Camp with Pottawattamie Conservation this Spring

Itching to camp and explore the outdoors? Get familiar with Pottawattamie County park campground reopenings and construction updates for 2023.

Last updated: April 10th, 2023 Please check individual park pages for updates throughout the year.

As a reminder:

ALL Pottawattamie Conservation tent/RV campsites (besides backcountry campsites at Hitchcock Nature Center) are available on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be reserved online beforehand.
Please call the park or campground office ahead of time to get an idea of how many sites are available. Please note that park rangers are busy and often out and about in the park, so it may take a little while to receive a callback.
Campsites are generally $10 per night for tent camping and $20-$25 per night for RV camping.

“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.”

Arrowhead Park, lake

Campgrounds 1 and 2 are open.
Campground 3 is newly renovated but closed. It will open later this spring once grass is established. Renovations include new camping pads and 50, 30, and 20 amp electric. Check back for updates.
Campground 4 is open but will close later this spring for renovations and will be closed through much of the summer. Check back for updates.
The shower house will open around April 15th depending on the weather.
Camping cabins are closed for renovations through June and rates will increase to $85/night. Each cabin will have its own separate bedroom and a modern restroom and kitchenette.
Modern cabins are available year-round with modern amenities for families.

Botna Bend Park, elk

The Middle and North campgrounds are open and water is on.
The South campground is closed for renovations but should be open later this spring. Check back for updates.
The newly renovated boat ramp is accessible.
The dump station is open.
The shower house will open around April 15th depending on the weather.
The north restrooms will open around April 15th depending on the weather.
A new disc golf course has been laid out and we hope to have it open later this spring. Check back for updates.

Hitchcock Nature Center, Loess Hills hiking trails

Please note: Narrows does NOT offer camping, but is now open for recreation after being closed through winter.

Narrows River Park, riverside shelters

Olde Town Park, West Nishnabotna Water Trail

The boat ramp has been renovated and is accessible. Park rangers are working to remove silt build-up from high waters in March.
Olde Town offers eight tent/RV campsites which are available year-round on a first-come, first-served basis for $20 per night.
Electric and water are on. Water is available at Olde Town year-round.
There is no dump station, but there is a dump station at Botna Bend Park in Hancock.
Please abide by registration, regulation, and fee signs, and have FUN!