Openings · last 7 days
235
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 235 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-233594
When Prairie Flower Recreation Area reopens
Prairie Flower Recreation Area's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
363
Openings · last 90 days
389
Weekday pattern
Detected openings by day of week · 90dNo strong weekday pattern is evident in the openings Campsite Sniper has detected: 389 openings spread across the week.
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 07:00 local-time hours. Those hours contained 108 of 389 detected openings (27.8%). 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 6 days before the stay date; the middle 50% land 3–22 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 |
|---|---|---|
| B58 | 17 | 4.4% |
| C72 | 14 | 3.6% |
| C101 | 14 | 3.6% |
| C103 | 13 | 3.3% |
| A14 | 11 | 2.8% |
Site B58 had the most detected openings in the last 90 days: 17. One free watch covers every site here.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Oct 24, 2026 · of 252 monitored sites
Of the 5,809 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Oct 24, 2026): 3,359 open for online reservation · 2,450 reserved.
Where the open windows are
42.2% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 3,359 of 5,809 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Oct 24, 2026Not open online42.2%
Open site-nights3,359 / 5,809
Reserved (of online inventory)2,450 / 5,809
Weekday openings2,182
Weekend openings1,177
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 2,182 fall on weekdays and 1,177 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Oct 2026October holds the most room. 2,370 of 3,768 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 157 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 |
|---|---|
| I191 | 36 |
| A31 | 35 |
| G159 | 35 |
| H180 | 35 |
| H182 | 35 |
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
3,359 open site-nights across 156 sites at Prairie Flower Recreation Area, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 458 2-night, 411 3-night, 146 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 18 at site H181.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 85 ft. 157 sites take 25 ft, 152 sites take 35 ft, 149 sites take 40 ft.
Showing 60 of 156 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I191 | 60 ft | Yes | 36 | 36 nights | Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 +24 more |
| A31 | 46 ft | Yes | 35 | 28 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 +23 more |
| G159 | 58 ft | Yes | 35 | 35 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 +23 more |
| H180 | 56 ft | Yes | 35 | 28 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 +23 more |
| H182 | 32 ft | Yes | 35 | 35 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 +23 more |
| H184 | 49 ft | Yes | 35 | 35 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 +23 more |
| L217 | 58 ft | Yes | 35 | 35 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 +23 more |
| H181 | 40 ft | Yes | 34 | 20 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 +22 more |
| N239 | 55 ft | Yes | 34 | 14 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 +22 more |
| A01 | 60 ft | Yes | 33 | 21 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 +21 more |
| A09 | 66 ft | Yes | 33 | 28 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 +21 more |
| A15 | 67 ft | Yes | 33 | 21 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 +21 more |
| A21 | 64 ft | Yes | 33 | 28 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 +21 more |
| A28 | 66 ft | Yes | 33 | 28 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 +21 more |
| A30 | 66 ft | Yes | 33 | 28 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 +21 more |
| D135 | 35 ft | Yes | 33 | 21 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 +21 more |
| H188 | 60 ft | Yes | 33 | 28 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 +21 more |
| D114 & D115 | 60 ft | Yes | 32 | 14 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 +20 more |
| H173 | 63 ft | Yes | 32 | 28 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4 +20 more |
| H174 | 49 ft | Yes | 32 | 28 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4 +20 more |
| A05 | 64 ft | Yes | 31 | 13 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 +19 more |
| D138 | 28 ft | Yes | 31 | 28 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5 +19 more |
| H183 | 53 ft | Yes | 31 | 17 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 +19 more |
| H190 | 63 ft | Yes | 31 | 28 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5 +19 more |
| M231 | 56 ft | Yes | 31 | 14 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 +19 more |
| A13 | 62 ft | Yes | 30 | 21 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6 +18 more |
| A19 | 60 ft | Yes | 30 | 14 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 +18 more |
| A24 | 60 ft | Yes | 30 | 14 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4 +18 more |
| D123 | 70 ft | Yes | 30 | 14 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 +18 more |
| H177 | 67 ft | Yes | 30 | 25 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6 +18 more |
| A07 | 70 ft | Yes | 29 | 13 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5 +17 more |
| A18 | 61 ft | Yes | 29 | 14 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4 +17 more |
| A20 | 72 ft | Yes | 29 | 28 nights | Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +17 more |
| A23 | 72 ft | Yes | 29 | 19 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 6, Oct 7 +17 more |
| A25 | 60 ft | Yes | 29 | 14 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5 +17 more |
| A29 | 72 ft | Yes | 29 | 27 nights | Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +17 more |
| B38 | 60 ft | Yes | 29 | 21 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +17 more |
| B39 | 61 ft | Yes | 29 | 21 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +17 more |
| H175 | 62 ft | Yes | 29 | 15 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6 +17 more |
| H178 | 56 ft | Yes | 29 | 27 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +17 more |
| H185 | 62 ft | Yes | 29 | 25 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 28, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +17 more |
| A11 | 52 ft | Yes | 28 | 21 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +16 more |
| B47 | 65 ft | Yes | 28 | 10 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 +16 more |
| D116 | 31 ft | Yes | 28 | 14 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5 +16 more |
| E149 | 52 ft | Yes | 28 | 12 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 +16 more |
| H176 | 54 ft | Yes | 28 | 14 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5 +16 more |
| H186 | 49 ft | Yes | 28 | 28 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 +16 more |
| H187 | 85 ft | Yes | 28 | 28 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 +16 more |
| A02 | 66 ft | Yes | 27 | 19 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +15 more |
| A03 | 65 ft | Yes | 27 | 11 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5 +15 more |
| A14 | 50 ft | Yes | 27 | 12 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 +15 more |
| B42 | 70 ft | Yes | 27 | 13 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5 +15 more |
| B44 | 44 ft | Yes | 27 | 11 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 +15 more |
| B49 | 70 ft | Yes | 27 | 7 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4 +15 more |
| B65 | 70 ft | Yes | 27 | 11 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 +15 more |
| D120 | 40 ft | Yes | 27 | 7 nights | Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4 +15 more |
| A17 | 60 ft | Yes | 26 | 14 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +14 more |
| H179 | 56 ft | Yes | 26 | 24 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10 +14 more |
| H189 | 42 ft | Yes | 26 | 11 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 +14 more |
| O251 | 55 ft | Yes | 26 | 11 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 4 +14 more |
About Prairie Flower Recreation Area
Overview
Prairie Flower Recreation Area is located on 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
Prairie Flower is a large, open campground covering more than 60 acres. It offers 153 family sites and 10 group sites, all with electric hookups. Many of the family sites in the south end offer a pleasant view of the 6000-acre lake. The north end is made up of mostly group sites in a circle-the-wagon design. Amenities include flush toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station. The campground also provides educational programs, group shelters, playgrounds and a swimming beach. Nearby amenities include a visitor center, hiking trail, volleyball courts and a disc golf course. Boat ramps and a fishing dock are also close by.
Natural Features
Iowa's prairie heritage is celebrated in more than 40 acres of prairie plantings throughout the campground. The wide variety of grass and flowers provides vivid colors from mid-summer to fall. Wildlife is abundant throughout the project. White-tailed deer, turkeys, waterfowl and other small game animals roam the lands around the lake.
252 monitored sitesRVs up to 85 ft157 with hookups91 shadedPets OKFire pitsMax party 84
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, continue and follow signs to the campground.
Saylorville Lake Administration Office, Johnston, IA 50131-1941515-984-6925
BikingBoatingCampingFishingHikingHuntingSwimming SiteWater Sports
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-233594 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-233594 · Prairie Flower Recreation Area · Johnston IA12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Prairie Flower Recreation Area?
Reservations for Prairie Flower Recreation Area are made through Recreation.gov. 3,359 of 5,809 tracked site-nights are currently open (57.8%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 389 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 13:18 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 Prairie Flower Recreation Area?
Campsite Sniper detected 235 site-date openings at Prairie Flower Recreation Area in the last 7 days, 363 over 30 days and 389 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Prairie Flower Recreation Area?
411 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 H181. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Prairie Flower Recreation Area fit a 35-foot RV?
152 of the 157 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 85 ft.
Which month has the most availability at Prairie Flower Recreation Area?
October 2026, with 2,370 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 3,768.
How far ahead of a stay do openings appear at Prairie Flower Recreation Area?
Half of the openings Campsite Sniper detected appeared at least 6 days before the stay date; the middle 50% landed 3-22 days out. Campsite Sniper can monitor future changes for dates you select.
When is the next open date at Prairie Flower 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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