The three month window to reserve a state park campsite for a Friday arrival on Memorial Day weekend opens Saturday, Feb. 27. More than a few campers will plan their arrival for the weekend before Memorial Day and stay through the holiday, which means their window will open Saturday, Feb. 20.
“Campers can make reservations for sites three months ahead of their first night stay, and we have a flurry of reservations from campers who begin their stay prior to the Memorial Day weekend,” said Todd Coffelt, chief of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources State Parks Bureau.
Most parks will have nonelectric sites available for the Memorial Day weekend. Not every campsite is available on the reservation system for advanced reservations. Parks maintain between 25 and 50 percent of the electric and nonelectric sites as non-reservation sites, available for walk-in camping.
Information on Iowa’s state parks is available online at www.iowadnr.gov including the link to the reservation website. Campers may log on directly to http://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com; enter their preferred amenities and requirements, dates and/or parks to see what sites are available and make a reservation, or they can call 1-877-427-2757, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Saturday and Sunday to place their reservation.
Campers are encouraged to note closures when making reservations. Some campgrounds may be closed Memorial Day. Currently, Springbrook State Park campground is closed through June 9 for road and bridge repair. Red Haw, Lake Wapello, Lake Manawa, Fairport and Lake Keomah state parks are all currently closed for campground renovations. No advanced reservations are available at Union Grove State Park due to the lake draw-down. Weather will play an important role in how soon projects will be completed and a how soon campgrounds will be back online.
Closure information is current on the DNR website and reservation system. Closure information can be found at www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks-Rec-Areas/Closure-Information and on individual park webpages.