiedNovember 6, 2024 • Stayed at: C96, Loop: CONE
Great campground, only wish that you could stay longer than noon on your last day
Linda C
VerifiedOctober 29, 2024 • Stayed at: D114 & D115, Loop: DOGB
Bike trail is fantastic. And hiking trail around campground was nice too
Susan K
VerifiedOctober 27, 2024 • Stayed at: C87, Loop: CONE
Be ready to clean your concrete pad when you arrive. Could be cooking grease or kids chalk. There won’t be a water source near by so make sure you have a bucket to carry water to the pad. I think the kids chalk is the worse because that stuff gets tracked all over the place. Maybe a chalk pad by the playground would be better instead the camping pad. I enjoy the Bald eagles playing in the morning. The sounds of wild turkeys that live in the camping area. The beautiful view and sunsets. The sounds of coyotes at night. The sailboat races on Wednesdays. Each year it seams to get more wild and natural. Now if the humans would not make such a mess and leave it for the next camper it would be great.
Susan K
VerifiedOctober 26, 2024 • Stayed at: C92, Loop: CONE
Come early to clean the camping area. Fish hooks , chalk and garbage. I thought they added the time between the check out and check in so they can make sure the place is campable. Nope. Covered in kids chalk. Just what I want in my camper that I spent so much money on. Tracking chalk all week in your camper. Make it so you can hose it down from the grill grease and whatever is all over the concrete.
Paul Z
VerifiedOctober 25, 2024 • Stayed at: C96, Loop: CONE
Easy In Easy Out, nice campsites.
Debbie P
VerifiedOctober 23, 2024 • Stayed at: H185, Loop: HONE
Very nice place. Only complaint is my campsite was too close to the highway and the traffic noise kept up all night. Plenty of options if I had realized the highway was so close I would have chosen a different site.
Matthew L
VerifiedOctober 22, 2024 • Stayed at: D137, Loop: DOGB
Please pave the sites in A loop
Becky D
VerifiedOctober 21, 2024 • Stayed at: H183, Loop: HONE
Nice campsites. Was disappointed at how much noise from the highway there was.
David G
VerifiedOctober 15, 2024 • Stayed at: D118, Loop: DOGB
This was or first stay in Iowa and I had to make a new account to make the reservation. Apparently, I didn't do everything required and although I thought I had a reservation, the reality was that it had not gone through. The local park ranger came checking on us next morning and discovered we were there without a reservation. He was so professional and understanding. He helped me figure out the reservation system and get the site paid for. We very much appreciate the park employees we have met at this and all other COE and US Forest campgrounds.
Liz W
VerifiedOctober 14, 2024 • Stayed at: H181, Loop: HONE
They have the cleanest campground bathrooms I had ever seen. The campground was easy to find. The person who directed us to the campground at the entrance was kind and explained the directions well. The campsite was beautiful. The only issues were some of the other campers who were loud, and someone who sprayed weed killer everywhere and someone who left his hose to the RV hooked up to the water almost the entire time.
Location Prairie Flower Recreation Area
Address:
Saylorville Lake Administration Office, 5600 Nw 78 Th Avenue
Johnston, IA, 50131-1941
United States
From I-35, take exit 90 to Ankeny/Oralabor Road and go west for 4.8 miles. The road turns into Highway 415, continue and follow signs to the campground.
Prairie Flower Recreation Area is accessible via Iowa State Highway 415, which is approximately 5 miles to the east. Interstate 80 is about 20 miles to the north.
Latitude & Longitude: 41.7483 / -93.6875
Elevation: 286 feet
Policies & Rules
Arrival & departure
Check in time
2PM
Check out time
12PM
General
- Click here for more information
- Click here for a virtual tour of the Saylorville Lake area.
- Quiet Hours: From 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Campgrounds are restricted to registered campers during these hours. Visitors must leave by 10:00 p.m. Gates remain open 24/7.
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Last updated: June 3, 2026