Clear Lake State Park

I'll start with the one weird thing -- there is no check in process. You either just remember your spot number or they have a board, then you drive to your spot. This is OK, but the roads aren't marked well and it is not clear which way to go down the road, so we ended up driving around.

Anyway, besides that, this park is beautiful. You are surrounded by large trees, the spots are large and level and the hookups are all where they should be. It is a short walk to the lake and a beautiful beach.

If you are driving on I35 and need a convenient yet beautiful stop, this is a good one. Or, if you want to spend some time at the beach, this would be great for longer stays, too.

WOW!! $19 for full hookups was an amazing rate! The park is well-maintained with a beach, playground, etc. Great Verizon and AT&T coverage here makes it another worthwhile stop or long stay.

To echo what the other reviewer said, yes, the roads are not clearly marked so it's a little confusing on which way to go.

Another thing is when looking at the non-reservable sites the dates on the tags are the dates of the next arrivals, not when the sites are booked until.

www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks/Iowa-State-Parks/ParkDetails/ParkID/610121

The 3 days I stayed it poured so did not get out just worked. Verizon was steady signal at 2-3 bars on jetpack - Restrooms were one of the best I have encountered - clean, hot water in free showers and kept immaculate - sites are close but are well kept with tables and fire rings, mature trees...lake looked beautiful when i drove in but wasn't able to look around - very helpful staff - iowa is a beautiful state! Sites are not on the lake and some have the road right up against them - im sure the summer is very crowded but september week was empty

We stopped here for 2 nights in late October 2018 while on an extended Midwest road trip and enjoyed our time here. There were maybe a dozen other campers here during the time we were here and only one of the restrooms / shower houses was still open at this time of year. We left on 24 October and the camp host was just hanging signs advising campers that the water would be turned off and the last restroom would be closed on the 26th, so be aware that there may not be any water or services if you stop by in the colder months.

Our site was a full hookup site and included a perfectly level asphalt pad along with picnic table and fire ring. There weren’t many trees between the sites, and the sites are lined up as parallel pull throughs, so you won’t get much privacy when occupancy is higher.

The park itself is located right on Clear Lake and both the park and lake are surrounded by the very cozy town of Clear Lake. Consequently, this kind of feels more like a city park than what one might think of as a state park. For us, at the time we visited, we had just spent close to three weeks in much more remote areas so we welcomed the chance to spend a couple nights in close proximity to this nice Iowa town.

There is a small grocery store and a nice bait & tackle shop, both within an easy bike ride from the park and we were able to stock up on necessities before heading back out on the road. There are also several locations to fill up on propane in nearby Mason City, Iowa.

We did some fishing from the shore, but didn’t have much luck.

Always interested in American history, we rode our bikes to the memorial where the small airplane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson ( The Big Bopper) crashed in February 1959 .... the day the music died. You can also tour the Surf Ballroom & Museum which was the final place the three rock and roll stars performed.

All in all, we enjoyed the stay and would gladly stay here again if we are in the area and in need of supplies and a rest.

Verizon cell connection at the campground was very good and more than adequate for some video teleconferencing for work.

Good value at $19 for full hookups. Sites were close together and the ones with full hookups had no shade and were close together. It was a long walk to the beach, which was rocky with lots of seaweed. This was the only place we fished where we had no bites.

We pulled in to the campground for one night. Lots of sites to choose from (we just did electric). Pull through, level site near playground and bathroom. We could also see a little bit of the lake from our site. Would definitely stay here again!

Nice State Park, like mentioned in earlier reviews it’s a little different than regular state parks but still very nice we stayed October 23 and bathrooms and showers were closed by then so be aware of that. Also rates change as of October 1 it was just $11 for electric only.

This state park was far enough off I-35 to not have any interstate noise. When we visited (May 4), there were only about 10 campers in the park. We walked around the park and to the beach area (although it was confusing on how to get to the lake). Many of the sites have a steep slope, so make sure you see the details when making reservations online. Connectivity: 20+ OTA TV channels (some were duplicated), AT&T cell signal = 3 bars, no internet or cable (it’s a state park). Site 171 was a level pull-through site with 50amp electric. There are some full hookups in the park if you need them. Recycling options were available in the park as well.

We’ve stayed here a few times and really love the park by the lake, the families having fun on the water and the general “old school” summer vacation vibe. The campsite sizes vary - but generally pretty large, and some are HUGE - mostly because people bring their boats. The bathrooms are clean, and there are plenty of paths to explore. The town of Clear Lake is pretty cute - don’t expect much from a food perspective other than pizza, burgers and breasted chicken - but the casual atmosphere is charming so who cares?

Many people say this is great for a one-day stay - I think it’s actually worth a couple to explore.

Not a place I would go for vacation but ok if you need a rest or for a family get-together. Shower was fine until the light went off! So might be on a timer or something. People were swimming in the lake and there’s a playground.