Cottonwood Recreation Area
Johnston, Iowa · 804 ft · In Saylorville Recreation Area
Photos: USACE Staff
At a glance
4 of 8 facts known · recreation.gov, checked Sep 24, 2026
- Elevation
- 804 ft (245 m)804 ft245 m
Sites9
Cottonwood Recreation Area lists no loops, so its sites are listed here. Pick a site to see its details.
From recreation.gov's site list, Oct 10, 2026.
Other campgrounds in Saylorville Recreation Area 8
Nearest first. Every place inside the park's boundary.
- Bob Shetlerpartial hookups0.9 mi
- Bob Shetlerpartial hookups0.9 mi
- Bob Shetler Recreation Area3 loops · BSHE, BSHM, BSHW · $22–$26 a night · full hookups · Reserve on Recreation.gov0.9 mi
- Lake View Recreation Area (Saylorville)$75 a night · Reserve on Recreation.gov1.9 mi
- Cherry Glen Campground$24–$26 a night · partial hookups · Reserve on Recreation.gov2.8 mi
- Acorn Valley$14–$26 a night · partial hookups · Reserve on Recreation.gov4.1 mi
Also in the park: Group area: Prairie Flower Recreation Area 4.0 mi · Group area: Sandpiper Recreation Area 4.7 mi · 3 single sites
Open the park pageAmenities
From Overture Maps Foundation — Places, Recreation.gov, Recreation.gov — campground rate cards · Correct
- Drinking water
- Toilets
From Overture Maps Foundation — Places, Recreation.gov, Recreation.gov — campground rate cards
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About
Overview
Cottonwood Recreation Area is a day-use facility located in the tailwater area below Saylorville Dam. The 26,000-acre Saylorville Lake Project stretches over 50 miles up the Des Moines River Valley. The lake provides a wide variety of recreational activities, including boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and hunting.Recreation
Visitors come to Saylorville Lake for its great boating, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and swimming opportunities. Anglers fish for walleye, wiper, largemouth bass, catfish, crappie and northern pike.
From Overture Maps Foundation — Places, Recreation.gov, and Recreation.gov — campground rate cards · · Edit
Cell service
Report signal- Verizon5G · 4G LTE
- AT&T5G · 4G LTE
- T-Mobile5G · 4G LTE
Cell service at Cottonwood Recreation Area: FCC map Dec 2025
Weather
National Weather Service
- WedMostly Cloudy, 2% chance of rain63°54°
- ThuShowers And Thunderstorms, 92% chance of rain61°45°
- FriMostly Sunny, 3% chance of rain56°35°
- SatAreas Of Frost then Sunny61°43°
- SunSunny, 3% chance of rain66°49°
Nearby camping
SeeSee all on the mapOutside the park, nearest first.
Camp Sunnyside
Campground · 3.4 mi · Saylorville
Walnut Ridge Recreation Area
Public Land · 3.6 mi · Johnston
Walmart · Ankeny
Overnight Parking · 4.8 mi · Ankeny
3 more within 25 mi
Location and contact
Data from Overture Maps Foundation — Places, Recreation Information Database (RIDB) / Recreation.gov, Recreation.gov — campground rate cards
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