Green Valley, Honey Creek Campgrounds Open for Memorial Day Weekend

Iowa campgrounds will be bursting at the seams this Memorial Day weekend and with good reason. With a favorable weather forecast, good fishing, and three days in the campground will likely make this holiday one to remember.

Campers have snapped up nearly all electrical sites on the DNR reservation system. For campers without reservations, Green Valley State Park, near Creston, had about 50 electrical sites available as of last Tuesday morning. Green Valley has undergone a major renovation that was completed this spring. It is open for camping, but will not be on the reservation system for 2010.

There are 17 non electric sites at Green Valley that will likely not be available because of wet conditions and the new grass has not yet come in. Campers interested in the site should visit with the park ranger before setting up.

Honey Creek State Park will also allow campers in this weekend after a major road resurfacing project closed the entire park last August. Honey Creek has 28 full hook-up sites, 75 electrical sites and 45 non electric sites and will allow camping on a first come basis.

Other sites available with electricity through the reservation system as of Tuesday morning include one at Clear Lake, two at Lake Keomah, two at Fairport, one at Lacey Keosauqua and one at Prairie Rose. Sites that are ADA compliant are available at Lake Darling, Pine Lake and Stone state parks. Reservations must be made by Wednesday or the sites will become first come, first served for the weekend.

"Campsite reservations for this weekend filled quickly three months ago and with a good weather forecast, my guess is that the first come sites will fill early this week," said Kevin Szcodronski, chief of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources State Parks Bureau. "My advice to anyone looking for a campsite this weekend is to call first and look at parks further away from the larger cities.

"We've been through a long winter and we want everyone to come out and have a good time," Szcodronski said. "Listen to the birds, enjoy the wildlife and relax with friends and family."

Campgrounds near capacity, boat ramps busy and picnickers filling the shelters will be the norm this weekend. Szcodronski said the increased use is a welcomed sign of summer, and he encouraged campers and visitors to be good neighbors. Campers are also asked to get their firewood locally and to leave all fireworks at home. Don't forget the sunscreen and bug spray.

"Everyone is excited for the first holiday of the camping season and we want to encourage them be courteous to their fellow campers, to pick up after themselves and leave the site in as good or better condition than they found it. It only takes one noisy neighbor to ruin a camping trip for a lot of people," Szcodronski said. "We are also encouraging campers to help us save electricity by turning off their air conditioners when they are not in the camper, and to unplug their lights when they go in for the night."

The campground and boat ramp will not be the only places busy with activity. The prairies and forests that are part of the park will be busy with the sounds of wildlife.

"This really is a great time to be outdoors," Szcodronski said. "It's a nice time to slow down from our busy lives, pull the ear buds out of our ears and appreciate the sounds of nature."

From the witchy-witchy-witchy of the common yellow throat to the sound of grinding steel ball bearings made by cricket frogs. Pheasants are crowing, coyotes howling and hummingbirds are out. Listen for hey-sweetie by the chickadees, and drink your tea from the Eastern towhee. This concert is playing now and campers will have a front row seat.

Another activity hitting its peak is fishing and if there is a lake in or near the park, fishing will be good. Check with the park staff to see what is biting and where to fish. Bluegills, crappies and bass will likely be aggressive and close to shore. Anglers should use small tackle and bait for the best success.

'Primitive' Campsites Lure Those Looking for Getaway

'Primitive' campsites lure those looking for getaway



By Orlan Love, The Gazette
orlan.love@gazettecommunications.com



Campers who want to commune with nature rather than the occupants of recreational vehicles can find plenty of good places to pitch their tents.



Though the trend has been to accommodate RVs by upgrading campsites with electricity, water and sewer hookups and even wireless Internet access, most state- and county-operated parks still provide ample opportunities for campers to rough it, says Kevin Szcodronski, chief of the Department of Natural Resources Parks Bureau.



Iowa's state park system has 2,706 electrified campsites and 1,977 primitive sites. About half in each category can be reserved, with the other half available on a first-come, first-served basis.



The conservation departments in Iowa's 99 counties operate a combined 11,500 sites, about half of which are primitive, says Tom Hazelton, special programs manager for Linn County Conservation Department.



"People flock to scenic vistas and water, and the trend has been to improve the most popular sites with amenities, but some people just like to camp the old-fashioned way," Hazelton says.



One such person is Harry Graves, director of the Johnson County Conservation Department.



"We are tent people," Graves says of wife Ellie and himself. "When we go camping, we are out to enjoy nature rather than neighbors. We like being able to set up camp on a moment's notice, wherever we happen to be.



"Tent camping is no longer synonymous with primitive camping, though, Graves says.



"A fair number of tent campers pick electric sites for their fans, televisions and cell phone chargers," he says. Around holidays, like the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, primitive campers enjoy another advantage — less competition for sites. While most primitive sites do fill up, they are the last to do so, says Linn County's Hazelton.



The 1,624-acre Matsell Bridge Natural Area in eastern Linn County has about a dozen "pack-in" campsites along the Wapsipinicon River that provide rustic camping at its finest, he says. "You can't drive to them. You have to carry everything you need, including water, so they're generally not crowded," he says.



The 340-acre Wakpicada Natural Area along the Wapsipinicon, south of Central City, is also popular with primitive campers, Hazelton says. "It's dark at night at Wakpicada," he says.



Linn County provides 581 sites at 24 campgrounds, with slightly more than half of them unimproved.



In Johnson County, the Hills Access and the River Junction Access each provide about a dozen primitive sites along the Iowa River, and 48 of the 84 sites at F.W. Kent Park near Tiffin are non-electric, Graves says.



The Jones County Conservation Department offers 43 primitive sites at its Central Park, says director Larry Gullett."Tent camping really appeals to people who like to paddle and fish the river systems," he says.



The Wapsipinicon in Jones and Jackson counties is classified as a meandered stream, which means camping is permitted on its sandbars, Gullet says. The Maquoketa River is a non-meandered stream, which means landowner permission is required to camp on its sandbars, he says."Always ask first. Most of the landowners are cooperative as long as its not a large group intent upon partying," he says.



For campers who really want to get away from it all, Szcodronski recommends the three state forests in Eastern Iowa: Yellow River, 8,503 acres in Allamakee County; Shimek, 9,148 acres in Lee and Van Buren counties; and Stephens, 15,170 acres in Lucas, Clarke, Monroe, Appanoose and Davis counties.



"This is primitive camping at its best. ... You've got latrines, fire rings and picnic tables, and the rest is up to you," he says.

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