Sugar Bottom Campground
Coralville Lake · Iowa · 234 sites
Photos: Recreation.gov
Overview
Sugar Bottom Campground is a US Army Corps of Engineers campground in Coralville Lake, Iowa, with 234 sites. A mix: some shady sites, some open. Verizon reports coverage at every site; T-Mobile at 145 of 234, AT&T at 223 of 234.
138 of 234 sites shaded
58 of 234 sites in full sun
107 of 234 sites with clear sky
Map of the campground
Every site from the Recreation.gov listing. Choose a layer to see it across the campground; tap a site to open it in Roam.
Layers
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Questions
Which sites at Sugar Bottom Campground are the shadiest?
About 60% of them. 138 of 234 sites have good shade and 96 are mostly open.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Sugar Bottom Campground get the most sun?
Some. 58 of 234 sites are open to the southern sky, good for solar panels, and 46 more get some sun.
See the tree canopy in RoamWill Starlink work at Sugar Bottom Campground?
At some sites. About 107 of 234 sites have a clear gap in the trees for Starlink and 64 a partial one; the rest sit under trees. Satellite texting on a phone needs less open sky, but still works best from the most open spot you can find. This is our estimate from tree heights — check with the Starlink app's obstruction check when you arrive.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Sugar Bottom Campground are the most level?
77 of 234 sites are flat, and 91 more have a gentle slope most RVs can level with blocks; 66 are steeper, better for tents. Sites that take RVs or trailers fit rigs up to 78 ft.
See the slope at each site in RoamDoes Sugar Bottom Campground have cell service?
Mostly. Verizon reports coverage at every site; T-Mobile at 145 of 234; AT&T at 223 of 234. That's the coverage each carrier reports to the FCC, not a measured signal, so under trees or below a ridge it can be weaker.
See the coverage map in RoamWhen is the best time to see fall color at Sugar Bottom Campground?
October. In a typical year the leaves around Sugar Bottom Campground are at their best in early to mid October, though any one fall can run a week or two early or late. Roam’s fall foliage map shows how far the color has come this week, free every September through November.
See this week’s fall color in RoamWhat’s the weather like at Sugar Bottom Campground in October?
In October, expect highs around 63°F and lows around 41°F, with about 2.9 inches of rain over the month. Every month’s averages are in Roam Premium.
Open Sugar Bottom in RoamCampground facts
- Sites
- 234
- Kinds
- 219 for RVs or trailers · 14 tent-only · 1 group site
- Hookups
- 220 with electric
- Longest rig
- 78 ft
- Accessible
- 4 sites
- Elevation
- 697–769 ft
- Every site
- Pets allowed · Campfires allowed · Check-in 2 PM, check-out 12 PM
- Managed by
- US Army Corps of Engineers
- Booking
- Reserve on Recreation.gov
How we know Sources and limits
Shade, sun and Starlink are our estimates from Meta and the World Resources Institute’s canopy-height model (about 2 m pixels, from satellite imagery calibrated with space lidar; CC BY 4.0). From 2 m above each site we trace 72 lines out to 60 m and note the tallest tree in each direction. Shade counts trees overhead, the canopy within 30 m and how much of the afternoon sky is blocked. Sun counts how open the southern sky is. Starlink needs open sky above 35°, with the northern half counted twice because US dishes tilt north, and we keep the best spot within 8 m of the site’s post. The model sees tree heights only, not trunks, buildings or hills, so check with the Starlink app when you arrive.
Slope is the ground at each site’s post over about 4 m, from USGS 3DEP 1 m lidar: level under 2%, gentle to 4% (most rigs level on blocks), sloped to 8% (fine for a tent), steep beyond.
Cell coverage is from the FCC Broadband Data Collection (carrier filings as downloaded May 2026): each site is tested against each carrier’s modelled outdoor 4G/5G coverage. It is what the carriers report, not a measured signal.
Fall color is the typical peak from NASA’s MODIS satellite record of when leaves change (2001–2023), limited to deciduous and mixed forest with USGS land cover (NLCD), calibrated to the USA National Phenology Network’s ground reports of colored leaves (CC BY 4.0). It is an average of many autumns, so the page gives a window, not a date.
Weather is NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals for the campground. Sites and facts are from Recreation.gov’s open data (July 2026). Map imagery: USGS The National Map. Photos: Recreation.gov.
From the campground’s Recreation.gov listing: “The Sugar Bottom Campground offers 232 campsites to include full hook-up campsites, 50 amp electric and water hookup campsites, standard 30 amp electric campsites, and non-electric walk-to tent campsites. Amenities include modern restroom and shower facilities, vault toilets, dump station, drinking water supply, entrance station, beach, and boat ramp. Coralville Lake is located in the Iowa River Valley, just north of Iowa City. The Sugar Bottom Campground lies among a heavily wooded forest of mixed hardwood species on the east side of the lake. Wildlife is abundant throughout the project. Whitetail deer, turkeys, pheasants, waterfowl, song birds and other species roam the lands around the lake.”
Page data as of October 15, 2026. Full source notes are in each layer’s info in the app.