Timberline Campground

"One of Iowa's Great Places," the Raccoon River Valley Trail is an 89-mile paved loop starting and ending at a trailhead in Waukee. Built on a former railroad right-of-way, the trail winds through several sparsely populated communities like Cooper and Herndon, and flourishing towns like Jefferson and Perry. Expect to run – or bike – into amenities that cater to trail users and encounter bits of history and plenty of small-town charm along the way. If the RRVT is beyond your fitness level at this time, perhaps the 26-mile paved multi-use trail of the Big Creek State Park will be more to your liking. Hop on a bike and follow the trail all the way to Des Moines. If you prefer to wet a line, fish for crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass from the well-stocked Big Creek Lake. Fish from the pier (wheelchair-accessible) or from a boat. There's a beach here for swimming, several ramps offering access to the lake, and several miles of snowmobile trails. You’ll only be 40 minutes' drive away from Big Creek when RV camping at Timberline Campground. For an eyeful of birds, butterflies, and yes, even bison, head to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge for a visual treat. Grassland birds like sedge wrens, upland sandpipers, and the bobolink seek protection in the refuge's prairies while monarch butterflies flit around in abundance from May to October in search of nectar and milkweed, which the monarchs use to lay their eggs. To see these butterflies in all their life stages, follow the Tallgrass Trail or step inside the refuge's Prairie Learning Center. To see the bison herd of the Neal Smith NWR protected in a 700-acre enclosure, hit the trails or bring your RV rental and follow the auto tour route.