Even though it's considered a rural state, Iowa is home to exciting cities, attractions, and unique Iowa resorts where travelers can enjoy the finer things in life. At a variety of golf resorts in Iowa and lakeside resorts, travelers can experience midwestern hospitality, combined with luxury and a full slate of activities.

At the Port of Dubuque, vacationers will find one of the newest of Iowa resorts and waterparks. The Grand Harbor Resort offers its guests comfortable rooms, modern amenities, dining, and an array of packages. The 25,000-square-foot indoor waterpark will keep the little ones (and the young at heart) busy with waterslides, rope ladders, squirt guns, and a lazy river. Along the banks of the Mississippi River, this resort in Iowa is within walking distance of National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Stone Cliff Winery, and the Diamond Jo Casino.

Kings Pointe, a waterpark resort in Iowa, welcomes visitors to Storm Lake, about an hour south Okoboji, and two and a half hours from Sioux City and Des Moines. Guestrooms and suites at this new lake resort in Iowa offer views of beautiful Storm Lake and easy access to the beach. Both indoor and outdoor waterpark features assure fun no matter what the weather. Kings Pointe is just one of the lake resorts in Iowa. When booking rooms at Iowa resorts along the lake, vacationers will find a range of amenities, activities, and accommodations all with wonderful views. Those staying at a lake resort in Iowa may find themselves coming back year after year.

Iowa Map

Redwood Resort hugs the shores of Lost Island Lake in Ruthven, one of the glacier-carved lakes in northwest Iowa. This lake resort in Iowa features cabins, campsites, and house rentals, as well as a full range of outdoor activities such as fishing and watersports. Not far way, visitors will find the other natural lakes of the region, Spirit Lake and the Okoboji lakes. Many Iowa resorts are along these shores, such as Fillenwarth Beach, which has been beckoning visitors to stay and play at West Lake Okoboji for generations. Vacationers also can enjoy all four seasons at Manhattan Beach Resort, perched along beautiful Spirit Lake.

Those who dream of expanses of green grass rather than blue waters will find that plenty of golf resorts in Iowa are just what they're looking for. The Amana Colonies Golf Course has been garnering awards since it opened in 1989, and recently this resort added resort accommodations with excellent views of the course. The collection of condominiums, which accommodate one to eight guests, feature well-decorated suites, flat-panel televisions, and an array of other amenities to enjoy when not on the links. As with other resorts in Iowa, it offers a range of services for its guest, including attentive service and dining options.

Another option for a golf resort in Iowa combines the relative calm of golfing with the thrill of Las Vegas-style gaming. The Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, a straight shot south of Iowa City, features a championship course designed by Rees Jones, who has also designed PGA courses and Ryder Cup sites. Along with spacious rooms and golf villas, the resorts features an indoor/outdoor pool, fine dining, and casino with more than 1,000 slot machines.