Campsite AtlasLake View Recreation Area (Saylorville)
Lake View Recreation Area is a day-use facility located on the 26,000-acre Saylorville Lake Project, which stretches over 50 miles up the Des Moines River Valley. The lake provides a wide variety of recreational activities, including boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and hunting. Visitors come to Saylorville Lake for its great boating, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and swimming opportunities. Anglers fish for walleye, wiper, largemouth bass, catfish, crappie and northern pike. The paved Neal Smith Trail (East side of the lake) winds 24 miles from Des Moines to Big Creek State Park and connects the campgrounds on the east side of the lake.
Campsites
| group shelter electric | 1 |
| Total | 1 |
Amenities & rules
Compiled from site-level records; individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Getting there
From I-35, take the Ankeny Exit #90 (Oralabor Road) and go west 4.8 miles; the road turns into HWY 415. Turn left (west) onto NW 37th Street and go 0.3 mile, then turn right onto NW Horseshoe Rd. Continue past the Saylorville Lake Visitor Center and take a right to cross the Main Dam for 2.6 miles until you reach NW Beaver Dr.
Campgrounds nearby
Data source: Recreation.gov RIDB, retrieved August 30, 2026. The Campsite Atlas is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Recreation.gov or any federal agency. Always confirm critical details on the official Recreation.gov page before you travel.