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South Tailwater Picnic Shelter

Lake Red Rock

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Campground guide

What to know before booking

South Tailwater Picnic Shelter is located on the Des Moines River on the south end of Red Rock Dam adjacent from the visitor center on Lake Red Rock, Iowa's largest lake. South Tailwater Picnic Shelter is a conventional open shelter that offers 20 amp electrical service, picnic tables, an outdoor grill, and nearby flush toilets. South Tailwater is situated on the south 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

South 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

South Tailwater is situated on the south 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 South Tailwater Picnic Shelter

South Tailwater Picnic Shelter

GROUP SHELTER ELECTRIC

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vehicle

250

people

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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 Picnic Shelter (Ia)

Lake Red Rock

0.1 mi

South Overlook (Ia)

Lake Red Rock

0.2 mi

Howell Station

Lake Red Rock

0.6 mi

North Tailwater Picnic Shelter

Lake Red Rock

1 mi

North Overlook Camp

Lake Red Rock

1.3 mi

Whitebreast Camp

Lake Red Rock

2 mi

Common questions

How do I book South 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.