Des Moines West KOA Holiday Blog
Enjoy crisp autumn days and a relaxing camping getaway at Des Moines West KOA!
Whether you’re exploring the local area or hanging out at the campground, KOA Holidays are an ideal place to relax and play. There’s plenty to do, with amenities and services to make your stay memorable. Plus, you’ll enjoy the outdoor experience with upgraded RV Sites with KOA Patio® and Deluxe Cabins with full baths for camping in comfort. Bring your family, bring your friends, or bring the whole group – there’s plenty of ways to stay and explore.
Whether you’re exploring the local area or hanging out at the campground, KOA Holidays are an ideal place to relax and play. There’s plenty to do, with amenities and services to make your stay memorable. Plus, you’ll enjoy the outdoor experience with upgraded RV Sites with KOA Patio® and Deluxe Cabins with full baths for camping in comfort. Bring your family, bring your friends, or bring the whole group – there’s plenty of ways to stay and explore.
18 miles west of I-35/I-80 interchange on I-80 Exit 106. North 1.5 miles on paved CR P-58 (L Avenue).
GPS: N41.541910, W94.079558
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There is something about Halloween that makes camping even more fun.
Instead of celebrating Halloween for just one evening, families can turn it into an entire fall weekend. Decorate your campsite, put on your costumes, carve or decorate pumpkins, explore the campground and end the day gathered around a campfire.
At Des Moines West KOA Holiday in Adel, Halloween camping has become one of the most anticipated parts of the fall camping season.
So what makes Halloween camping so popular?
One of the best parts of Halloween camping is that the fun doesn't stop when you return to your campsite.
Your campsite becomes part of the celebration.
Campers decorate their RVs, campsites and outdoor spaces with everything from pumpkins and spooky decorations to elaborate Halloween displays. Walking through the campground to see what everyone has created becomes an activity all its own.
There is also something especially fun about waking up Saturday morning and realizing you're already in the middle of your Halloween weekend.
No rushing around at home. No trying to squeeze everything into one evening.
Just camping and Halloween together.
Why wait until October 31 to put on a costume?
During Halloween Weekends at Des Moines West KOA Holiday, campers are encouraged to get into the spirit and participate in costume contests. That means everyone can join in, from little ones in their first Halloween costumes to adults who are willing to have a little fun with it.
And because you're camping, costumes don't have to be limited to one night.
Pack the costume, bring the accessories and make it part of the entire weekend.
Pumpkin decorating is another favorite part of Halloween camping.
It's an easy activity for families to do together, and it gives kids something creative to work on while enjoying the campground.
At Des Moines West KOA Holiday, pumpkin decorating is part of the scheduled Halloween weekend activities, with pumpkins available while supplies last. Activities are weather permitting, so check the current event details when planning your weekend.
And once your pumpkin is finished, it can become part of your campsite decorations.
One reason families enjoy Halloween camping is that you don't have to spend the entire weekend driving from one activity to another.
The campground itself becomes part of the entertainment.
Depending on the weekend, Halloween activities include campsite decorating, costume contests, pumpkin decorating and other seasonal activities. Some weekends also feature a corn maze.
That makes it easy for families with different ages to enjoy the weekend together.
You can participate in the activities you want, take a break at your campsite and then head back out when you're ready.
The 2026 Halloween season at Des Moines West KOA Holiday includes several themed weekends:
October 2–4, 2026
Get into the Halloween spirit with decorated campsites, costumes, pumpkin decorating and a corn maze.
October 9–11, 2026
Enjoy a fall camping weekend with Halloween decorations, costume contests, pumpkin decorating and family-friendly Halloween activities.
October 16–18, 2026
The final Halloween weekend of the season brings another opportunity for decorated campsites, costumes, pumpkin decorating and the corn maze.
All activities are weather permitting, and pumpkin decorating is available while supplies last.
Halloween camping doesn't have to mean staying at the campground the entire time.
Because Des Moines West KOA Holiday is located in Adel, you can combine your Halloween camping weekend with other fall activities in the area.
Wills Family Orchard is right in Adel and hosts its Apple & Pumpkin Festival weekends through October 25. Families can enjoy pumpkins, apples, a corn maze, hayrides and other fall activities before heading back to the campground for the evening.
You could spend Saturday afternoon exploring the area, return to the campground for Halloween activities and finish the evening around your campfire.
That's a pretty good fall weekend.
Maybe it's the decorations.
Maybe it's seeing the kids in their costumes.
Maybe it's the pumpkin decorating, the campground activities or the excitement of walking around to see what other campers have created.
Or maybe it's simply because Halloween camping turns an ordinary October weekend into something everyone gets to participate in.
Instead of Halloween being over in a few hours, you get an entire weekend to enjoy it.
And when the costumes come off and the campground starts to quiet down, you can sit around the campfire, enjoy the cooler fall air and settle into your campsite.
That's what makes Halloween camping different.
It's not just a Halloween event.
It's a camping tradition.
Halloween Weekends at Des Moines West KOA Holiday run September 25 through October 18, 2026, with three October weekends still offering themed Halloween camping experiences.
Bring the costumes. Decorate the campsite. Grab some pumpkins.
And make your next Halloween weekend a camping weekend.
That doesn't mean this area has to always be empty. When you start reviewing camping options, your history will display here to help compare sites and find the best stay. You will be able to share your stay information with friends or family and save it for a later time if you have a KOA Account.
Make checkout easy by booking all your reservations at once. Add your sites from different campgrounds into your shopping cart* and then choose checkout.
