Welcome to the Nauvoo River Lodge!

This Nauvoo vacation rental is located 7 minutes south of the Nauvoo Temple (with a view of it from its riverfront) and 15 minutes from Keokuk shopping (Wal-mart, restaurants, etc). It sits on a secluded property up on a hill, right off the road that runs along the Mississippi river, with its front to the river and its back to the woods. 

The property was home to a YMCA camp from the early 1900s until the 1980s. The lodge available for your group’s stay was built in 1961 and is the second camp lodge (with the original lodge further up the hill having been built in the early 1940s). During the 1990s the whole 90-acre property (including both lodges and all the cabins) was purchased by a family, who then used the lodge as a single-family dwelling. In late 2021 we purchased the lodge from this family and have since restored—gutting & replacing old bathrooms, adding new bathrooms & bedrooms, installing a new robust septic system & a 4-stage water-filtration system, installing 3 instant hot-water heaters, outfitting the kitchen with all it needs to feed a small army, and filling the lodge with beds/furniture/linens/etc. This has all been done in order to accommodate YOUR GROUP, whether you are gathering for a family reunion, a youth group, a sports-team gathering, or a collection of friends!

There are 80 bed spaces in 10 bedrooms plus a detached cabin (restored, temperature controlled), located about 50 yards from the lodge. There are 5 queen beds, with the rest being double-bunk or triple-bunk beds. Each bottom bed of the double-bunk beds has space and comfort enough to accommodate the less agile adults, while the top bunks and triple beds are better suited for children, teens, and agile adults. Consult the floor plan for the bedroom layout.

Bedroom 1:  1 queen, 1 bunk, sleeps 4

Bedroom 2:  1 queen, 1 bunk, sleeps 4

Bedroom 3:  1 queen, sleeps 2

Bedroom 4:  1 triple bunk, 2 double bunks, sleeps 7

Bedroom 5:  1 queen, 1 triple bunk, sleeps 5

Bedroom 6:  1 queen, 1 triple bunk, sleeps 5

Bedroom 7:  1 triple bunk, 2 double bunks, sleeps 7

Bedroom 8:  5 triple bunks, 2 double bunks, sleeps 19

Bedroom 9:  1 triple bunk, 2 double bunks, sleeps 7

Bedroom 10: 2 triple bunks, 1 double bunk, sleeps 8

Cabin: 6 double bunks, sleeps 12

The kitchen at this Nauvoo vacation rental has been outfitted with 2 sinks, 2 ovens, 2 dishwashers, and 2 large refrigerators/freezers. The kitchen has all of its cupboards & drawers labeled and filled with supplies. Of note: medium-sized propane grill on the balcony, 3 crockpots, several electric griddles/skillets, several sheet pans, 2 large drink dispensers, pots/pans/skillets, serving bowls/dishes, casserole dishes, toasters, blender, mixer, dishes & silverware for 50+, etc. 

The dining room will accommodate 80.

Many visitors are entertained in full with all that Nauvoo has to offer—historic sites, live musicals/shows, in-town shopping, etc.  In addition to those main attractions, this Nauvoo vacation rental itself offers lots to do! 

Inside, there are many puzzles and games, along with a pool table, ping-pong table, and foosball table.  The lodge also provides Wi-Fi and 3 Roku televisions.

Outside, you have the river-front property, which has a fire pit, large grassy area, shade trees,  and beach available for your gatherings and water fun. S'mores and lightning-bug capturing can be a nightly activity (lots of on-site wood for your fire)! Several watercrafts (Jon boat rated for 8 people, Hobie catamaran sail boat, 2 kayaks, 2 aluminum canoes, 2 inflatable boats, several inner tubes) available on site for rent. Lots of life jackets (18 adult plus 2 infant/toddler), camp chairs (12), & s'mores sticks (8) available for your use. A 6' table, a couple picnic blankets, and a medium/large cooler are also available for your use.  You will need to bring your own beach towels, though.

Available for rent on site are:

• Jon boat rated for 8 passengers--$350/day
• 12 ft. Hobie Catamaran sail boat (fits 2)--$100/day
• Canoes (2 available, fit 3 adults each)--$25 each/day
• Kayaks (2 available, each fits 1 adult )--$20 each/day
• Inflatable boats (2 available, each fits 4 adults)--$20 each/day 
• Inflatable tubes (8)--$20/day

Each of these, except the Jon boat, can be launched from the riverfront across the street. The Jon boat can be launched either in Hamilton or in Nauvoo (we normally use the end of Parley St in Nauvoo). 

The property itself can be fun to explore, and there are a couple of nice hiking areas in Nauvoo:  Hopewell Mounds (Indian burial grounds) and the trail around Horton Lake, to name a couple.

Consult VRBO for current nightly rates and available dates. Avoid booking fees by booking directly with us.  

This Nauvoo vacation rental has bed sheets, bath towels, washcloths, kitchen and hand towels, pillows, and comforters. There are also a couple of hair dryers, an iron & ironing board, and washers & dryers. For the little ones, we provide 2 pack-n-plays, 2 booster seats with trays, and one stroller. 

A few hand/bath soaps, a few hotel-sized shampoo/conditioners, and a couple rolls of toilet paper will be in each bathroom, so you will likely want to have youth/families bring their own.  There will also be a few kitchen trash bags, dishwashing pods, and laundry pods provided for your convenience.

Rules:  No smoking, and no pets