Jester County Park

went out here with family and had a amtime azing

we love it here people are great price is Right Showers are hot every time it a WOnderfull place •to be .

Campgrounds amazing views airsoft gun and archery ranges snowshoeing equestrians and cross-country skiing

The campgrounds are great the facilities are amazing they have airsoft ranges or tree ranges snowshoeing cross-country skiing and all 4 each and the campgrounds are between 20 and $25 a night.

Nice CG located on the North end of Saylorville Reservoir. Camped in the upper CG site#145. Numerous shade trees, gravel pad and room for our 20' trailer and TV. CG has a kids playground, hiking trails, Equestrian Center, golf course and nature center. Plenty to do with the city of Ankeny just 15 minutes away. CG was fairly empty until around Thursday and filled on the weekend. Seniors can get$5 off per day of their reservation. Dump station is at the entrance of the CG. We camped at Jester Park in a Travel Trailer.

We love Jester its been our home away from home all summer. We often spend 2 weeks at a time. They have nice clean restrooms and a large playground for the kids. They have the elk and Bison to learn from too overall a great campground.

Great park. Nice sites, plenty of green space, clean.

A lovely and quiet campground. The huge drawback is the water quality of Saylorville lake. It is toxic— blue algae from farm runoff. Not safe for man or beast.

Campground has a lot to offer for families of all types. Parks for the kids, hiking trails, nature center with bison and elk, golf course, mini golf, lake access, fishing and more. The different sites offer different feels. Some down by the water with a view of Saylorville with a lot more sun or others tucked in the trees with a secluded shaded feel.

Tons of trees, very lush, clean bathhouses. Fire rings, picnic tables, level gravel sites.

We just spent 12 days on site 137 in Jester Park. It has electric only but a water spigot not far away to fill your fresh water tank.

These were the last 2 weeks of June and there was a lot of turnover throughout the campground. It is obviously a very popular place.

The bathrooms were clean and serviceable and the grounds were always neatly mowed and picked up.

Check out my YouTube Channel " Our Simple Adventures" for some footage!

This site was great, it has a reserve site to its right, (the people never showed up) and a FCFS site to the left. No one showed up there either and it was Father’s Day weekend! Super quiet and relaxing. Each site towards the front of the 400’s is BIG. You have plenty of room for 2 vehicles and two sizable tents. There was four of us and a dog.

A couple minor complaints that I developed would be that it is right next to the golf course so there is a lot of near by traffic, and people like to cruise on motorcycles and drive muscle cars through the twisty roads. The nice bathroom in the #300s camping area is a bit of a walk BUT has showers and really clean toilets. Some of the cleanest I’ve seen at a campground in Iowa. DO NOT USE THE “TOILETS” in the #400s area, they are dirty and basically a hole in the ground.

Another downside is that things are pretty spread out, and with it being pretty hot out we weren’t able to walk miles to get to the different trails at the park. The short trails we did walk on were nice and up kept though.

Nice place.

Stayed at this campground for 3 nights while visiting Des Moines.  We stayed in Loop 1- site 138 because we wanted electrical.  The electrical box has 2 standard household plugs which is nice.  This loop was mostly RVs due to the electrical hook ups.  There aren't really trees between the sites, but it is in a wooded area which is nice and there is some space between the sites so you don't feel like you are right on top of the other people.  Generally, people were pretty quiet, especially once it got dark.  Each site as a gravel drive and then open gravel area with a picnic table and fire pit with grill grate.  Plenty of room for camp chairs and other furniture you may want to set up.  There is a grassy area all around the gravel with plenty of room for multiple tents.  2 bath/shower houses within a short walk from the site- they were both clean and solid to use.  There are some short trails within the park which are generally well marked, but just 1 trail is longer than about 1/2 a mile.  Didn't check it out, but there is also a large lake.  Lots of picnic areas throughout the park.  There's also a volleyball court and free lending library near one of the bathhouses.  Overall, I'd recommend this campground as long as you don't mind seeing your neighbors.  Quick drive into Des Moines too.

Took my new to me PUP on her maiden voyage to Jester Park in July with my two kids, best friend and her daughter. We BARELY made it, pulling in on a Thursday around 4, and snagged one of 2 spots left! We were lucky enough to get a corner lot with some good shade trees. Staff was friendly, bathrooms were SUPER clean and campground was very quiet! The downfall is that raccoons in the park have 0 fear of humans, and I had an unknown hole in the wheel well cover... OF COURSE right into the cabinet where I kept the dog food. After a grand total of 3 hours sleep trying to figure out what on earth these critters were SO FASCINATED with at our site, we patched the hole with duct tape, the cabinet with duct tape and used a broom for security at 4am. (Yep, they got right in to my camper but no harm came to the sleeping kids, the snoring dog, the gang of 4 raccoons or the two adults unless you consider a severe lack of sleep to be harmful!) There's a lot to do at Jester Park including a natural playscape and plenty of beaches nearby. Would 100% stay again with a reservation and a solid raccoon proof plan!

Good fishing nice open areas and trails to explore. Lots of cool kid activities. Buffalo ranch near by which is cool as well as Pingora outdoor supply store near by where you can purchase firewood and other camp supplies.

Great park with many different activities available!

Beautiful views from our campsite. No electricity in this part of the campground, but that also made it less crowded. Definitely coming back 👍

Jester Park is our go-to camping destination in central Iowa! By far, this county park has a lot of fun activities and access points to the Saylorville waterway circuit. In addition to the water access ways, there is a sweet pond to fish in, several hiking trails, a brand new (opened August 2018) Nature Center, amphitheater, bison and bird viewing, and even cabins if you want to rent them (fully stocked, linens included!).

Our favorite spot to camp is 410 and 409. It's a secluded area within the 400s that is lined with trees on one side and a drop off into the Saylorville water circuit on the other (see photos). For $15/night/camping spot, you can enjoy the best view of stars and amazing sunsets. We go a couple times a year to camp and Jester has even been the place where we hold special events like birthdays/going away parties.

The campgrounds are clean and quiet. Currently some camping spots are out of use due to flooding, but they are working on clean up

Great campsite for a night or the weekend. We camped in one of the sites nearest the water with no amenities. Not crowded with easy access to each site!

I've been here several times! It's a HUGE park and so many hiking trails! They have a fun kids exploration area along with a viewing area with elk and Buffalo. Nearby there's a brand new mini golf course along with a full golf course. Definitely worth a stop!

As a kid our boy scout troop always came and camped at Jester Park for our troop campouts. A lot has changed since then. The County has invested a lot of resources into this park making it a great place to stay when enjoying the fun at Saylorville Lake. The facilities are modern and clean and there is some real pride at this park. I highly recommend it.

So quiet and peaceful down by the water. Beautiful scenery, great playground, friendly atmosphere.

Lots of different camp sites. Large park with great hiking trails and fishing.

Pretty nice park during the week, on weekends it is way too crowded

Had a great time with a group of volunteers. The view at campsite 4 was great overlooking Saylorville Lake. Great for families.