F.W. Kent Park near Iowa City, IA (Tiffin, IA)

The drive into the campground is about a mile but it's worth it!

If you’re looking for a stop in the Iowa City, IA area off of Hwy 380 & Hwy 80, here’s a little secret, take the detour to this park!

"Kent Park" as it's called, is a beautiful county park near Tiffin, IA (technically, Oxford).

There are no reservations.  It is first-come, first-serve but we were able to get a spot on a Saturday afternoon.

Our spot with the awning facing the woods

Directions:  There is good signage before the highway exit and all the way into the park.

We were greeted by a friendly camp host who advised:

North loop has more shade but fills up first.

South loop is closer to bathrooms (where the wifi router is) and has a few pull-thrus.

Park rangers stopped by twice as we settled in.

A view from the road

There are 86 spots, all with electric (30 & 50-amp).  Like many state parks we've visited, there is a water spigot every 6-12 spots, so arrive with a little water in your tank or bring an extra hose.  All spots are $20.  (The dump station is set up for departure, so it's not a convenient for filling up water on arrival).

The campground is WAY back in the park, but it's worth it!  The roads are plenty wide for our 36 ft Class A.

Not all spots are shaded but it feels much cooler down in the trees.

Courtesy of http://www.johnson-county.com/dept_conservation.aspx?id=4055

Website:  http://www.johnson-county.com/dept_conservation.aspx?id=4055

Our T-Mobile (using Iowa Wireless) & AT&T phones had 2 bars & were still tethering.  The campground wifi had a good signal near the bath house and is sufficient for checking email during off-peak times.

The lake is currently drained for an environmental renovation (the first in 20 years).  Otherwise, it is a popular fishing spot.  Maybe that's how we got a spot on a Saturday...

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We had a few neighbors, but it was very quiet for a Saturday evening.

The park also has lots of hiking trails that we didn’t get to take advantage of.  Next time.

Gates close at 10:30 pm

Dump station on your way out.

We fell asleep to the crickets, awoke to the birds singing and could see a deer grazing while I drank coffee.  This is right up our alley & we highly recommend staying longer than on