Council Bluff Recreation Area

One of my favorite sites! Very spread out and away from others. BEAUTIFUL!!! Clean, quiet, green and awesome. Tables, grills, bathrooms, and a small covered table- prep area. Love that it is close to the lake. THE ONLY CON IS THAT THE BEACH DOESN'T OPEN UNTIL 11 AM. We were camping in a large group and the kids, and everyone, were so ready to hit the beach WAY BEFORE 11!!! Because of the late opening some decided not to wait and headed home. THE LAKE IS AMAZING!! True beach and swimming area and also kayaking and no wake fishing boats.

Everything was great with the exception of no water being available and overflowing toilets.

We enjoyed our time at Council Bluffs. Of note: There is no water at the campsite, but we were able to fill our water jugs at the beach area. Overall a beautiful place to camp with the family.

Horrid! All 50 water spigot broken for years. Even the outhouses were "out of order". Last maintenance was decades ago. All recreation spots were subcontracted to local Yahoo's to control usage and charge money for parking, usage, water, electric, food etc. MIS MANAGED

Currently No Potable water, but otherwise great sites, hiking and vault toilets.

Great campsite by great MTB trails and fun for the whole family.

Lots of ticks!! Nice amenities for the camp site and good views all around.

The campsite itself was wonderful. It was spacious and had amenities including a picnic table, a fire pit, a very long clothesline, and a flat area to pitch a tent. The pit toilets were clean enough and they were a very short walk from the site. The campsites were so shady and there was lots of space between neighbors.

Be aware that there is no cell service at the campsite so download any maps or directions needed ahead of time. We were disappointed to learn that there was no running water in the camping area while we were there and this turned out to be our biggest struggle during our stay. The website stated that the water would be off November-April and we camped at the end of May so we went in expecting that amenity. Also, there are no showers in the camping area. According to a quick online search, there is a coin operated one near the swimming area though we didn't end up actually looking for it or using it.

Overall, we would stay at this site again but would go in better prepared with water and directions pre-downloaded. It was an enjoyable weekend!

I was sad to see that this site does not provide the discount for having an America The Beautiful pass, charges for parking at some locations within the park even for campers and pass holders. Despite this, there is no potable water at the campsites. There was significant problems with raccoons, which is understandable as the trash dumpsters are not secure. The lids are very easy to flip up, and the raccoons were getting in to the dumpsters throughout the night.
I think if you are going to make this a place that doesn’t accept the discounts for purchased American The Beautiful passes, these issues should be addressed. It is especially concerning as while there have been no huge bear problems with bears, there are bears in the area, the population is increasing, and it is difficult to believe that continuing with dumpsters that are not wildlife safe will lead to future problems.

Clean and well maintained