Howell Station: how hard is it to reserve?
Lake Red Rock · US Army Corps of Engineers · Pella, IA
As of Oct 10, 2026, 100% of Friday and Saturday site-nights at Howell Station over the next 90 days are already reserved, compared with 38% of weeknights. Weekends are much harder than weekdays here — shifting a trip to Sunday–Thursday is the easiest way to get a site. In the next 30 days, 7 of 30 dates have at least one open site (505 open site-nights in total; 505 over 90 days).
Upcoming weekends
| Weekend (Fri–Sat) | Booked | Open sites Fri | Open sites Sat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | 99% | 0 | 2 |
| Oct 23, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 6, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 13, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 20, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
Snapshot history
| Snapshot date | Score | Weekends booked | Weeknights booked | Open dates 30d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2026 | 93 | 100% | 38% | 7 |
About Howell Station
- 135 campsites (135 listed in availability data)
- $22–$24 per night
- Recreation.gov rating 4.6/5 from 849 reviews
- Equipment: Tent, RV, Trailer
- Activities: Day Use Area, Wildlife Viewing, Visitor Center, Hiking, Fishing, Camping, Boating, Biking
Howell Station Campground sits just below the Red Rock Dam and Lake on the north side of the Des Moines River. Lake Red Rock is Iowa's largest lake, located just 10 minutes from Pella, known for its Dutch heritage, and 15 minutes from Knoxville, the Sprint car capital of the world. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, biking and viewing wildlife. For more information regarding the Army Corps of Engineers and the Lake Red Rock Project, click here: Lake Red Rock WebsiteFor local information, please call (641) 620-1802 or call (641) 828-7522 for general information.Howell Station offers 143 c…
Description excerpt from Recreation.gov.
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Other campgrounds in Lake Red Rock
| Campground | Difficulty | Weekends booked | Open dates (30d) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallashuck Lake Red Rock | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Whitebreast Camp Lake Red Rock | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| North Overlook Camp Lake Red Rock | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
Nearby campgrounds
| Campground | State | Difficulty | Weekends booked | Open dates (30d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeview (Rathbun Lake) Rathbun Lake | IA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Island View (Rathbun Lake) Rathbun Lake | IA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Bob Shetler Recreation Area Saylorville Lake | IA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Cherry Glen Campground Saylorville Lake | IA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Prairie Flower Recreation Area Saylorville Lake | IA | Moderate | 68% | 15 |
| Acorn Valley Saylorville Lake | IA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |