Lake Pahoja was our home base for the last 2 weeks of
Sept., while we visited with Karl’s family in NW Iowa. Autumn was also making
its appearance there; with leaves changing color, waterfowl beginning to
migrate, corn field harvests and mercurial weather.
The rec area is about 13 miles W/SW of Rock Rapids, IA. It’s
a Lyon County Conservation Board project. We chose to stay there, rather than
the park in town, because it was quieter during the week. For the most part. West
Lyon Community School is just a couple of miles to the E of the rec area. There
were some school related activities, such as a picnic lunch for elementary
students and a high-school cross-country meet. During the 2 weekends, a
surprising number of campsites filled up, even though it was after Labor Day.
(West Lyon School is on Hwy 182. Lake Pahoja is off 180th street
which runs on the S side of the school.)
Would we stay there again? Most definitely, though like
most campgrounds we’ve stayed at, there were positives and negatives. Campsites
1 – 42 have a lot more shade, are a bit shorter in length, and some aren’t
level. We stayed in #19. While we had a view of the lake from that site, it
went downhill a bit. We also had to get creative when parking the van to keep
it out of the road. The shade on those sites would be nice in the middle of
summer. But as the weather was cooling and days getting shorter, the ground
just wasn’t drying out much between thunderstorms. We were rained on about half
the time we were there. Cleanliness/stocking of the bathrooms isn’t exactly a
complaint. County employees took care of the bathrooms every morning. Our main
issue was night-time use. If campers left the interior lights on all night,
bugs invaded in droves. The creepy-crawlies were “not quite dead yet.” There
hadn’t been enough freezing weather at that point.
Lake Pahoja is an ADA compliant facility. The main roads in
the park had recently been resurfaced. Gravel areas are also kept maintained.
The paved path around the lake is easy to access. It was one of our favorite
features, nice for walking the dogs, especially when there was plenty of wet
weather. There aren’t any specific campsites labeled handicapped, but those
with mobility issues would definitely find campsites 43 – 71 suitable, and
sites 64 – 71 have water hook-ups. This section’s sites are generally longer
and more level. The lake isn’t within sight, but it’s not very far away. There
are also seasonal sites. 1 – 8 are paved with concrete. The seasonal sites were
all occupied by RVs, most likely owned by locals. We weren’t there for the
season, so we don’t know how often those sites become available. (Don’t own an
RV? There are cabins to rent.)
This rec area can be a destination in its own right. There is
more to do there than just camping; such as disc golf, swimming, no-power boating,
fishing and archery. You can get a history lesson at the museum site just north
of the lake dam. There are also signs along the path identifying different
trees and plants. Kristal enjoyed the photography opportunities which were
provided by the transition of seasons. Besides changing leaves, there were
purple asters still blooming and bushes with ripening berries. As an overnight
stop from I-29 or I-90, it’s probably not as practical, though it is less than
an hour from I-90. But if you’re looking for a nice little detour for a few
days’ rest, Lake Pahoja might suit you. There is an entrance fee on top of
campsite fees. Pay by the day, or a season pass can be purchased. Our visit was
long enough the season pass actually made more sense for us.
Find more information and directions at the following
website.
Sioux Falls, SD is the closest large community. It’s about
45 minutes away. Need to take care of “household” matters while in the area? There
are newer shopping areas E of I-229 & off Hwy 11/42 (Arrowhead Pkwy).
Target (Dawley Farm Village) and Walmart are around the corner from each other.
A Hy-vee grocery store is a bit further to the west on the pkwy. Take Hwy 9
thru Larchwood. It becomes Hwy 11/42 in SD. Restock on any supplies you need
& head to northbound I-229. From I-229 you can reach I-90. Heading to
southbound I-29? From the east side of Sioux Falls, travel S/SW on I-229 to the
interstate. If you need to do laundry while in the area, there is an Uptown
Laundry on 26th street. The laundromat is almost new and
well-maintained. The owner was on the premises both times we were there. (She’s
very friendly and does offer laundry services. Why not drop off your items? Then
go have a nice lunch, check-out downtown, or do your shopping?) We were there on
weekdays, so it wasn’t a problem to use multiple machines at one time. Even
with the 45 min. drive, we found it faster & easier to do laundry there
than at the relatives’ house, whose laundry room is in the basement. From the
pwky, turn south on 11. (Dawley Farm entrance is on this road.) The next light
is 26th. Turn right, heading west. Uptown Laundry is on the south
side of the street. A gas station is on the corner just to the east of it.
So you
know… many counties in Iowa have a conservation board. If you find yourself
traveling thru any part of the state, visit the site below to find and learn
more about CCB camprounds. You might find a campground in an area where there
aren’t many other options to stay with an RV.
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