If you are unfamiliar with a park and associated shelters (including shelter names), it is recommended that you review the shelter amenity information found on the reservation system.

General Reservation Information:

Reservation will be accepted up to 12 months in advance.

Shelters may be reserved for multiple consecutive days. Customers may occupy the shelters beginning at 8:00 a.m. CST on the first day of rental. Renters and guests must vacate the shelter by 10:00 p.m.

A nonrefundable reservation fee shall be charged for each reservation made. Payment is due at the time the reservation is made.

Customers may pay for shelter reservations using checks, money order and Visa or MasterCard. All payments made with check and money order must be physically received within 10 days from the date the reservation was made or the reservation will be automatically voided.

If paying by credit card or debit card (backed by Visa/MasterCard), the last day to make a shelter reservation during the peak season of May 1-September 30 is 4 days prior to the arrival date.

If paying by credit card or debit card (backed by Visa/MasterCard), the last day to make a shelter reservation during the off season of October 1-April 30 is 14 days prior to the arrival date.

If paying by check or money order, the last day to make a shelter reservation for any date is 21 days prior to the arrival date.

Change Policy

Customer will be allowed to change a reservation once the reservation has been paid in full. A $5 change fee will apply to each reservation item (cabin, lodge, shelters) that is changed. The last day to change an existing reservation (dates, park, etc.) is 30 days prior to the original reservation date. All reservation changes must be handled through the reservation call center.

Cancellation Policy:

• Cancellations that occur up to 30 days prior to the arrival date will be assessed a $5 cancellation fee and remaining rental fees refunded.
• Cancellations that occur 15-29 days prior to arrival will be assessed a $5 cancellation fee and forfeiture of one day's rental fee for multi-day rentals or 50% of the rental fee for a one-day rental.
• Cancellations that occur less than 15 days prior to arrival date up to the actual arrival date will be assessed a $5 cancellation fee and forfeiture of two day's rental fees for a multi-day rental. There will be no refund of rental fees for a one-day rental.


Parks with Shelters available for rent. The reservation fee is $25 plus tax per day.

Name of Park or Recreation Area	Name of Park or Recreation Area	Name of Park or Recreation Area
Backbone	Lacey-Keosauqua	Pilot Knob
Beed's Lake	Lake Ahquabi	Pikes Peak
Bellevue	Lake Anita	Pine Lake
Big Creek	Lake Darling	Pleasant Creek
Black Hawk	Lake Keomah	Prairie Rose
Bobwhite	Lake Macbride	Red Haw
Clear Lake	Lake Manawa	Rock Creek
Dolliver	Lake of Three Fires	Springbrook
Elk Rock	Lake Wapello	Stone
Fort Defiance	Ledges	Union Grove
Geode	Lewis and Clark	Viking Lake
George Wyth Memorial	Maquoketa Caves	Wapsipinicon
Green Valley	McIntosh Woods	Waubonsie
Gull Point	Palisades-Kepler	Wildcat Den
Honey Creek

The handicapped (wheelchair) symbol sign on an open shelter indicates the shelter is usable by persons in wheelchairs. The use of such marked shelters is not limited to persons displaying the symbol on their vehicle. Open picnic areas (no shelter) marked with the wheelchair symbol are also denoted as accessible by wheelchair users; however, the use of these picnic tables and adjacent facilities is limited to groups containing persons qualifying for and displaying a handicapped identification device on their vehicle.

Beach House Open Shelters

Beach House Open Shelters may be reserved for group use. The reservation fee is $40 per day plus applicable tax.

Lake Wapello State Park

Pine Lake State Park

Springbrook State Recreation Area

Lake Ahquabi State Park

Open Shelters with Kitchenette

The rental fee for shelters which contain a small kitchen, is $75 plus applicable tax.

Elinor Bedell State Park	Lake Manawa State Park
Viking lake State Park

Damage Deposit Policy For Open Shelters with Kitchenettes:

• A damage deposit in the amount of $50 is required. The damage deposit is handled by the park office. Payment method of the deposit varies from park to park. Please check the damage deposit information on the park reservation system to determine if the check must be mailed in prior to your rental date or if it can be received upon arrival to the lodge.
• Damage deposits will be refunded only after inspection by authorized personnel to ensure the facility and furnishings are in satisfactory condition.
• If it is necessary for Department personnel to clean up the facility or repair any damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, a log of the time spent in such cleanup or repair shall be kept. The damage deposit refund will be reduced by an amount equivalent to the applicable hourly wage of the employees for the time necessary to clean the area or repair the damage and the cost of any furnishings.
• The deposit is not to be construed as a limit of liability for damage to state property. The Department may take legal action necessary to recover additional damage.