A glamping getaway

Home sweet dome: Camping with a few extra amenities makes overnights in the woods a little more fun and a lot more relaxing. Photo courtesy of Oakwood Retreat

Writer: Jessica O’Riley
Photographer: Duane Tinkey

I did not grow up as an outdoorsy person. I attended Girl Scout Camp for several years, but camping was not something my family did on the regular. Then I married someone whose family camped frequently.

My husband and I took several tent-camping trips with our dog. When we had kids, we talked about what exactly he enjoyed about camping. Turns out, it wasn’t sleeping on the ground but hiking, being outside and sitting around a campfire. I was happy to join him for all of that, as long as I could sleep in an actual bed in a cabin. As the kids grew up, we took several trips to parks and cabins across the state. Win-win.

I may be more “outside-y” than outdoorsy, but when I heard about a glamping retreat in southwest Iowa, I immediately put it on my must-visit list.

As I turned onto the tree-lined, sun-dappled gravel road leading into Oakwood Retreat near Corning, I knew this was going to be a different type of getaway — one that invited me to slow down, lower my shoulders and enjoy the solitude.

That’s exactly what the owners had in mind when designing the property. Jenna and Robert Campbell envisioned a place where people could reconnect with nature and truly relax. Both are retired — Jenna from a career as a VA mental health therapist and Robert from construction — and they know firsthand how restorative it can be to step away from the noise of everyday life. Jenna jokes that she switched from a career where she made people cry to one where she makes people happy.

In 2024, they purchased 20 acres of land in Adams County and soon started working on the 3-acre portion now open to visitors. It opened in May 2026 and has already attracted guests from Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois and Missouri.

Currently, the retreat includes four lodging options Robert built: two A-frames, a bell tent and one of Iowa’s few geodesic domes. Each sleeps four to six people, and one of the A-frames and the dome have their own hot tubs. A centrally located bathhouse includes a private bathroom with a shower for each lodging facility, accessible by keypad after check-in.

Not far from the bathhouse, a koi pond is surrounded by three cabanas, each with a different seating arrangement. Guests can even swim with the koi. Trails meander across the property, leading to a field of wildflowers that’s perfect for stargazing.

My A-frame was cozy and compact, with a queen-sized bed, a chair and a footlocker stocked with a few dishes. More important, though, was the small air conditioner — every shelter has one, along with heat. One side of the A-frame opened upward on a pulley system, making the space feel surprisingly roomy. Outside, I found a cooler, a grill and a deck with patio furniture. A short walk across a footbridge led to a fire pit surrounded by Adirondack chairs.

As I sat outside reading that night, a firefly flickered in the corner of my eye. I set down my book and watched dozens more blink against the dusky sky.

Before sunrise the next morning, I raised the side of the A-frame and rolled out my yoga mat. Under the fading moonlight, surrounded by birdsong and cool morning air, I finally understood the appeal of sleeping outdoors — or at least outdoors-ish.

If you go

While it feels as if you’re deep in the countryside, Oakwood Retreat is less than 10 minutes from Corning (population 1,500), which offers several restaurants and attractions.

EAT: Sweet Desires Bakery serves donuts, cookies, cakes and breads. Fire & Salt is a great option for gourmet picnic snacks or meat for grilling. And at Primrose, chef Joel Mahr cooks with ingredients from his wife’s family’s farm.

Photo courtesy of Primrose

SEE & SHOP: The restored 1902 Corning Opera House presents a variety of concerts, musicals and other performances. The Corning Center for the Fine Arts displays and sells work from more than 75 artists. The Honeyed Bookstore offers new and used books as well as a selection of teas, yarn and local honey. Also, the birthplace of Johnny Carson (1925-2005) has been restored and is open by appointment.

EXPLORE: For more outdoor fun, visit the 650-acre Lake Icaria, which features fishing, boating and kayaking. The lake offers a 1.25-mile tubing and ski zone plus a 300-foot beach area for swimming. More than 6 miles of trails traverse open prairie, bridges and stairs through the timber or along the lakeshore. Bobbers Down Marina is a one-stop shop for rentals of pontoons, paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, paddle boards and gear for archery and an 18-hole disc golf course.

Oakwood Retreat is open March through October. Stays may be booked through Airbnb or oakwoodretreat.org. Rates range from $155 to $285 per night. There is no Wi-Fi on site, and cell service may be spotty.

Contributing writer Jessica O’Riley of Pleasant Hill worked for nearly 20 years with Travel Iowa, the state tourism office, after a previous stint with the Iowa State Fair.