Facilities
The day-use location offers a large group picnic area with drinking water and electricity. Amenities include flush toilets, playground, beach, disc golf course and mountain bike trail.
Upcoming Availability
12 of 14 days currently show available sites.
Fri, Sep 11
None
available
Sat, Sep 12
None
available
Sun, Sep 13
1
site
Mon, Sep 14
1
site
Tue, Sep 15
1
site
Wed, Sep 16
1
site
Thu, Sep 17
1
site
Fri, Sep 18
1
site
Sat, Sep 19
1
site
Sun, Sep 20
1
site
Mon, Sep 21
1
site
Tue, Sep 22
1
site
Wed, Sep 23
1
site
Thu, Sep 24
1
site
Campground guide
What to know before booking
Sugar Bottom Day Use Area is a day-use facility located on the shore of Coralville Lake. The day-use location offers a large group picnic area with drinking water and electricity. Coralville Lake is located in the Iowa River Valley, just north of Iowa City.
max Stay
14 nights
Official campground details, summarized
Concise planning notes based on the public Recreation.gov campground information.
Natural Features
Coralville Lake is located in the Iowa River Valley, just north of Iowa City. Sugar Bottom Day Use lies among a heavily wooded forest of mixed hardwood species on the east side of the lake. Wildlife is abundant throughout the project. White-tailed deer, turkeys, pheasants, waterfowl, song birds and other species roam the lands around the lake.
Recreation
Visitors enjoy Coralville Lake for boating, fishing, swimming and water activities. Anglers will find large and smallmouth bass, crappie, walleye and catfish. Several trails are within Sugar Bottom, including the Cedar Valley Nature Trail and a barrier-free asphalt trail. The Devonian Fossil Gorge is just below the dam, offering a unique opportunity to explore a 375-million-year old sea floor and discover fossil remains of sea life that once inhabited this tropical marine environment. Twenty discovery points can be found throughout the site along with a cell phone audio tour. Sugar Bottom Disc Golf Course is located in the Sugar Bottom Day Use Area and offers 18 partially wooden and open holes. Sugar Bottom Mountain Bike Trail is located in the Sugar Bottom Day Use Area and offers beginner to expert trails.
Campsite map
Site markers come from Recreation.gov campsite coordinates.
Campsites
A sample of official campsite metadata for scanning equipment fit before booking.
Site 39
Sugar Bottom Day Use Area
—
vehicle
50
people
Yes
shade
Important notices
If shelters are not reserved, they are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
Playground and restrooms near the shelters are open to the public.
The shelters and surrounding area must be cleaned and vacated by sunset..
No parking on the grass, roads, or shoulders.
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Surrounding campgrounds
Other tracked campgrounds within driving distance, nearest first.
Common questions
Is Sugar Bottom Day Use Area available right now?
Kestrel's most recent scan found openings on 12 of the next 14 days, starting Sun, Sep 13. Availability changes constantly — check the calendar above, then confirm on Recreation.gov.
How do I book Sugar Bottom Day Use Area?
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.