South Overlook (IA)
October 2026
About
Overview
South Overlook is located on Lake Red Rock, Iowa's largest lake. It is just 10 miles from Pella, known for its Dutch heritage, and 15 miles 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 Website
Features
Octagon Shelter
7 - Picnic tables
2 - Standard electrical outlets
1 - 36” x 28” outdoor grill
88 - Paved parking stalls (shared with rectangle shelter)
1 - 6 foot diameter fire ring Water fountain
Close to restroom
Rectangle Shelter
5 - Picnic tables
2 - Standard electrical outlets
1 - 36” x 31” outdoor grill
88 - Paved parking stalls (shared with octagon shelter)
Water fountain
Lake view
Close to restroom
Recreation
Lake Red Rock offers excellent boating, water skiing and swimming opportunities. Miles of water trails for kayakers and canoeists are designated along the shoreline. Anglers will find crappie,largemouth and striped bass, walleye, channel and flathead catfish, northern pike and bluegill. Several miles of trails for hiking and biking are in the area. The 15 mile paved Volksweg Trail stretches west from Pella to the Des Moines River and to the Cordova Recreation Area.
Facilities
South Overlook offers two reservable picnic shelters with 20 amp electrical outlets. Flush toilets are located nearby. A large parking lot will provide ample space for larger crowds.
If your event is open to the public, greater than 100 people, involves live or amplified music, or if alcohol will be available to attendees, you may need a special event permit. Click the link below to apply for an event permit:
Special Event Permit
If shelters are not reserved, they are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
Shelter occupancy is permitted until dusk.
Natural Features
Lake Red Rock is situated on the Des Moines River. Hardwood forests cover the lake shore at South Overlook, offering shade and scenic views. Wildlife is abundant around the lake. A wide variety of waterfowl, including the American White Pelican, migrate through the area in spring and fall. Bald eagles can be observed from November through March. White-tailed deer, turkeys and other small animals are commonly viewed around the lake.
Nearby Attractions
Des Moines, Iowa's capital, is an hour away, with numerous shopping and dining opportunities, museums and the Blank Park Zoo.
Charges & Cancellations
A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. Cancel or change reservations through recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Late cancellations are subject to additional fees.
Amenities
Phone: 641-828-7522
Is SOUTH OVERLOOK (IA) fully booked?
A campground showing no availability is almost never full for good. People cancel — plans change, weather turns, someone books three weekends and keeps one — and the site goes straight back into the booking system, usually without warning and often at odd hours. The reason sold-out campgrounds feel impossible is not that sites never free up; it is that nobody is watching at the moment they do.
CampHawk watches SOUTH OVERLOOK (IA) in Knoxville, IA for you. We recheck it every 15 seconds, around the clock, and the moment a site opens we send a text, an email and a push notification — and on Recreation.gov we can put the site straight into your cart, so it is held while you get to your phone.
Searching is free and needs no account — the calendar above is live right now. Watching SOUTH OVERLOOK (IA) for cancellations is the paid part.