Recent rains leading up to the Labor Day weekend have had very little impact on the camping situation at Iowa’s state parks and recreation areas. Many campgrounds have sites available for walk-in campers and some still have sites to reserve.
Currently, only one of the four campgrounds at Yellow River State Forest will be closed from last week’s flooding. This Friday, Sept 2 the Little Paint, Big Paint and the Frontier campgrounds will re-open, and the Creekside campground is expected to reopen on Sept. 12.
A brief flooding event at George Wyth State Park has passed and the campground is ready for Labor Day weekend.
Equestrian trails at Yellow River and Stephens forests, and Elk Rock and Nine Eagles state parks are currently closed. They will reopen when they have had a chance to dry out and staff have had time to make necessary repairs.
Canyon Drive at Ledges is currently closed to vehicle traffic. Heavy rainfall recently caused flash flooding, making the stream flowing through the canyon area rise to levels unsafe for vehicle traffic. Park visitors are allowed to hike into the canyon area at this time but are advised the stream is running at a high level and visitors are cautioned not to enter the stream on foot. The campground, trails, many other roads and parking lots, and both open shelters remain accessible by vehicle.
Alerts and closures at Iowa’s state parks can be found at https://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks-Rec-Areas/Closure-Information. State park visitors are encouraged to check this page before traveling to a park. Rains can quickly impact trails and campgrounds in certain areas.
To check out campsite and cabin availability or to make reservations visit http://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/