The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is waiving the fees at all state parks, recreation areas and state forest campgrounds this weekend. D-N-R spokesperson Sherry Arntzen says this is the fifth annual free camping weekend.

Arntzen says it’s open to all Iowa residents as a thank you to those who’ve supported the campgrounds in the past, and an effort to get more people out to try the campgrounds. Arntzen says it’s a first-come, first-served deal. She says the campsites are not available for reservations this weekend. Arntzen says some people have already gone out and paid for Tuesday through Wednesday night to get a spot.

She says the number of campers always depends on the weather. She says it looks like a good weekend for the weather and she expects several of the campgrounds to be full like they are for holiday weekends. Arntzen says you may have to do some checking for find a camping spot.

Arntzen says you might want to call ahead to check for available campsites. She says some of the concession areas aren’t open yet, so you might want to take some firewood and ice with you. There are 52 Iowa state parks that offer camping. To find a campsite near you, surf to the D-N-R’s website at: www.iowadnr.com, then click on state parks.