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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Activities powered by Viator. Prices and availability come from each provider and are confirmed when you book with them.

  1. Home
  2. Iowa
  3. Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake)

Camping at Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake) near Centerville

Public campground · Centerville · 42 campsites

A forested campground near fishing, hiking, and mountain biking. RV fit varies by site.

About this campground

Buck Creek Campground sits along the shore of Rathbun Lake, an 11,000-acre reservoir set in the gently rolling hills of the Chariton River Valley about 9 miles northwest of Centerville, Iowa. The campground's terrain is mostly open grassy areas dotted with trees, where you can spot bald eagles, white-tailed deer, Canada geese and wild turkey moving through the shoreline and woodlots.

4.0 on Recreation.gov · 57 reviewsBook on Recreation.gov
View all 2 photos

At a glance

  • RV sites up to 71 ft

    Length limits vary by campsite.

  • Electric hookups
  • Pets welcome
  • Flush toilets

    Showers on site. Dump station on site.

OverviewCampsitesAmenities & locationReviewsPlan your stay

0 available sites

0 open of 42 sites
No sites offered for these dates.

We checked every night of your stay on Recreation.gov: no site is open for all 2 nights. Some sites are open on some nights.

Flexible dates

View the next available two-night stay.

Looking for the next open dates…
Fixed dates

Compare nearby campgrounds open for these dates. Your camping setup, rig size, hookups and dates stay applied.

Nearby campgrounds open for these dates
Check Recreation.gov directly ↗
View full availability calendar · night-by-night from Recreation.gov

Check dates on Recreation.gov. Showing 40 of 42 sites.

SiteFr
13
Sa
14
Price
A23
standard electric
––$22
F02
standard electric
––$22
A11
standard electric
––$22
F07
standard electric
––$22
A17
standard electric
––$22
A15
standard electric
––$22
A21
standard electric
––$22
A07
standard electric
––$22
B01
standard electric
––$22
A03
standard electric
––$22
A19
standard electric
–

✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released

No site is open for every night of your stay

You book directly on Recreation.gov. Rates and availability can change until reserved. Campground page on Recreation.gov ↗

No sites offered for these dates
Book on Recreation.gov

Amenities & location

  • Campfire Rings
  • Day Use Area
  • Drinking Water
  • Dump Station
  • Electric Hookups
  • Entrance Station
  • Flush Toilets
  • Grills
  • Host
  • Lake Access
  • Lantern Posts
  • Marina
Check-in
4:00 PM
Checkout
4:00 PM
Pets
Allowed (per listing)
Maximum stay
14 nights

Hookups (individual campsites): 42 electric individual sites.

Location

20112 HWY J5T
Open in Google Maps ↗

Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake): questions answered

What is the maximum RV length at Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake)?
Longest RV site listed: 71 ft (35 of 42 RV sites list a length) (per the listing)
Does Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake) have RV hookups?
42 electric individual sites (per the listing)
How do I reserve a site at Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake)?
Reservable on Recreation.gov (per the listing)
Are pets allowed at Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake)?
Allowed (per the listing)
Sources and details

At a glance

Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.

Max rig length
Listing Longest RV site listed: 71 ft (35 of 42 RV sites list a length)
Hookups & power
Listing 42 electric individual sites
Pull-through / back-in
Listing 10 pull-through, 32 back-in
Road & site access
Listing 41 gravel site driveways
Pets
Listing Allowed
Cell signal
Listing Visitor-reported signal on Recreation.gov (higher is better): Verizon 3 (16 reports), T-Mobile 3 (7 reports), AT&T 3 (5 reports)
Water
Listing Drinking water listed
Shade
Listing 42 of 42 sites that report shade are listed as shaded
Booking
Listing Reservable on Recreation.gov
Price
Listing Lowest listed rate $22/night (live price once you pick dates)
Stay limits
Listing 14 nights max
Getting there
Listing 20112 HWY J5T (map in Location below)
Generators · Quiet hours · Starlink / satellite
Not listed — check with campground

Reviews

Recent guest reviews

Kenneth T ★ 5 · Oct 2025
very nice every thing was great
Ward S ★ 5 · Oct 2025
Good time camping when the weather cools off and I can open the windows and not run my ac. September is a good month to camp with fishing and small game hunting seasons open. Also nobody rented my spot the night before our arrival date. Was nice to arrive any time of the day we wanted to without worrying if someone was still in our spot we paid for and they didn’t.
Patricia A ★ 2 · Sep 2025
We camped at site A13. We were very disappointed in the condition of the site and area surrounding it. The picnic able had been placed over a huge washout. There were huge tire ruts all around the site and mole holes everywhere. I would have complained and moved, but there were no other sites for our time frame. We have camped at this site for years and this was just unacceptable. We could not enjoy the fire pit as the picnic table was in the way. I cannot fathom how you knew this site was reserved and never made any attempts to repair it. Shame on you. Patricia Anderson
Nearby

Campgrounds to compare

Prefer a roof?

Prefer a roof over your head

All glamping →
  • Honey Creek State Park3.6 mi · Moravia
  • Chariton Valley Cabins And RV Sites12.2 mi · Melrose
  • Lake Wapello State Park15 mi · Drakesville

Explore nearby

  • Campgrounds near Centerville
  • RV rentals near Centerville
  • Glamping & cabins near Centerville
  • RV rentals in Iowa
  • Glamping in Iowa

Guides for this trip

  • How much does it cost to rent an RV?
  • Camping with dogs
–
$22
B05
standard electric
––$22
F06
standard electric
––$22
A06
standard electric
––$22
B02
standard electric
––$22
A18
standard electric
––$22
A22
standard electric
––$22
F08
standard electric
––$22
A16
standard electric
––$22
F05
standard electric
––$22
A13
standard electric
––$22
A10
standard electric
––$22
F09
standard electric
––$22
B08
standard electric
––$22
A09
standard electric
––$22
A24
standard electric
––$22
F03
standard electric
––$22
A02
standard electric
––$22
A14
standard electric
––$22
F04
standard electric
––$22
F01
standard electric
––$22
B07
standard electric
––$22
B04
standard electric
––$22
A08
standard electric
––$22
A12
standard electric
––$22
A04
standard electric
––$22
A01
standard electric
––$22
A05
standard electric
––$25
B03
standard electric
––$25
A20
standard electric
––$25
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights6 sites open for every night

Chariton Valley Cabins And RV Sites

12.2 mi from Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake) (straight-line)
Sites $30/night
$60 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights7 sites open for every night

Hidden Ridge Campground of NE MO

22.7 mi from Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake) (straight-line)
Sites from $25/night
$50 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights2 sites open for every night

Trail-Side Rural Retreat

33.6 mi from Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake) (straight-line)
Sites $23/night
$46 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Compare site types

42 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 7. Rates are the listed nightly rates.

Standard sites with electric

Tent or RV, with power

42 sites · $25, $22/night

Loops: LOOP A (24), LOOP F (10), LOOP B (8)

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Ways to stay

Bring a tent or have an RV waiting

  • Tent camping here: 42 sites take tents. See open sites ↑
  • Electric sites: 42 sites have power.

Need an RV for your stay?

Rentals that may deliver here and whose listed length fits sites up to 71 ft. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.

2022 Jayco Jay Flight SLX
2022 Jayco Jay Flight SLX

Travel trailer · 20 ft · sleeps 5 · 66 mi from campground

$109/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available

View rental
2022 Prime Time Avenger
2022 Prime Time Avenger

Travel trailer · 22 ft · sleeps 5 · 80 mi from campground

$124/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available

View rental
2018 Forest River Sierra 387 MKOK
2018 Forest River Sierra 387 MKOK

Fifth wheel · 42 ft · sleeps 4 · 117 mi from campground

$120/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
Best time to go

Seasons, rates and how booked it gets

  • Peak season May 7–Sep 29: RV & Tent $22–$25 per night
  • Peak season May 8–Sep 29: RV & Tent $22–$25 per night

stays up to 14 nights (Recreation.gov rules).

Plan your stay

How far ahead to book Buck Creek (Rathbun Lake)

For July weekends, book about 178 days ahead. Three in four July Friday and Saturday arrivals were booked later than that, and half were booked 102 days or less before arrival. Past timing is guidance, not a guarantee of what is open now.

See booking patterns
Arrival monthFri/Sat arrivals: half booked at leastA quarter at leastOther days: half booked at leastA quarter at least
May103 days ahead158 days ahead99 days ahead175 days ahead
June94 days ahead170 days ahead83 days ahead174 days ahead
July102 days ahead178 days ahead92 days ahead177 days ahead
August34 days ahead171 days ahead54 days ahead179 days ahead
September28 days ahead80 days ahead28 days ahead144 days ahead

Months with fewer than 30 reservations of that kind are left blank. Sites where nearly every booking was made the day of arrival (pay on arrival) are left out. Closed seasons, windows not yet released for booking, and currently unavailable nights are separate from this history.

Based on Recreation.gov reservations, FY2015–2025 (8,073 reservations in the years scored). Counts reservations made, not nights actually camped: cancellations aren't in the data, and nights a site was closed count as not booked. FY2020–21 (COVID) are left out of the scores.