Seasonal Closure - Water, Restroom Facilities, Trash Pickup: Elinor Bedell: All water will be shut off, restroom facilities closed, and trash pickup suspended beginning 10/16/24. (Posted 10/15/24)
Book a Campsite at Elinor Bedell State Park, IA
9 site(s) found
Footnotes: (applicable only where specifically marked above)
*** Some sites may be available only from the campground on a first-come-first-served basis.
*** Some sites may be available only from the campground on a first-come-first-served basis.
Overview
Description
Elinor Bedell State Park is one of Iowa's newest state parks. It is one of several state areas that make up the Iowa Great Lakes Region. It is located on the shore of East Lake Okoboji and represents one of the last surviving open spaces in a region that is among Iowa's most popular tourist destinations, The Iowa Great Lakes.
The 80 acre park was a generous gift of Berkley and Elinor Bedell. A lifelong resident of the Great Lakes area, Berkley represented northwest Iowa for twelve years in the United States Congress. Berkley and Elinor's dream of permanently protecting this beautiful piece of open space for future generations led to their donation of the land to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Elinor Bedell State Park promotes special appreciation and enjoyment of prairies, wetlands and oak savanna landscapes once commonly found along the shores of Iowa's Great Lakes. An extensive trail system within the park links these restored landscapes providing the public with interpretation, education and recreational opportunities.
Recreation:
Lake Activities
East Okoboji and the many other lakes in the area are some of the prime fishing spots in Iowa. Anglers will find challenging sport pursuing a variety of game fish including walleye, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, white bass, yellow bass, perch, bluegills, crappies, catfish, and bullheads.
Trails
The park includes an extensive system of paved hiking trails. The trails are accessible to all entrance points connecting activities and points of interest. A raised boardwalk will take park users through the wetland areas and along the lake. The system is approximately 7,500 feet in length, paved, and accessible for persons with mobility impairment.
Facilities:
Picnicking/Shelters
A large open shelter with kitchenette and modern restrooms overlooks East Okoboji Lake and is available for reservations. Beside the shelter is Shelby's playground. This wonderful play area features a number of play structures specifically for children between the ages of two and five.
Camping
The campground consists of RV campsites with full hookups (water and sewer), a modern restroom, and a trailer dump station. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring.
Nearby Attractions:
The lakes area offers a tremendous number of settings for outdoor recreation. The communities of the lakes regions offer a number of shopping and dining experiences as well as other attractions such as museums and the amusement park.
Nearby Towns
Spirit Lake, Milford, Wahpeton, Okoboji, West Okoboji and Arnolds Park.
Booking Window
Shelters
Sun Apr 27 2025 - Mon Apr 20 2026Reservations must be made 7 Day(s) ahead of arrival and can be made up to 12 Month(s) in advance.
Standard Full Hook-Up
Tue Apr 22 2025 - Sun Jul 20 2025Reservations must be made 2 Day(s) ahead of arrival and can be made up to 3 Month(s) in advance.
Season Dates
Elinor Bedell Shelter:
Walk In: March 1 - April 30
Reservable: May 1 - September 30
Walk In: October 1 - November 30
Elinor Bedell Campground:
Walk In: January 1 - March 31
Off Peak: April 1 - April 30
Peak: May 1 - October 15
Off Peak: October 16 - October 31
Walk In: November 1 - December 31
Season Schedule
Park Season
Start
End
Off Peak
Tue Apr 01 2025
Wed Apr 30 2025
Peak
Thu May 01 2025
Wed Oct 15 2025
Off Peak
Thu Oct 16 2025
Fri Oct 31 2025
Walk In
Sat Nov 01 2025
Tue Mar 31 2026
Off Peak
Wed Apr 01 2026
Thu Apr 30 2026
Services and Amenities
Within Park
- Bicycling
- Bird Watching
- Boating
- Fishing
- Fuel, Boats
- Handicap Access
- Hiking
- Jogging/Running
- Parking
- Playground
- Registration Building
- Trash Dumpster
Within 10 Miles
- ATM/Cash Machine
- Antiquing
- Aquarium Display
- Boat Launch Ramp
- Boat Rental
- Fish Hatchery
- Fuel, Vehicles
- Golf
- Grocery Store
- Hospital
- Jet Skiing
- Laundry
- Maintenance, Boat
- Marina
- Medical Clinic
- Motel
- Nature Center
- Restaurant
- Retail, Bait & Tackle
- Retail, Drinks
- Retail, Firewood
- Retail, Ice
- Retail, Seasonal Concessions
- Sail Boating
- Shopping
- Snowmobile Trails
- Swimming - Pool
- Tennis Court
- Theme Park
- Town
Fees and Cancellation Policies
Facility Rates*
Park Season
Site Type
Nightly/Daily Rates
Off Peak Season
Apr 01 2025 -
Apr 30 2025
Apr 01 2025 -
Apr 30 2025
Standard Full Hook-Up
$18.00-$20.00
Shelters
$125.00
Peak Season
May 01 2025 -
Oct 15 2025
May 01 2025 -
Oct 15 2025
Standard Full Hook-Up
$35.00
Shelters
$125.00
Off Peak Season
Oct 16 2025 -
Oct 31 2025
Oct 16 2025 -
Oct 31 2025
Standard Full Hook-Up
$18.00-$20.00
Shelters
$125.00
Walk In Season
Nov 01 2025 -
Mar 31 2026
Nov 01 2025 -
Mar 31 2026
Standard Full Hook-Up
$18.00-$20.00
Shelters
$125.00
Off Peak Season
Apr 01 2026 -
Apr 30 2026
Apr 01 2026 -
Apr 30 2026
Standard Full Hook-Up
$18.00-$20.00
Shelters
$125.00
*Displayed rates do not reflect discounts, attribute fees (electrical hookups / water hookups), taxes or incremental charges
**Weekly rates may not be available for all sites
Getting There
GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
43.4142, -95.0745
43°24'51"N, 95°4'28"W
Located on County Road M56 on the east side of East Lake Okoboji.
43.4142, -95.0745
43°24'51"N, 95°4'28"W
Located on County Road M56 on the east side of East Lake Okoboji.
Nearby Parks
[3.65 miles*]
[4.37 miles*]
[4.61 miles*]
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