Campsite Sniper
Iowa · Recreation.gov

Tailwater West Day Use Area

41.7218° N / 91.5297° W · Data Nov 2 2026, checked hourly
Tracked from May 1, 20271 day-use unit

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Reservable day-use dates, colored by availability. Tap a unit for its calendar.
Tailwater West Day Use Area

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Opening record
No detected openings in the last 90 days

No detected openings were recorded in the last 90 days. Campsite Sniper monitors Tailwater West Day Use Area continuously and will alert you if that changes.

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01 · Availability Outlook · May 1 – May 3, 2027 · of 1 monitored site

Of the 3 tracked reservation dates (May 1 – May 3, 2027): 3 open for online reservation.

Where the open windows are

0% of tracked reservation dates are not currently open for online reservation. 3 of 3 remain open; here is where they are.

Load status

May 1 – May 3, 2027
Not open online0%
Open reservation dates3 / 3
Reserved (of online inventory)0 / 3
Weekday openings1
Weekend openings2

Of the open reservation dates on mapped day-use units, 1 fall on weekdays and 2 on weekends (Fri–Sun).

Open dates by month

May 2027 – May 2027
01233MAYSOLID = OPEN RESERVATION DATES · DASHED OUTLINE = TOTAL BOOKABLE

May holds the most room. 3 of 3 reservation dates are still open there.

Holiday windows — day use

Units open per date · of 1 day-use unit
WindowDateUnits openStatus
Memorial DayFRI May 280None open
SAT May 290None open
SUN May 300None open
MON May 310None open

Memorial Day: no online availability on any tracked date.

Availability by day-use unit

Most open reservation dates · tracked window
UnitOpen reservation dates
09  3

This day-use unit currently has 3 reservation dates available.

Tracked window

Coverage

Campsite Sniper's data for this facility starts May 1, 2027. That is about 180 days after the current snapshot was taken, so dates before May 1, 2027 are not covered by what Campsite Sniper tracks here — they are not known to be unavailable. The reservation dates shown on this page describe May 1, 2027 onwards only. Check Recreation.gov for earlier dates.

Reservation dates

3 available reservation dates across 1 day-use unit at Tailwater West Day Use Area, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
All 1 day-use unit with current availability
UnitOpen reservation datesConsecutive datesDates
0933 datesMay 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027

About Tailwater West Day Use Area

Overview

Tailwater West Day Use Area is a day-use facility located along the tailwaters of the Coralville Lake Dam. Coralville Lake is a multiple use project providing benefits in flood control and low flow augmentation, as well as recreation, fish and wildlife management and forest management. Coralville Lake provides many recreational opportunities, including boating, camping, hiking, mountain biking, lake and river fishing, swimming, water skiing, picnicking and hunting.

Recreation

Visitors enjoy Coralville Lake for boating, fishing, swimming and water activities. Anglers will find large and smallmouth bass, crappie, walleye and catfish. Several trails are within the Dam Complex, including Squire Point, Woodpecker Trail, Tailwater Riverwalk and barrier-free Veterans Trail. The Devonian Fossil Gorge is just below the dam, offering a unique opportunity to explore a 375-million-year old sea floor and discover fossil remains of sea life that once inhabited this tropical marine environment. Twenty discovery points can be found throughout the site along with a cell phone audio tour. Turkey Creek Disc Golf Course is located in the Dam Complex and offers nine partially wooden and open holes.

Facilities

The day-use location offers a large group picnic area with drinking water and electric. Amenities include flush toilets, playground, accessible fishing pier and accessible hiking trail.

Natural Features

Coralville Lake is located in the Iowa River Valley, just north of Iowa City. Tailwater West Day Use lies among a heavily wooded forest of mixed hardwood species on the west side of the dam. Wildlife is abundant throughout the project. White-tailed deer, turkeys, pheasants, waterfowl, song birds and other species roam the lands around the lake.

1 monitored unitDay use1 shadedPets OKMax party 50

Getting there

From Interstate 80 (Iowa City, Iowa), take Exit 244 towards Dubuque St./North Liberty. Travel north on Dubuque St. for 3 miles and turn right onto West Overlook Rd. NE. Travel on West Overlook Rd. NE for 1.1 miles. At the second stop sign, turn right onto Prairie Du Chien Rd. NE. Travel east on Prairie Du Chien Rd. NE for 0.2 miles. The entrance to the Tailwater West Day Use Area will be located on the right side of the road. From Interstate 380 (North Liberty, Iowa), take Exit 4 towards North Liberty. Travel east on W. Penn St. for 2 miles and turn right onto N. Dubuque St. for 1.9 miles, at the traffic circle, continue straight onto Dubuque St. NE. Continue traveling south on Dubuque St. NE for 1.9 miles. Turn left onto West Overlook Rd. NE and travel east for 1.1 miles. At the second stop sign, turn right onto Prairie Du Chien Rd. NE. Travel east on Prairie Du Chien Rd. NE for 0.2 miles. The entrance to the Tailwater Day Use Area will be located on the right side of the road.

2850 Prairie Du Chien Rd. Ne, Iowa City, IA 52240-7820CORALVILLE LAKE PROJECT OFFICE (319) 338-3543 X.6300
FishingHikingPicnickingWater AccessWildlife Viewing

View on Recreation.gov ↗   Get directions ↗

FAQ

How do I get a reservation at Tailwater West Day Use Area?

Reservations for Tailwater West Day Use Area are made through Recreation.gov. The current snapshot shows substantial availability: 3 of 3 tracked reservation dates are open (100%), though availability can change. Pick the unit on the map to see its reservation calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.

Does Campsite Sniper book this facility 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 Nov 2, 2026 18:20 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.

Which month has the most availability at Tailwater West Day Use Area?

May 2027, with 3 open reservation dates in the current snapshot of 3.

When is the next open date at Tailwater West Day Use Area?

Campsite Sniper cannot answer that from the current snapshot. The availability data held for Tailwater West Day Use Area begins May 1, 2027 — about 180 days after this snapshot was taken, so any earlier dates are outside what Campsite Sniper is tracking here rather than known to be unavailable. Check Recreation.gov for dates before May 1, 2027.

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