Cabin at Pine Lake State Park in Eldora

A new system for Iowa state park campsite, cabin and lodge reservations was launched this week. Sherry Arntzen, with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says the online system is not completely finished.

For instance, information on many of the parks’ services and amenities still need to be added. “The other thing we were not able to do at launch…is the ability to do reservation changes online yourself. We just weren’t able to get that in,” Arntzen said. Customers needed to make changes to their reservation will need to go through a call center (1-877-427-2757).

The old online reservation system was shut down two weeks ago. Iowans who are planning to camp at a state park will need to set up a new account.

Arntzen wanted the new system in place to take Memorial Day weekend reservations beginning February 27. “I encourage everybody to get on and take a look…get familiar, get your account setup, it’s a very simple process,” Arntzen said. “So, when your opening window, let’s say for Memorial Day weekend opens up, you’re ready to go.”

The new system includes many of the same features as the old system, but “looks and feels” different, according to Arntzen. “We’re excited about having this new reservation system and we hope more people will look at using it,” Arntzen said.

The DNR cited a number of reasons for switching to a new reservation system. Arntzen said there were problems with double-bookings and the financial reporting mechanism with the old system.

The state park campgrounds open on April 1.

Link to the new reservation system here.