Facilities
The day-use location offers a large group picnic area with drinking water and electric. Amenities include flush toilets, playground, accessible fishing pier and accessible hiking trail.
Recreation.govIA
Tailwater West Day Use Area
Coralville Lake
Upcoming Availability
12 of 14 days currently show available sites.
Sun, Jul 26
None
available
Mon, Jul 27
None
available
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
Thu, Aug 6
1
site
Fri, Aug 7
1
site
Sat, Aug 8
1
site
Campground guide
What to know before booking
Tailwater West Day Use Area is a day-use facility located along the tailwaters of the Coralville Lake Dam. The day-use location offers a large group picnic area with drinking water and electric. 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. Tailwater West Day Use lies among a heavily wooded forest of mixed hardwood species on the west side of the dam. 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 the Dam Complex, including Squire Point, Woodpecker Trail, Tailwater Riverwalk and barrier-free Veterans 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. Turkey Creek Disc Golf Course is located in the Dam Complex and offers nine partially wooden and open holes.
Campsite map
Site markers come from Recreation.gov campsite coordinates.
Campsites
A sample of official campsite metadata for scanning equipment fit before booking.
Site 09
Tailwater West 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-serve 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 Tailwater West Day Use Area available right now?
Kestrel's most recent scan found openings on 12 of the next 14 days, starting Tue, Jul 28. Availability changes constantly — check the calendar above, then confirm on Recreation.gov.
How do I book Tailwater West 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.