Campgrounds Filling to Near Capacity for Labor Day Weekend
Posted: August 19, 2008

DES MOINES - The Labor Day Weekend is shaping up to be a busy one in Iowa State Parks. Campers have reserved nearly every campsite with electricity available using the reservation system. That means campers will need to arrive early in the week to claim a first come, first serve site.

"Camping is a great way to spend quality time with friends and family and with the Labor Day Holiday, we know the campgrounds are going to be busy. We will be encouraging campers to be courteous to each other and be good neighbors," said Kevin Szcodronski, chief of the Iowa State Parks bureau. "Everyone is out to have a good time and it only takes one loud, disrespectful campsite to disrupt an entire campground."

Labor Day Weekend will be a busy so campers are encouraged to have patience and arrive early to set up on their site. "It would be wise for campers who do not have a reservation to call the park ahead of time to see what is available for first come, first serve campsites and adjust their arrival plans accordingly," Szcodronski said.

Some of the more heavily used parks will be filled early in the week heading in to the holiday weekend so campers who cannot get out to claim a spot until later in the week may need to have a back-up plan.

"Campers may have to drive further or select a different park depending on campsite availability and their arrival time. My advice is for campers to be flexible on campground choice. Maybe try a park that you have not been to before," Szcodronski said.

Currently, Marble Beach, Pilot Knob and Stone state parks have sites with electricity available for reservation. Campsites with electricity are also available at Green Valley and Lake Wapello state parks, which are both in the process of lake renovations. Green Valley Lake is currently 12 feet low and Lake Wapello is completely drained. Dolliver Memorial State Park campground is open for first come, first serve camping. Lewis and Clark State Park campground is open and sites are available for first come, first serve camping while the park renumbers its campsites.

Walnut Woods and George Wyth state park campgrounds are closed until the flood damage can be repaired.

The modern campground at Lake Macbride is currently closed while a scheduled campground renovation is completed. There is the potential that contractors could complete the work at Lake Macbride in time to open for Labor Day. Call the park for the latest information.