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State Park

Photo: Via Recreation.govPublic domainRecreation.gov

Island View Campground—Lake Rathbun

Rathbun Lake Iowa — Island View · Centerville, IA

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State parks set their own rules and reservation systems. Fire bans, road closures, and operating dates change seasonally — check the state park website before traveling.

Directions

192

Total Sites

0.0

0 Reviews

187 RV5 Group

Official sources & verification

Managed by State Park

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Source of truth

Reserve or permit

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We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this campground using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: Jul 9, 2026. Our copy is more than a month old — please reconfirm with the agency before relying on it.Spot an error in our data?

Live availability

via Recreation.gov
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Availability is a recent snapshot, not a live hold — you always complete the booking on recreation.gov.

About

Island View Campground is located on beautiful Rathbun Lake, just nine miles northwest of Centerville, Iowa and 8 miles southwest of Moravia. Lake Rathbun camping is a popular activity at all times of the year. Fishing is also popular: The 11,000-acre lake provides a variety of fishing opportunities for any angler: Crappie, channel catfish, walleye and largemouth bass are most common. The prevailing winds on Rathbun Lake, also known as Iowa's Ocean, make it one of the best sailing lakes in Iowa. Facilities This large campground offers 187 family sites and one group site, all with electric hookups. Three group picnic sites are also available. Amenities include flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station. A boat ramp, dock, marina, playgrounds, and horseshoe pit are all on-site. Natural Features Rathbun Lake is situated in the gently rolling hills of the Chariton River Valley in southeast Iowa. The campground consists of open grassy areas dotted with trees. Bald eagles, white-tailed deer, Canada geese, wild turkey and other wildlife can be found at Rathbun Lake. Nearby Attractions The Rathbun Fish Hatchery is nearby, offering self-guided tours Monday through Friday year-round. Hundreds of thousands of catfish and walleye are produced here each year. Southern Iowa's only Off Highway Vehicle Park is just 20 minutes from the campground. It is located on the south bank of the South Fork Chariton River and encompasses nearly 125 acres in an abandoned rock quarry. ADA Access: N

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How busy it gets

Recreation.gov
Popular4.3

374 camper reviews on Recreation.gov

Books up fast

71% booked

1,628 of 2,284 released site-nights were already reserved · Sep 2026 · busiest Sep 2026 at 71%

Share of nights Recreation.gov had released for online booking that were already reserved when we checked. Walk-up sites, closures, and nights outside the booking window are excluded.

Amenities

Showers
Flush Toilets
Potable Water
Dump Station
Electric Hookups
Sewer Hookups
Firewood
Accessible
Picnic Tables
Fire Rings
Trash Service
Cell Service

Cell reception

Camper reports · checked Sep 29, 2026

Good Coverage

Average 3.0 of 4 bars · 219 reports across 3 carriers

Uninterrupted voice connection; consistent but possibly weak/slow data service; rare and/or very small drop-outs at site/facility. Signal may not show as full-strength across site/facility. Slower social media photo/video upload speeds.

  • Verizon

    Good Coverage

    3.0/4

    111 reports

  • AT&T

    Good Coverage

    2.9/4

    30 reports

  • T-Mobile

    Good Coverage

    3.1/4

    78 reports

Reported by campers on Recreation.gov, not measured by us. Reception varies by handset, weather, and where you stand in the campground. Recreation.gov

Campground Rules

  • Campfires generally permitted — verify current fire restrictions before lighting

Reservations

This campground accepts reservations. Book early for popular dates.

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Within ~30 miles

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