Elinor Bedell State Park RV & Campground Guide
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Former U.S. Congressman Berkley Bedell and his wife Elinor Bedell donated the land that comprises this Iowa state park. The park sits on the eastern shores of East Lake Okoboji, offering opportunities to enjoy fishing, overnight camping, hiking, and a peaceful environment to enjoy a shady picnic or for kids to have fun climbing on the lakeside playground. Before the arrival of European settlers, the area around the lake and the park was home to the Dakota Sioux indigenous people.
Spring 23–42 F
Summer 62–83 F
Fall 38–60 F
Winter 11–28 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Elinor Bedell State Park
The campground is small with just a handful of sites, but it is open year-round. Each site is a pull-through site with full hookups that is large enough to accommodate RVs up to 70 feet in length. There is a dump station available to use, as well as a restroom. Each site comes with its own picnic table and a fire ring. A separate tent camping area is reserved for use by youth groups only. Note that even though the campground is open year-round, some amenities, including the restrooms and water spigots, are only available seasonally. Trash pickup is also available only during the peak season.
What to Do at
Elinor Bedell State Park
Most people come to the park to go fishing or to enjoy a day relaxing along the peaceful shores of East Okoboji Lake. A boardwalk offers a great way to explore the wetlands around the lake, and bird-watchers can enjoy trying to spot dozens of different species.
Fishing
There are plenty of fish just waiting to be caught at East Okoboji Lake and several smaller lakes at Elinor Bedell State Park. Lucky anglers can catch walleye, northern pike, yellow bass, perch, or bluegill. Crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, white bass, catfish, and bullhead are also frequently caught at the lake.
Geocaching
Geocaching is encouraged at Iowa state parks. Even though Elinor Bedell is a relatively small state park, you can still find at least four different geocaches hidden within its boundaries. Be sure to bring a pen to sign the logbook when you find it, and consider bringing a family-friendly trinket to add to the treasures just waiting to be found.
Nature Watching
The park sits in Iowa's Great Lakes region, where you can view a variety of scenic landscapes and ecosystems that have been both preserved and restored, including wetlands, prairies, and oak savannas. A boardwalk across the wetlands offers an accessible way to enjoy this unique natural phenomenon. For another excellent nature-watching spot, head to the wildlife-viewing blind near the hiking trail.
Stargazing
The wide-open spaces at Elinor Bedell State Park make for an excellent vantage point to enjoy stargazing. For the best experience, be sure to let your eyes adjust to the darkness for at least 30 minutes before gazing up to spot the planets, nebulas, and galaxies you can see in the skies above.
Flora and Fauna
Trees you can spot in the park include aspens, oaks, and two kinds of pine trees. The red and sugar maple trees are particularly noteworthy. Bird-watchers can spot a variety of species, including red-headed woodpeckers and Kentucky warblers. Keep an eye out for the bright yellow American goldfinch, which is Iowa's official state animal.
Hiking
A 1.1-mile loop trail provides hikers with an easy way to enjoy the park.
Swimming
While there is no designated swimming beach at the park, you are welcome to take a dip in the East Okoboji Lake at any of the access points.
How to Get to
Elinor Bedell State Park
When coming from the Sioux Falls area, you'll head east on Interstate 90. From there, take Exit #64 to merge onto MN-86. From there, you'll turn left on IA-9 E near the town of Spirit Lake, where the road turns into Highway 71. Stay on this road as it passes through town. Just past the town of Sprit Lake, take a right on 250th Avenue, which quickly turns into 260th Avenue as it winds along the lake. The main park entrance road will be on your right after about 3 miles.
Entering Elinor Bedell State Park
There are several access points to enter the park, but if you're entering through the main entrance on 260th Avenue, you'll want to follow the road all the way to the end in order to access the lake, the playground, and the picnic shelters. If you're looking for the trailhead, it's to the right just as you enter the park. You can also access the trail by taking a right on 160th Street just before you reach the main park entrance.
Elinor Bedell State Park Entry Fee : $0.0
Frequently Asked Questions About Elinor Bedell State Park
The park is open year-round, as is the campground. However, keep in mind that winters can be quite frigid in this part of Iowa. In addition, the restrooms and water spigots at the campground are closed seasonally, so you'll have to plan accordingly if you're staying overnight during the off-peak season.
Along with the nearly 200 species of birds that have been spotted in the area, mammals such as coyotes, moose, mountain lions, bobcats, and foxes occasionally make an appearance in the park. You're more likely to spot smaller mammals, such as the Eastern chipmunk, deer mice, Eastern squirrels and even prairie voles and the Northern short-tailed shrew. At dusk, you can usually spot a few bats flittering about.
RVs are welcome at any of the park's eight different campsites.
The cost varies by season, as does the ability to make a reservation. Sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis from November through March, but reservations are available for the rest of the year. Nightly camping rates start at $18, but you can expect to pay a little more if you want amenities. While camping reservations are not required, they are available and strongly recommended. Several sites are set aside to be used on a first-come, first-served basis year-round.
Yes, your furry family members are welcome to join you at the park, but you must clean up after them, and they must be kept on a leash at all times.