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Recreation.govIA

North Tailwater Picnic Shelter

Lake Red Rock

Set availability alertOfficial reservation

Upcoming Availability

10 of 14 days currently show available sites.

View releasing sites

Thu, Jul 23

None

available

Fri, Jul 24

None

available

Sat, Jul 25

None

available

Sun, Jul 26

None

available

Mon, Jul 27

1

site

Tue, Jul 28

1

site

Wed, Jul 29

1

site

Thu, Jul 30

1

site

Fri, Jul 31

1

site

Sat, Aug 1

1

site

Sun, Aug 2

1

site

Mon, Aug 3

1

site

Tue, Aug 4

1

site

Wed, Aug 5

1

site

Campground guide

What to know before booking

North Tailwater Picnic Shelter is located on the Des Moines River on the North end of Red Rock Dam. North Tailwater Picnic Shelter is a conventional open shelter that offers 20 amp electrical service, picnic tables, an outdoor grill, and nearby flush toilets. North Tailwater is situated on the North bank of the Des Moines River, offering scenic views.

Official campground details, summarized

Concise planning notes based on the public Recreation.gov campground information.

Facilities

North Tailwater Picnic Shelter is a conventional open shelter that offers 20 amp electrical service, picnic tables, an outdoor grill, and nearby flush toilets. If your event is open to the public, greater than 100 people, involves live or amplified music, or if alcohol will be available to attendees, you may need an event permit. Click the link below to apply for an event permit: Special Event Permit If shelter is not reserved, it is available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Shelter occupancy is permitted until dusk.

Natural Features

North Tailwater is situated on the North bank of the Des Moines River, offering scenic views. Wildlife is abundant around the lake. A wide variety of waterfowl, including the American White Pelican, migrates through the area in spring and fall. Bald eagles can be observed from November through March. White-tailed deer, turkeys and other small animals are commonly viewed around the lake.

Recreation

Lake Red Rock offers excellent boating, water skiing and swimming opportunities. Miles of water trails for kayakers and canoeists are designated along the shoreline. Anglers will find crappie, walleye, largemouth and striped bass, channel and flathead catfish, northern pike and bluegill. Several miles of trails for hiking and biking are in the area. The 15 mile paved Volksweg Trail stretches west from Pella to the Des Moines River and to the Cordova Recreation Area.

Nearby Attractions

Lake Red Rock is just 10 minutes from Pella, known for its Dutch heritage, and 15 minutes from Knoxville, the Sprint car capital of the world. Des Moines, Iowa's capital, is an hour away, with numerous shopping and dining opportunities, museums and the Blank Park Zoo.

Campsite map

Site markers come from Recreation.gov campsite coordinates.

1 mapped sites

Campsites

A sample of official campsite metadata for scanning equipment fit before booking.

Site North Tailwater Picnic Shelter

North Tailwater Picnic Shelter

GROUP SHELTER ELECTRIC

—

vehicle

250

people

—

shade

Important notices

Shelter occupancy is permitted until dusk.
Day-Use area only. There is no overnight camping allowed.
Golf carts, UTVs, and ATVs are not permitted.
Inflatable play equipment (i.e. bounce houses and similar equipment) is not permitted without a Special Event Permit. Please contact the Lake Red Rock Project Office at 641-828-7522 with questions or to inquire about the process for obtaining a permit.

More at Lake Red Rock

Other tracked campgrounds from the same park or area.

Surrounding campgrounds

Other tracked campgrounds within driving distance, nearest first.

North Overlook Camp

Lake Red Rock

0.4 mi

Howell Station

Lake Red Rock

0.7 mi

South Tailwater Picnic Shelter

Lake Red Rock

1 mi

North Overlook Picnic Shelter (Ia)

Lake Red Rock

1.1 mi

South Overlook (Ia)

Lake Red Rock

1.2 mi

Wallashuck

Lake Red Rock

2.2 mi

Common questions

Is North Tailwater Picnic Shelter available right now?

Kestrel's most recent scan found openings on 10 of the next 14 days, starting Mon, Jul 27. Availability changes constantly — check the calendar above, then confirm on Recreation.gov.

How do I book North Tailwater Picnic Shelter?

Reservations are handled by Recreation.gov, not by Kestrel. Use the official reservation link on this page to book. Kestrel only watches availability and tells you when a site frees up.

How quickly will I hear about a cancellation?

Kestrel rescans every two minutes, and every 30 seconds during the provider's daily release window. Alerts go out by email as soon as a matching site appears.