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5/3/2006
Free Camping Weekend Starts May 5

DES MOINES - A favorable weather forecast. A nice, warm spring. Fishing is good. All signs point to a busy weekend in Iowa State Parks for the 2006 free camping weekend. Iowa residents may waive the usual camping fees and stay for free in an Iowa State Park Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources State Parks Bureau established free camping weekend as the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in May. The free camping is available to Iowans only and only on a first come, first serve basis; reservations are not accepted for this weekend. Nonresidents may camp, but must pay the appropriate camping fee. All other state park rules remain in effect.

"Our staff is putting the finishing touches to the spring work in our parks before the weekend. It looks like the weather will cooperate, so we are expecting a busy weekend," said Kevin Szcodronski, chief of the state parks bureau. "We are encouraging people who have been away from camping for a while, or who would like to try camping, to use this weekend as a way to give it a try on us. Of course our hope is that they have a good experience and want to come back."

There are a number of interpretive programs available during the free camping weekend, including a night hike at Dolliver State Park to a trumpeter swan program at Clear Lake State Park to a program on wild cats in Iowa at Green Valley State Park. A complete list of programs is available on the DNR's website at www.iowadnr.com, then click on state parks, then on events calendar on the left side navigation column under Recreation Opportunities. The programs are free.

Free camping weekend is in DNR managed Iowa state parks, recreation areas and state forest campgrounds. For a complete list of DNR managed campgrounds, go to www.iowadnr.com, click on state parks in the left hand navigation column, then on State Parks List in the same navigation column.

There are 52 Iowa state parks that offer camping. Campers spent nearly 690,000 nights in Iowa state parks in 2005, which was an increase from 2004, when campers spent 665,000 nights. The main camping season is May 1 through Sept. 30. A campsite in a campground with flush toilets and showers with electricity costs $16 per night and without electricity costs $11 per night. The cost goes to $14 per night and $9 per night in campgrounds with no showers provided and either vault latrines or flush toilets available.

The campground at Lake Darling State Park will be open for free camping weekend, but the shower and dump station, as well as the sewer system for sites with full hook-ups, will not be available. Work is continuing on the new wastewater collection system in the park, and weather permitting, it should wrap up by the end of May.

Iowa's free camping weekend began in 2002 as a way to get people thinking and talking about camping, and to encourage them spend a weekend camping in state parks.

County and Federal campgrounds are not part of the free weekend.

For more information, contact your local state park, or call Szcodronski at 515-281-8674.

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