When it comes to camping, it takes no more than a couple hours of driving to discover a wide-ranging variety of destinations in Northeast Iowa.
Scot Michelson, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says campgrounds continue to fill up during holidays and weekends with favorable weather. Plenty of factors draw campers to this corner of the state.
“I think part of the reason a lot of people come to Northeast Iowa is because of the different topography than the rest of the state,” said Michelson, who serves as a park ranger at the Volga River State Recreation Area near Fayette. “Northeast Iowa is blessed with more rolling hills and bluffs and timber. That makes our parks a little bit more usable because of their different features.”
Iowa’s first state park, Backbone State Park in Strawberry Point, is one of the most popular. The park is known for its narrow and steep ridges of bedrock carved out by the Maquoketa River. The cliffs provide unique climbing and rappelling opportunities.
The picturesque views from Pikes Peak State Park overlooking the Mississippi River can be matched by few others, drawing plenty of tourists in that direction. Off the beaten path, Michelson also has a suggestion for campers who still prefer to rough it in tents.
“A lot of times I tell people if they want a more primitive type of experience, non-electricity and just real primitive-type camping, Yellow River State Forest by Harpers Ferry has over 100 campsites,” Michelson said. “It’s about 8,000 acres. Some sites you’re right next to a trout stream. You can go out your tent and walk five, 10 yards and go fishing. There’s not too many places in Iowa that tend to be remote like that.”
Other unique state parks that come to mind for Michelson include Bellevue State Park, which sits on top of a bluff that overlooks the Mississippi and doesn’t get as much use as some other locales. The Maquoketa Caves State Park just outside of Maquoketa provides a unique variety of spelunking opportunities with its various caves.
Cabins are available for rental at a growing number of parks. Backbone, Pine Lake in Eldora and Pleasant Creek in Palo are among the parks equipped with cabin options.
For those looking for a shorter drive, plenty of local campgrounds often get overlooked.
Jeff Kolb, Director of the Butler County Economic Development and Grundy County Development Alliance, points out that Wilder Park in Allison and Heery Woods State Park in Clarksville have plenty to offer. The parks have been developed throughout the past 10 years and are equipped with modern camping amenities.
Wilder Park provides activities from disc golf to sand volleyball to fishing ponds. The Rolling Prairie Bike Trail connects from that park to Heery Woods State Park. The 15-mile, newly paved bike trail is known for its mix of natural canopy and scenic bridges.
“I’ve always said we’re Northeast Iowa’s best kept secret,” Kolb said, addressing the campgrounds in Butler County. “In the past I think a lot of people from the area just didn’t know what was right nearby. You tend to always look further away and you tend to forget what’s in your own backyard, especially when it comes to campgrounds and recreation in general.”