§ 02 — OVERVIEW
Cottonwood Recreation Area is a day-use facility located in the tailwater area below Saylorville Dam. The 26,000-acre Saylorville Lake Project stretches over 50 miles up the Des Moines River Valley.
The lake provides a wide variety of recreational activities, including boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and hunting.
Visitors come to Saylorville Lake for its great boating, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and swimming opportunities. Anglers fish for 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.
The day-use area offers nine group picnic areas with water and electric hookups. Amenities include flush toilets, a volleyball court, playground and hiking trails.
Cottonwood covers a large open and flat lowland area bordering the east side of the Des Moines River. Wildlife is abundant throughout the project. White-tailed deer, turkeys, pheasants, waterfowl, and other small game animals roam the lands around the lake.
§ 03 — CONDITIONS
National Weather Service · seven-day outlook · updated hourly
§ 04 — SIGNAL
FCC broadband data · actual signal varies in remote terrain
§ 05—08 — FROM THE FIELD
Community Intel from visitors, written reviews, dated trip reports, and reader-submitted photographs.
§ 06 — REVIEWS
§ 07 — TRIP REPORTS
§ 08 — COMMUNITY PHOTOS
Trip Reports
0 reports
Sign in to add your own photos.
No community photos yet — be the first to share one from your visit.
§ 01 — VITALS
AT&T
T-Mobile
Verizon
Based on FCC availability data. Actual signal may vary in remote terrain.
Sign the ledger to file a review.
Wed
90°F
Patchy Smoke
2 to 8 mph SE
Thu
87°F
Mostly Sunny
5 to 12 mph SSE
Fri
81°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
10 to 17 mph W
Sat
81°F
Mostly Sunny
13 to 16 mph N
Sun
84°F
Sunny
2 to 7 mph NE
Mon
85°F
Sunny
2 to 8 mph SE
Tue
87°F
Mostly Sunny
5 mph W
