"Iowa" who's camping where?

[Csbadvisor]

Prairie Flower at Saylorville Lake several times since opening June 1. Spent a week in Lanesboro, Mn mid June, great bike trails! Heading to the Ledges next week, then Hill City SD to bike the Michelson Trail and explore Black Hills.

[TURBS]

Will be at lake darling Monday, Tuesday and Thursday

[twam911]

Wildwood acres!

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by twam911

Wildwood acres!

In canton?

[Iowa Frogfarmer]

Just came back from a 6 nighter at Red Haw State Park. So nice and peaceful...until all the "weekend warriors" showed up. Had a family of 6 come in Friday night with new, in the box, tenting equipment. Watched the Mom go thru setting up the tent while dad did mostly nothing. Then it started to rain a little. They disappear. Next morning, about 10 am they show back up. Heard them talking to friends on their phone. Seems they discovered they did not bring any kind of air pump with so they could not inflate their air mattresses. Drove and hour and a half back to their home to spend the night.

Come Sunday morning, after another rainy night, they went to break camp. Mom asks dad for help with tent etc. "Oohhh. That stuff is all dirty and muddy. I don't want to touch it." REALLY??? Mom managed to get everything stuff into the back of their brand new Acura MDX suv (ya, brand new vehicle too) and off they went with her spouting profanities .

[Theb2b]

Acton Valley, Saylorville lake. Lost power due the storm to the house so we packed up the camper and going to ride it out, Thursday we are off to Colorado.

[MNtraveler]

Hey it’s spring - time to reopen this thread!

It looks like Saylorville Lk CGs don’t open til April 15 or May 1. Is that right? Can you do walk up? (The reservation site only gives the reservable dates but doesn’t show FCFS either.)

Any other CG of interest open and worth visiting from I80 Nebraska thru to I35 to MN? Basically the whole quadrant NW of Des Moines is within reach (we are in NE now).

Interested in hiking and biking. Primitive is OK but usually prefer an electric hookup if available due to cold nights this time of year.

I see the Des Moines West KOA opened April 1.

Thanks!

[PDuB-IA2MI]

Check the Iowa SP reservation system. Most SP are turning on water early to mid April, but my guess is that this warm spell will get things going!

https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/

[MNtraveler]

Thanks!

[MNtraveler]

It looks like we’ll head to Lake Anita SP which has lots of availability and hiking and biking trails.

I saw that Wilson Island SP does not open until April 15.

Thanks again!

[PDuB-IA2MI]

Sure thing!

[Csbadvisor]

Originally Posted by MNtraveler

Hey it’s spring - time to reopen this thread!

It looks like Saylorville Lk CGs don’t open til April 15 or May 1. Is that right? Can you do walk up? (The reservation site only gives the reservable dates but doesn’t show FCFS either.)

Any other CG of interest open and worth visiting from I80 Nebraska thru to I35 to MN? Basically the whole quadrant NW of Des Moines is within reach (we are in NE now).

Interested in hiking and biking. Primitive is OK but usually prefer an electric hookup if available due to cold nights this time of year.

I see the Des Moines West KOA opened April 1.

Thanks!

Check out Howell Station a COE Park on Lake Red Rock just west of Pella, Ia. Only 45 to 50 minutes from DesMoines. Great bike trail around the lake and also can bike into Pella. We have reservations for Apr. 20th. I believe they open on the 15th

[MNtraveler]

Thanks csbadvisor!

We are at Lake Anita SP now. Lots of vacancy! Maybe that’s because the winds were 20-25 gusting to 35 this afternoon. Its a good thing we were close to here when they really started picking up or we would have pulled off I-80 somewhere else at who knows what.

Because many sites were open, we got a nice FHU site that faces almost directly into the wind. Wow was it blowing late afternoon into evening! We needed the main door open but had to tie it back with a preventer (sailing term, sure came in handy).

Cows are nearby which may explain the ridiculous number of flies! But we may just have been something to hang onto in the wind.

For some reason they have done massive tree removal here. That will be rough when it gets hot out. I’ll see if I can find out what happened. They didn’t seem to have blown down, they were cut clean off, unless that was done after a blowdown. The shade trees have been decimated.

[MNtraveler]

Here are some photos showing the devastation of the trees. A ranger said they had to remove all the ash trees due to Emerald Ash Borer infestation.



Some new trees have been planted though not right at the campsites and they will take many years to mature. So sad.

Did I mention there are a tremendous number of flies here? [emoji15]

[Virginian]

I have a reservation for May 5th & 6th at Shady Creek COE campground near Muscatine. Never been there, but it seems to be a good rest break on the way to Washington from Virginia.

[Virginian]

Originally Posted by MNtraveler

Here are some photos showing the devastation of the trees. A ranger said they had to remove all the ash trees due to Emerald Ash Borer infestation.

That's exactly why they've been asking for years that people not bring firewood with them from outside the area.

[Theb2b]

Wallashuck campground, along Red Rock Lake.

[Electra glide]

Pleasant Creek

[TURBS]

Amana

[MartyQ]

Have FUN at Octoberfest!! Are any of the FROG's gathering?