March 28, 2024

Some state parks reopen after flood

Some of Iowa’s state parks impacted from last week’s flooding have reopened and are ready for visitors, but others have portions still closed.

George Wyth State Park will reopen Friday.

Backbone State Park’s lower road will open Friday. The campground was not impacted by the flood and is open.

Yellow River State Forest’s campgrounds are open.

Not every park or section has reopened.

The main road through Dolliver State Park is still flooded. The campground and family cabins remain closed and reservations have been cancelled through this weekend. The south lodge and group camp are open and accessible from the south entrance and the north open shelter is open and accessible from the north entrance.

The Canyon Drive and Lower Ledges Road at Ledges State Park are currently closed to vehicle traffic due to flooding. There’s no timetable on when the areas will be open as park staff will have to wait for the water to recede before assessing damages and starting clean-up efforts.  The campground, shelters, trails, many picnic areas, parking lots, and other roads was not impacted by the flood and is open.

Wapsipinicon State Park’s lower road is still under water.  The campground was not impacted and is open.

Wildcat trail at Pine Lake State Park is under water. The campground was not impacted and is open.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources maintains a list of park closures on its website www.iowadnr.gov/parks under the Closure Information link in the column on the left.