Lake Wapello Campground

The Great Outdoors

Soap Creek Wildlife Area is located only about ten minutes drive north when you are RV camping at Lake Wapello Campground. This beautiful natural park is a bird-watching paradise. Here you can see many migratory species and songbirds, especially in the fall and spring. Another activity in this park is hunting. The park is habitat to white-tailed deer, turkey, squirrels, and other game animals.Rathbun Lake is about 30 miles west of Lake Wapello State Park and features several parks along its shores. One of them is Prairie Ridge State Park. The park is located between Buck Creek and Honey Creek, covered in woodland and hillsides. Here you can see some of the most beautiful views of the area and enjoy the scenery while exploring the park on foot or by boat. Visitors can go on hiking trails, enjoy swimming, kayaking, and canoeing. Fishing is another popular activity here, with many different fish species, like black crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, and many more. Motorized boats are also allowed on the lake, as well as catamarans and sailboats.Honey Creek State Park is another scenic natural area on the shore of Rathbun Lake, about 40 minutes' drive west of the RV campground. This beautiful park has around five miles of multi-use trails where you can enjoy jogging, hiking, or biking. The park covers over 800 acres of land and has many outdoor recreational opportunities and water sport opportunities. Here you can go camping, picnicking, play sports, or enjoy the beach. The lake is popular for fishing, sailboats, powerboats, water skiing, and more.

Exploring the City

When you're camping at Lake Wapello Campground, most of the interesting attractions can be found in the city of Ottumwa and its surrounding area. Set aside some time to visit the Antique Airfield, a unique museum that displays antique planes that are still able to fly. Here you can go on a tour or book a flight in one of these beautiful old planes. Some of these planes were built before World War II, and they are still in excellent condition.The American Gothic House and Center is near Eldon, IA and is one of the most important historic locations in the area. The site was the inspiration for the famous American Gothic painting, created by Grant Wood in 1930. Many visitors come to this museum just to take photos and see this impressive structure. This place is not just a photo-op, though, here you can also visit exciting events year-round, including music concerts, educational programs, and art exhibits. The center has an exhibition gallery, a media room, and an outdoor area.Another interesting place to see when RV camping in the area is the Wapello County Historical Museum. This museum features a permanent exhibit that illustrates life in the 19th and 20th centuries. Here you can see many items, photographs, and artifacts from that period. The museum also includes a replica of the 1890 Ottumwa Coal Palace and 1925 America LaFrance fire truck.