Openings · last 7 days
44
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 44 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-233432
When Bob Shetler Recreation Area reopens
Bob Shetler Recreation Area's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
107
Openings · last 90 days
107
Weekday pattern
Detected openings by day of week · 90dWednesday accounted for the largest share of the openings Campsite Sniper detected. 32 of 107 openings detected in the last 90 days occurred on a Wednesday (29.9%), with Tuesday (25) and Saturday (18) next in line.
Hour-of-day pattern
First detected by hour · local time · last 90 daysThe largest concentrations of detected openings were first detected during the 05:00 and 16:00 local-time hours. Those hours contained 54 of 107 detected openings (50.5%). Hours show when Campsite Sniper first detected each opening, in Central Time, not when the change was made upstream.
Lead-time profile
Days before stay date · percentilesHalf of the openings Campsite Sniper detected appeared at least 22 days before the stay date; the middle 50% land 4–40 days out. Set an alert if you want Campsite Sniper to monitor future openings.
Highest-churn sites
Most openings · 90d| Site | Openings | Share of all openings |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 21 | 19.6% |
| 42 | 14 | 13.1% |
| 07 | 11 | 10.3% |
| 08 | 9 | 8.4% |
| 17 | 7 | 6.5% |
Site 44 had the most detected openings in the last 90 days: 21. One free watch covers every site here.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Oct 14, 2026 · of 67 monitored sites
Of the 1,620 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Oct 14, 2026): 1,280 open for online reservation · 340 reserved.
Where the open windows are
21% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 1,280 of 1,620 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Oct 14, 2026Not open online21%
Open site-nights1,280 / 1,620
Reserved (of online inventory)340 / 1,620
Weekday openings769
Weekend openings511
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 769 fall on weekdays and 511 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Oct 2026October holds the most room. 736 of 840 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 60 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 31 | 27 |
| 33 | 27 |
| 36 | 27 |
| 42 | 27 |
| 46 | 27 |
The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateFri · Sep 18
Next open weekendFri · Sep 18
The next bookable night is Sep 18; the first open weekend starts Sep 18. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
1,280 open site-nights across 60 sites at Bob Shetler Recreation Area, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 95 2-night, 92 3-night, 60 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 18 at site 31.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 70 ft. 60 sites take 25 ft, 55 sites take 35 ft, 54 sites take 40 ft.
All 60 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 51 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 33 | 61 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 36 | 31 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 42 | 47 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 46 | 64 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 47 | 58 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 48 | 32 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 52 | 62 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 53 | 63 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 57 | 48 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 58 | 60 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 60 | 31 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 61 | 40 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 63 | 46 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 64 | 55 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 65 | 47 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 67 | 50 ft | Yes | 27 | 27 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more |
| 43 | 59 ft | Yes | 25 | 24 nights | Sep 18, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +13 more |
| 62 | 29 ft | Yes | 25 | 18 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +13 more |
| 66 | 50 ft | Yes | 25 | 25 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +13 more |
| 69 | 32 ft | Yes | 25 | 25 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +13 more |
| 29 | 64 ft | Yes | 24 | 18 nights | Sep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +12 more |
| 30 | 61 ft | Yes | 24 | 24 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +12 more |
| 32 | 49 ft | Yes | 24 | 15 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +12 more |
| 40 | 62 ft | Yes | 24 | 24 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +12 more |
| 49 | 43 ft | Yes | 24 | 24 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +12 more |
| 59 | 48 ft | Yes | 24 | 15 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +12 more |
| 12 | 55 ft | Yes | 23 | 18 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3 +11 more |
| 16 | 43 ft | Yes | 23 | 14 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3 +11 more |
| 27 | 58 ft | Yes | 23 | 18 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3 +11 more |
| 28 | 58 ft | Yes | 23 | 18 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3 +11 more |
| 39 | 56 ft | Yes | 23 | 23 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3 +11 more |
| 68 | 50 ft | Yes | 23 | 19 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +11 more |
| 08 | 43 ft | Yes | 22 | 17 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4 +10 more |
| 34 | 59 ft | Yes | 22 | 18 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +10 more |
| 44 | 60 ft | Yes | 22 | 20 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4 +10 more |
| 51 | 65 ft | Yes | 22 | 17 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4 +10 more |
| 10 | 47 ft | Yes | 20 | 17 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6 +8 more |
| 18 | 62 ft | Yes | 20 | 12 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4 +8 more |
| 19 | 52 ft | Yes | 20 | 18 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6 +8 more |
| 56 | 62 ft | Yes | 20 | 13 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4 +8 more |
| 35 | 63 ft | Yes | 19 | 11 nights | Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +7 more |
| 55 | 52 ft | Yes | 19 | 15 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +7 more |
| 04 | 44 ft | Yes | 18 | 15 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +6 more |
| 06 | 50 ft | Yes | 18 | 18 nights | Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +6 more |
| 37 | 41 ft | Yes | 18 | 18 nights | Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +6 more |
| 50 | 50 ft | Yes | 18 | 11 nights | Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +6 more |
| 54 | 53 ft | Yes | 18 | 18 nights | Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +6 more |
| 02 | 50 ft | Yes | 17 | 11 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6 +5 more |
| 15 | 58 ft | Yes | 16 | 10 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3 +4 more |
| 09 | 64 ft | Yes | 14 | 12 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +2 more |
| 41 | 63 ft | Yes | 14 | 10 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 11, Oct 12 +2 more |
| 14 | 60 ft | Yes | 13 | 7 nights | Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9 +1 more |
| 20 | 65 ft | Yes | 13 | 6 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6 +1 more |
| 45 | 62 ft | Yes | 13 | 12 nights | Sep 18, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 +1 more |
| 07 | 58 ft | Yes | 11 | 7 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14 |
| 38 | 40 ft | Yes | 10 | 10 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 13 | 38 ft | Yes | 9 | 6 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14 |
| 17 | 70 ft | Yes | 7 | 6 nights | Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 14 |
| 05 | 60 ft | Yes | 6 | 3 nights | Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14 |
About Bob Shetler Recreation Area
Overview
Bob Shetler Recreation Area is located in the tailwater area below the 26,000-acre Saylorville Lake Project, which stretches more than 50 miles up the Des Moines River Valley.
The lake provides a wide variety of recreational activities, including boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and hunting.
Recreation
Visitors enjoy Saylorville Lake for its excellent boating, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and swimming opportunities. Anglers will find walleye, wiper, largemouth bass, catfish, crappie and northern pike. The paved Neal Smith Trail winds 24 miles from Des Moines to Big Creek State Park and connects the campgrounds on the east side of the lake. It is designated as a National Recreation Trail and is used for biking, hiking, jogging, walking and in-line skating.
Facilities
The campground offers 67 camping sites, all with electric hookups. Amenities include flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station. Nearby amenities include a visitor center, hiking trail, volleyball courts and a disc golf course. Boat ramps and an accessible fishing dock are also close by.
Natural Features
Large shade trees dot the open grassy areas of the campground, which offers excellent views of the Des Moines River. Most campsites are within easy walking distance of the shore. Wildlife is abundant throughout the project. White-tailed deer, turkeys, waterfowl and other small game animals roam the lands around the lake.
67 monitored sitesRVs up to 70 ft60 with hookups30 shadedPets OKFire pitsMax party 6
Getting there
From I-35, take exit 90 to Ankeny/Oralabor Road and go west for 4.8 miles. The road turns into Highway 415. Turn left onto 37th Street, then turn right onto Horseshoe Road. Turn right and drive across the Saylorville Lake Dam to the campground.
Saylorville Lake Administration Office, Johnston, IA 50131-1941515-276-0873
BikingBoatingCampingFishingHikingHuntingSwimming SiteWater Sports
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-233432 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-233432 · Bob Shetler Recreation Area · Johnston IA12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Bob Shetler Recreation Area?
Reservations for Bob Shetler Recreation Area are made through Recreation.gov. The current snapshot shows substantial availability: 1,280 of 1,620 tracked site-nights are open (79%), though availability can change. Campsite Sniper has also detected 107 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 17:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Bob Shetler Recreation Area?
Campsite Sniper detected 44 site-date openings at Bob Shetler Recreation Area in the last 7 days, 107 over 30 days and 107 over the last 90.
Which day of the week had the most detected openings at Bob Shetler Recreation Area?
Wednesday accounted for the largest share of the openings Campsite Sniper detected in the last 90 days: 32 of 107 (29.9%). Days reflect when Campsite Sniper first detected each opening, not when the change occurred upstream.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Bob Shetler Recreation Area?
92 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 18 at site 31. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Bob Shetler Recreation Area fit a 35-foot RV?
55 of the 60 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 70 ft.
Which month has the most availability at Bob Shetler Recreation Area?
October 2026, with 736 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 840.
How far ahead of a stay do openings appear at Bob Shetler Recreation Area?
Half of the openings Campsite Sniper detected appeared at least 22 days before the stay date; the middle 50% landed 4-40 days out. Campsite Sniper can monitor future changes for dates you select.
When is the next open date at Bob Shetler Recreation Area?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Fri, Sep 18 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 18. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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