Beautiful lakeside camping. A well kept secret approximately two hours from Omaha, two hours from…read moreDes Moines. The state park is perfect for anyone just wanting to get off the beaten path. Numerous lakefront camp spots available (electric only), numerous treed spots (both water and electric available), and walk-in spots first-come first serve. Clean bathrooms, designated swim area, boat launch, fishing. Located with a link to the Sauk bike trail it's a perfect for anyone that wants to run or bike for a day. The 35 mile paved bike path is a rails to trails conversion. One of the best bike paths I've ever experienced with little to no grade. The path passes through wildlife preservation areas and offers plenty of Birdwatching opportunities. The nearby town of Lake View is your small town Iowa community with basic services and food.

I like state parks, but if I ay that much for a spot I want to be able to wash the shampoo out of…read moremy hair. their water didn't last more than 60 seconds. they were well maintained, the host staff was pleasant, but at least give me some damned water. I don't waste it, but I need to get the shampoo out of it. I never even got to the soaping of my body.

Great Dive for sure. Tried this place out a couple of times, once over Memorial Day weekend and…read moreagain this weekend after a weekend on Blackhawk Lake. They have the Cattleman's Association's "#2 best burger in Iowa." It's also an old school bowling alley complete with 70's scoring computers and complimented by league photos on the walls from the same decade. I ordered the cheeseburger both times and it was quality, juicy meat, big patty too! Fresh veg and bun. A classic nice big burger cooked well done weather you like it or not. Fine by me. I ordered cheese fries with it which were your basic thin crinkle cut run of the mill cheese fries. Nothing special but still darn good with that burger. Service: just what you want in a dive. The owner/manager lady was all smiles in the newspaper article behind our seats but in person it's another story haha. Apparently it's all bizzness lol. We didn't mind though. It was a Sunday and like I said, this is the ultimate dive so love it up! The first time we did visit though service was very friendly but we had a different waitress. Whenever I'm headed through this area it's where I will stop to eat for sure. Good stuff!

We stayed at Lake View City Camp Crescent during Bike Bash weekend, and overall this is a really…read morenice campground and a great setup for tent camping. The tent sites were spacious, water and electric were accessible, and the area felt safe and sound. We never felt like we needed to lock up our bikes, which may be a little naive, but it says something about the feel of the place. The campground is also close to several restaurants and convenience stores, which was a nice bonus. The bath house was very acceptable for camping, the shade from the big trees was very welcome, and the play areas for kids looked awesome. There is also putt-putt and lake access, and the cabins looked small but cool. Pricing was okay -- not amazing for tent-only camping, but still reasonable considering the access to water and electric. Now the not-so-great: the Friday morning trash pickup time was horrible. It sounded like a fleet of planes landing way too early in the morning. Seriously, please pick a better time for campground trash pickup. Also, the missing or movable fire rings are not a great idea. It seems to turn into "light it wherever," which leaves dirty grass and dirt behind. After rain, everything around those spots seemed coated in black. I get that movable pits may make mowing easier, but from a camper's point of view, fixed fire rings would be much better. Other than that, the place was clean, comfortable, and a really nice little gem. It also seems to be a staple and backbone of the annual Bike Bash weekend, which makes it even more appreciated. We would stay again, and I hope we do.

The city side of BlackHawk Lake is not bad. Nice shower facilities, lake is good for boating,…read morethere are 2 play grounds near by for kids. My only complaint is being a city park, not state park, the DNR is not on site. There is a large group of people chanting rude and not child friendly things. Apparently they are known for this and nothing is ever done to tone it down. I'm all for a good party, but it would be more enjoyable to not have to explain what since if the loudly chanted words are.

Weather was great- parking was easy. My family reserved a cabin and it had 4 bedrooms and was very…read moreclean and updated inside. This was a great place for our bonfire and there is no charge to go inside the park. Lots of walking paths, rolling hills, playgrounds and disc golf. There are a number of cabins, a beautiful lake (lots of swans though), and an RV park.

When in Carroll, stop by and tour this lake - for free. It does have a nice walk/run/bike trail and…read morebald eagles. 4 stars as the water in the lake could be cleaner.

What a fun place! One of the last open air skating rinks in the country .. in the world? Really…read morenice campsites and grounds. But, the skating rink! It is so cool!

A beautiful campground, just the right distance away from home…read more Lots of electric sites with easy access. There is a Lake, there is two sides to said Lake. No matter which side you pick to camp on you are going to be close enough to walk to the middle. Or somewhere where there is water to fish in. In the middle is beach area. You can swim at the beach. You can get snacks at the snack house or you can get a paddle boat, kayak, or canoe and rent from the snack house. (They have ice cream too) There is a is even a wood floor skating rink! This was my favorite thing. I am a grown woman and I still love to skate. They pull up the window shutters and play music you can hear all the way out to your camper if you are on the waters edge. We took advantage of their Frisbee course. Its a smaller one, but it was set up nice and a perfect size to teach my parents how to play Frisbee golf. There is a golf cart that comes around in the evenings selling firewood and ice. What a fantastic idea. We only wished there was a little better signage or maybe another dump station. We only located one to fill up and dump for this big campground. I will be back. FYI- this was new. The local golf course was offering free golfing to campers. So it was purchase 9 holes get 9 free for the campers here. They don't have rental clubs yet, so you'll want to bring your own.

Such a beautiful place to visit! I was there in May and it was absolutely gorgeous, although be…read morewarned cell reception was a bit spotty.

Best place to visit on Spring Break. My husband, four teenage sons, & I stayed in Woodland…read moreCarriage House. They provided everything we needed in the kitchen. The 4 beds were all big with really nice sheets. The great room was a perfect place to gather together. We hiked 2 miles our first day & 4 the second day--in calf-high snow. Absolutely stunning scenery. Super clean trails. Talk about thee perfect family vacation. Totally recommend.

CrossFit Carroll is an excellent gym. All classes are 30 minutes or less. The owner, Brian, and the…read moreother two coaches, Jen and Cory, are excellent and ready to help everyone reach their full potential in the gym without suffering an injury. I've been a member almost 4 years and love it!