It is only February, but the Iowa Department of Natural Resources this morning opened up a reservation system for state campgrounds. It’s the first time ever the state has offered campground reservations.
D-N-R parks bureau chief, Kevin Szcodronski, says the midwinter timing didn’t keep people from making reservations. He says 39 people booked reservations in the first hour. Szcodronski says you can only book three months in advance, so people are already thinking about camping even before spring.
Iowa’s old system was first-come, first-served for all campgrounds, and Szcodronski says the new system will let people do a little more advanced planning. He says there are about 52-hundred campsites statewide and 26-hundred will now be available for reservations.
Szcodronski says it will cost you a little more to reserve a site. He says it’s a four dollar reservation fee if you sign up on-line and there’s a six dollar fee to sign up via the phone.
For those of you looking ahead thinking you’re going to lock up the prime camping times early, Szcodronski says you need to remember the three-month advance limit.
Szcodronski says a lot of people will look to make reservations for the busy Memorial Day weekend, but he says you won’t be able to do that until late February. Campsites may be reserved from as little as one night or as many as 14 consecutive nights and one person can reserve more than one campsite at a time so campers can stay next to each other.
Campsites can be reserved on-line at ww.reserveiaparks.com or by calling 1-877-I-A-PARKS. The D-N-R will accept checks, money orders, camping coupons and credit cards for payments.