Tailwater West Campground
The Tailwater West Campground is located within the Dam Complex at the Coralville Lake Project. The Coralville Lake Project is a multiple use project providing primary benefits in flood control and low flow augmentation, and secondary benefits in recreation, fish and wildlife management and forest management. Coralville Lake provides many recreational opportunities, including boating, camping, hiking, mountain biking, lake and river fishing, swimming, water activities, picnicking and hunting.
More like this: electric hookups in Iowa · full hookups in Iowa · reservable in Iowa · big rigs in Iowa · pets allowed in Iowa
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Standard with electric | 20 |
| Walk-in | 2 |
Site guide
22 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Type | Entry | Fits, ft | Surface | Shade | Power | Water / sewer | People / vehicles | Fires | Accessible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T01 | Electric | Back-in | 58 | Paved | Partial | 20/30/50 amp | Yes / – | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| T02 | Electric | Back-in | 63 | Paved | Partial | 20/30/50 amp | Yes / – | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| T03 | Electric | Back-in | 40 | Paved | Partial | 20/30/50 amp | Yes / Yes | 6 / 2 | Yes | Yes |
| T04 | Electric | Back-in | 62 | Paved | Partial | 20/30/50 amp | Yes / – | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| T05 | Electric | Back-in | 40 | Paved | Partial | 20/30/50 amp | Yes / Yes | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| T06 | Electric | Back-in | 69 | Paved | Partial | 20/30/50 amp | Yes / – | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| T07 | Electric | Back-in | 46 | Paved | Partial | 20/30/50 amp | Yes / Yes | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| T08 | Electric | Back-in | 58 | Paved | Partial | 20/30/50 amp | Yes / – | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| T09 | Electric | Back-in | 65 | Paved | Partial | 20/30/50 amp | Yes / – | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| T10 | Electric | Back-in | 69 | Paved | Partial | 20/30/50 amp | Yes / – | 6 / 2 | Yes |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Amenities & rules
| Hookups | Electric, water, sewer |
| Max vehicle length | 69 ft |
| Equipment | RVs & trailers, Tents |
| Pets | Allowed |
| Campfires | Allowed, subject to restrictions |
| Accessibility | Site T03 is listed accessible |
The Tailwater West Campground is located on the west bank of the Iowa River below the Coralville Lake Dam. The campground offers 22 campsites to include full hook-up campsites, standard electric campsites, and non-electric walk-to tent campsites. Amenities include a modern restroom with shower facility, and fish cleaning station. The Tailwater Day Use Area offers a playground, hiking trail and ADA accessible fishing piers. The campground fee booth is located in the West Overlook Campground and the dump station and drinking water is located just outside of the West Overlook Campground.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
From Interstate 80 (Iowa City, Iowa), take Exit 244 towards Dubuque St./North Liberty. Travel north on Dubuque St. for 3 miles and turn right onto West Overlook Rd. NE. Travel on West Overlook Rd. NE for 1.1 miles. At the second stop sign, turn right onto Prairie Du Chien Rd. NE. Travel east on Prairie Du Chien Rd. NE for 0.2 miles.
| Nearest town | Iowa City, Iowa |
| Coordinates | 41.7227° N, 91.5323° W · Directions ↗ |
Supplies & services
| Outdoor gear | Active Endeavors ↗ | 3.2 mi |
| RV sales & service | Sun & Fun RV ↗ | 6.9 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 10 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Video
Video of Tailwater West Campground, IA from James M.
Other campgrounds nearby
Historic landmarks nearby
Natural features
Coralville Lake is located in the Iowa River Valley, just north of Iowa City. The Tailwater West Campground lies among a heavily wooded forest of mixed hardwood species on the west side of the dam. Wildlife is abundant throughout the project. Whitetail deer, turkeys, pheasants, waterfowl, song birds and other species roam the lands around the lake.
Recreation
Visitors enjoy Coralville Lake for camping, 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. The Turkey Creek Disc Golf Course is located in the Dam Complex and offers nine partially wooden and open holes.
Nearby
Iowa City/Coralville offers the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Iowa campus, hospital and clinics, numerous restaurants and shops as well as Coral Ridge Mall. Cedar Rapids has wonderful cultural, historic and ethnic attractions such as The National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library and is the home of the Kernels Professional Baseball Club. West Branch boasts the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and Presidential Library/Museum. At Amana Colonies visit seven quaint villages with outstanding restaurants, wineries, historic sites and specialty shops. Kalona is known as the "Quilt Capital of Iowa" and is home to an Old Order Amish and Mennonite Community.
Guidebooks for Iowa
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Tailwater West Campground?
Sites at Tailwater West Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Tailwater West Campground?
Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Tailwater West Campground have?
22 sites, including 20 standard sites with power and 2 walk-in sites.
Source: Recreation.gov
Will my RV fit at Tailwater West Campground?
The longest site here provides 69 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.
Source: Will my RV fit
Does Tailwater West Campground have hookups?
Yes, electric, water, and sewer hookups at some sites.
Source: Recreation.gov
Are there showers or a dump station at Tailwater West Campground?
Amenities include a modern restroom with shower facility, and fish cleaning station.
Source: Recreation.gov
Are pets allowed at Tailwater West Campground?
Yes, pets are allowed at Tailwater West Campground. Leash rules apply.
Source: Recreation.gov
Can I have a campfire at Tailwater West Campground?
Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.
Source: Recreation.gov
Are there accessible sites at Tailwater West Campground?
Site T03 is listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
Is there cell service at Tailwater West Campground?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE and AT&T 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is there to do at Tailwater West Campground?
Visitors enjoy Coralville Lake for camping, boating, fishing, swimming and water activities. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Tailwater West Campground?
Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa City/Coralville offers the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Iowa campus, hospital and clinics, numerous restaurants and shops as well as Coral Ridge Mall.
Source: Getting there