Flooding hampers camping in parks along Skunk River; others having good season

A cool, wet May, followed by the hot temperatures in July have slowed down camping enthusiasts in Henry County parks, but not in Jefferson and Washington counties parks.

Becky Thorton, office manager at Henry County Conservation, said spring flooding caused two of the county's three camping areas to close for several weeks, 'so camping totals are way down here.”

Camping at Water Works Park usually begins in May, but because of flooding from the Skunk River, it didn't start until July 1, Thorton continued. Then, Skunk River flooding closed the South Shore area of Oakland Mills Park for three weeks.

Camping has 'been really good” in Washington County according to Zach Rozmus, director of Washington County Conservation. 'We're close to capacity on weekends. We've been seeing people pull in on Thursdays so they can be sure to have a spot for the weekends.”

Shawn Morrissey, director of Jefferson County Conservation, said use of Jefferson County parks have been the same as the last five years, although there's currently a lull.

'It always slows down during state fair time,” he said; the 2019 Iowa State Fair runs Thursday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 18 in Des Moines.

According to Morrissey, Jefferson County Conservation oversees 12 areas. Three of those areas allow camping: Round Prairie Park, Mac Coon Access and Jefferson County Park.

Round Prairie Park, in the southeast corner of the county, is a secluded spot, with not much traffic. 'It's a quiet place you can have all to yourself,” Morrissey said. 'It is always kind of slow.”

Morrissey said there is about a dozen camping sites, with electrical hookups, available at the park. The park also offers pit toilets, picnic shelter, two ponds and a stream for fishing, a playground and prairie plantings. A canoe access point to the Cedar Creek is just down the road from the camping area.

Mac Coon Access, north of Lockridge, offers 24 camping sites, with electrical hookups, along the bank of the Skunk River.

'Mac Coon Access flooded the week before and after Memorial Day, and that reduced its usability, but it picked back up in mid-June,” said Morrissey. 'People like to fish there, and they pull big catfish out of the river.”

The park has a boat ramp and a fish cleaning station for anglers. It also offers pit toilets, a picnic shelter, hiking trails and a playground.

The campgrounds at Jefferson County Park has 24 sites, with both electrical and water hookups.

'Jefferson County Park sees the most use,” said Morrissey. 'It is a little more modern with flush toilets, hot showers.”

According to the website www.jeffersoncountyconservation.com, Jefferson County Park's 227 acres also has three picnic shelters, a gazebo, trails for hiking, biking and skiing, five ponds for fishing, several playgrounds, a ball field, a volleyball game area, prairie plantings, playgrounds, two cabins and a nature center.

'It is quiet and safe,” said Morrissey. 'When you are in this wooded setting, sitting around a campfire, you don't realize how close you are to town. It's a nice place to go to feel like you are getting away, even though you aren't too far from home.”

Rozmus, director of Washington County Conservation, said he and his crew oversee 17 parks, with 2,300 acres.

The county's most developed park and recreation area is Marr Park near Ainsworth. Rozmus said the campground offers 41 sites with full hookups and a shower house. Non-electrical sites also are available.

Marr Park features diverse habitats from woodlands to prairie to ponds. Visitors can sometimes spot deer, pheasant, squirrels, birds and other animals in the park, and anglers can catch bluegill, largemouth bass and channel catfish in the two ponds. The park also has playground areas, playing fields, hiking trails, picnic shelters, and a conservation education center, with a display area and several interactive activities, an observation deck, a library and a lab.

'When Lake Darling is closed or full, Marr Park benefits from the overflow; this is the first place people think of,” said Rozmus. Lake Darling State Park is near Brighton, which also is in Washington County.

'But people forget we are more than Marr Park,” Rozmus continued, explaining that primitive camping is allowed in most of Washington County Conservation's outlaying parks. According to the website, camping is prohibited at Crawford Pond, Foster Pond, Hayes Timber, Kewash Nature Trail and Walnut School.

At the primitive camping areas, like the Brighton Boat Access, Brinton Timber, Clemons Creek Wildlife & Recreation Area, English River Wildlife Area, Fern Cliff, Foster Woods, McKain's River Access, Sockum Ridge and others, 'use is based on the honor system, and we don't collect a fee,” said Rozmus. 'But, we want to highlight the natural resources, so users are encouraged to try not to leave a footprint; it is carry-in and carry-out.”

Rozmus said details about the parks in Washington County can be found on the county's website at https://co.washington.ia.us; under government, click on conservation.

According to Thorton, Henry County Conservation oversees 15 parks, recreation areas and wildlife areas. Three areas offer camping sites: the Water Works area of Oakland Mills Park, the South Shore area of Oakland Mills Park; and the Top-of-Hill area of Oakland Mills Park.

According to information on www.mycountyparks.com, the South Shore area has a 30-site campground. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Twenty-four have concrete pads, electrical service and water. The other six are primitive sites available only by walk-in, but parking is nearby. The South Shore area has a shower house and restroom, a playground, and fishing access to the Skunk River. The Oakland Mills Bridge connects the South Shore to the North Shore, and a hiking trail, with a swinging bridge, connects to the Top-of-Hill Recreation Area. A host is available at the site.

Top-of-Hill camping area, according to the mycountyparks.com website, has 10 electrical sites. The campground has many activities, including the Woodland Trail Disc Golf Course, which starts at the trail head, is the back nine holes to the Riverview Disc Golf Course. The Oakland Mills Nature Center, a catch-and-release fishing pond and a swinging bridge are other features.

The Water Works area, according to the mycountyparks.com website, is along the north shore of the Skunk River. It has 20 semi-modern campsites, five primitive sites, a restroom and picnic shelter. The Ross Observation Tower is a special feature. An in-park campground host is available to assist campers.

The types of campers using Henry County parks depends on the time of year and events going on in the area. 'When we have Old Threshers going on in Mt. Pleasant, we get campers from all over,” said Thorton. 'We just had RAGBRAI riders staying when they were in the area. It just depends on what's going on. But we do have lots of locals who come and camp, too.”

Thorton said the camping season in Henry County Conservation parks ends on Oct. 13 this year.

Neither Jefferson nor Washington County conservation take reservations for campsites – everything is first-come, first-serve, but Henry County Conservation accepts camping reservations through mycountyparks.com.

People who do not have internet access can call Thorton, and she can make reservations online for them or they still can pull in, check on availability, and camp in spots that have not been reserved.

People interested in registering for events offered by Henry County Conservation, such as river paddles, photography contests, informational presentations, hikes and more, also can learn about and register for those activities on the mycountyparks.com website.

'We are talking about the possibility of online reservations for the cabins,” said Morrissey, 'but the first-come, first-serve is working for the campsites.”