Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-61.3
Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 11, December 11, 2024
Rule 571-61.3 - Camping in state parks and recreation areas(1)Procedures for camping registration.a. Registration of walk-in campers occupying nonreservable campsites or unrented, reservable campsites will be on a first-come, first-served basis and will be handled by a self-registration process. Registration forms will be provided by the department. Campers shall, within one-half hour of arrival at the campground, complete the registration form, place the appropriate fee in the envelope and place the envelope in the depository provided by the department. One copy of the registration form must then be placed in the campsite holder provided at the campsite. The camping length of stay identified on the camping registration form must begin with the actual date the camper registers, pays and posts the registration at the campsite.b. Campsites are considered occupied and registration for a campsite shall be considered complete when the requirements of paragraph 61.3(1) "a" have been met.c. Campsite registration must be in the name of a person 18 years of age or older who will occupy the camping unit on that site for the full term of the registration.(2)Organized youth group campsite registration.a. Registration procedures for organized youth group campsites shall be governed by paragraphs 61.3(1) "a," "b" and "c."b. A chaperoned, organized youth group may choose to occupy campsites not designated as organized youth group campsites. However, the group is subject to subrules 61.3(1), 61.3(3) and 61.3(5) pertaining to the campsite the group wishes to occupy.(3)Restrictions on campsite/campground use. This subrule sets forth conditions of public use that apply to all state parks and recreation areas. Specific areas as listed in subrule 61.3(4), rule 571-61.10 (461A) and rule 571-61.13 (461A) are subject to additional restrictions or exceptions. The conditions in this subrule are in addition to specific conditions and restrictions set forth in Iowa Code chapter 461A.a. No more than six persons shall occupy a campsite except for the following: (1) Families that exceed six persons may be allowed on one campsite if all members are immediate family and cannot logically be split to occupy two campsites.(2) Campsites that are designated as chaperoned, organized youth group campsites.b. Camping is restricted to one basic unit per site except that a small tent or hammock may be placed on a site with the basic unit.c. Each camping group shall utilize only the electrical outlet fixture designated for its particular campsite.d. Each camping group will be permitted to park one motor vehicle not being used for camping purposes at the campsite. Unless otherwise posted, one additional vehicle may be parked at the campsite.e. All motor vehicles, excluding motorcycles, not covered by the provision in paragraph 61.3(3) "d" shall be parked in designated extra-vehicle parking areas.f. Walk-in campers occupying nonreservable campsites or unrented, reservable campsites shall register as provided in subrule 61.3(1) within one-half hour of entering the campground.g. Campers occupying nonreservable campsites shall vacate the campground or register for the night prior to 3 p.m. daily. Registration can be for more than 1 night at a time but not for more than 14 consecutive nights for nonreservable campsites. All members of the camping party must vacate the state park or recreation area campground after the fourteenth night and may not return to the state park or recreation area until a minimum of three nights has passed. All equipment must be removed from the site at the end of each stay. The 14-night limitation shall not apply to volunteers working under a department program.h. Walk-in campers shall not occupy unrented, reservable campsites until 10 a.m. on the first camping day of their stay. Campers shall vacate the campground by 3 p.m. of the last day of their stay. Initial registration shall not exceed two nights. Campers may continue to register after the first 2 nights on a night-to-night basis up to a maximum of 14 consecutive nights, subject to campsite availability. All members of the camping party must vacate the state park, recreation area, or state forest campground after the fourteenth night and may not return to the state park, recreation area, or forest campground until a minimum of three nights has passed. All equipment must be removed from the site at the end of each stay. The 14-night limitation shall not apply to volunteers working under a department program.i. Campers with reservations shall not occupy a campsite before 4 p.m. of the first day of their stay. Campers shall vacate the site by 3 p.m. of the last day of their stay. Campers may register for more than 1 night at a time but not for more than 14 consecutive nights. All members of the camping party must vacate the state park or recreation area campground after the fourteenth night and may not return to the state park or recreation area until a minimum of three nights has passed. All equipment must be removed from the site at the end of each stay. The 14-night limitation shall not apply to volunteers working under a department program.j. Minimum stay requirements for camping reservations. From May 1 to October 31, a two-night minimum stay is required for weekends. The two nights shall be designated as Friday and Saturday nights. However, if October 31 is a Friday, the Friday and Saturday night stay shall not apply. If October 31 is a Saturday, the Friday and Saturday night stay shall apply. The following additional exceptions apply: (1) A Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night stay is required for the national Memorial Day holiday and national Labor Day holiday weekends.(2) A Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night stay is required for the Fourth of July holiday when the Fourth of July occurs on a Monday.(3) Exception to the paragraph 571-61.3 (3) "j" stay requirement. For campgrounds that are 100 percent reservable, with no walk-in sites, customers can reserve a Saturday stay if the Friday/Saturday stay is not reserved before the booking cut-off time has passed to make a Friday/Saturday stay reservation.(4) Exception to subparagraphs 571-61.3 (3) "j" (1) and (2) stay requirements. For campgrounds that are 100 percent reservable, with no walk-in sites, customers can reserve a Saturday or Sunday separately if the Friday/Saturday/Sunday is not reserved before the booking cut-off time has passed to make a three-night reservation. k. Buddy campsite reservations. Buddy campsites are between two to four individual sites that are grouped together and can only be reserved and used collectively. Campers reserving buddy campsites through the centralized reservation system must reserve both or all four of the individual sites that make up the group buddy campsite or buddy campsite.l. In designated campgrounds, equine animals and llamas must be stabled at a hitching rail, individual stall or corral if provided. Equine animals and llamas may be hitched to trailers for short periods of time to allow for grooming and saddling. These animals may be stabled inside trailers if no hitching facilities are provided. Portable stalls/pens and electric fences are not permitted.m. Campers shall use only straps to secure hammocks to trees on campsites. Straps must be a minimum of one inch wide.n. Special events. The department director or director's authorized representative may authorize camping in areas outside designated campgrounds for certain special events as defined in rule 571-44.2 (321G,321I,461A,462A,481A). Requests shall be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and permitted under the provisions of 571-Chapter 44.(4)Area-specific restrictions on campground use. In addition to the general conditions of public use set forth in this chapter, special conditions shall apply to specific areas listed as follows: a. Brushy Creek Recreation Area, Webster County.(1) In the designated equestrian campgrounds, the maximum number of equine animals to be tied to the hitching rails is six. Persons with a number of equine animals in excess of the number permitted on the hitching rail at their campsite shall be allowed to stable their additional animals in a trailer or register and pay for an additional campsite if available.(2) In the designated equestrian campgrounds, equine animals may be tied to trailers for short periods of time to allow grooming or saddling; however, the tying of equine animals to the exterior of trailers for extended periods of time or for stabling is not permitted.b.Recreation area campgrounds. Access into and out of designated campgrounds shall be permitted from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. From 10:31 p.m. to 3:59 a.m., only registered campers are permitted in and out of the campgrounds.c.Lake Manawa State Park, Pottawattamie County. Except for the following limitations on campground length of stay, campsite use restrictions as stated in subrule 61.3(3) shall apply to Lake Manawa. Campers may register for more than 1 night at a time but not for more than 14 consecutive nights. No person may camp at the Lake Manawa campground for more than 14 nights in any 30-day period.d.Walnut Woods State Park, Polk County. Except for the following limitations on campground length of stay, campsite use restrictions as stated in subrule 61.3(3) shall apply to Walnut Woods. Campers may register for more than 1 night at a time but not for more than 14 consecutive nights. No person may camp at the Walnut Woods campground for more than 14 nights in any 30-day period.(5)Campground fishing. Rule 571-61.13 (461A) is not intended to prohibit fishing by registered campers who fish from the shoreline within the camping area.Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-61.3
ARC 9324B, IAB 1/12/11, effective 2/16/11Amended by IAB April 10, 2019/Volume XLI, Number 21, effective 5/15/2019Amended by IAB September 8, 2021/Volume XLIV, Number 5, effective 10/13/2021Adopted by IAB May 1, 2024/Volume XLVI, Number 22, effective 6/5/2024