Eastern Iowans love the great outdoors

Iowa's camping season finally has arrived, and state parks and recreation areas are ramping up with new amenities and provisions for the hordes expected to flood the sites in the coming months.

But the late spring - with wet and chilly weather, even snow, as recent as two weeks ago - means 2013 probably will be slower than the abnormally warm 2012.

“We are down simply because the weather hasn't been conducive for early spring camping,” said Kevin Szcodronski, chief of state parks for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “We are one of those businesses that benefits from drought.”

With the nice weather in 2012, Iowa's 57 state parks and recreation areas experienced a surge in visits and camping. There were 15.8 million visits and 709,700 camping days, according to the DNR.

Those visitation numbers marked the highest showing since at least 2007. The camping numbers were the second highest in that time period - they reached 715,417 in 2009.

Szcodronski said the fact that numbers have remained steady, and even increased in some cases, is impressive considering recent closures at some major campgrounds for flooding or renovations. The state hasn't added new campgrounds recently, but the renovations are part of an effort to improve park amenities statewide.

“We are methodically going through the camp sites and upgrading the electricity,” Szcodronski said. “We also are looking at the camping pads and reconfiguring them to make sure there is enough space.”

The goal, eventually, is to have all state-run campgrounds equipped with sites offering 50 amps of electricity - the amount that many of today's recreational vehicles demand, Szcodronski said. With those improvements, and a growing number of park hosts volunteering to answer visitor questions and keep an eye on bathrooms and showers, camping - regardless of the weather - should hold its spot as popular tradition in Iowa, Szcodronski said.

“Camping is an amazing phenomenon,” he said. “People come out of their quiet neighborhoods and pack themselves in like sardines, and they love it. They love to be outdoors and socialize.”

New amenities

Even though this season got off to a slow start, Szcodronski said, “people are anxious.” They began making reservations for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend in February, he said, especially for the sites with electricity.

“Modern-day campers are getting bigger and demanding more electricity,” Szcodronski said. “That is the trend we are facing, but you don't make those improvements over night.”

Iowa still has primitive campgrounds - just for tents and vehicles - but Szcodronski said many campers today want to dry their hair, microwave food, run air conditioners and watch TV.

“The sites with electricity and running water will be the ones that fill up first,” he said. “When push comes to shove, they want amenities.”

Before the upgrades, Iowa's electrical camping pads offered 20 to 30 amps, which isn't enough for some of today's campers.

The Iowa Legislature has committed $5 million a year to improve state park infrastructure, which also includes upgrading wastewater systems and adding cabins in some parks, Szcodronski said.

“We are looking at adding cabins for people who don't have tents or a camper,” he said. “We have several parks with cabins now.”

And, Szcodronski said, the camping atmosphere can become addictive, which is why Iowa gets a lot of repeat visitors and has seen more and more campground hosts every season.

Campground hosts

Iowa's state campgrounds have been recruiting an average of 120 to 150 hosts every season, and this year's tally is up to 165 hosts, said Linda King, volunteer coordinator for the DNR.

“I would say it's at its peak,” King said of the 25-year-old program.

Those 165 hosts work at 43 campgrounds or recreations areas - some have multiple hosts at once or during one season, King said.

King said the state places volunteer hosts only in parks that ask for them - and many do. In fact, even with the rise in volunteers wanting to be campground hosts, there still are some parks with vacancies, King said.

Most hosts stay for the entire camping and recreating season - from mid-April through the end of October. Duties include answering questions, keeping bathrooms and showers clean, landscaping, and simply keeping an eye on the campground.

They do not perform law enforcement duties, and they have to supply their own camper for the season. In exchange for their work, they're allowed to camp for free for the summer.

“Our longest running host is a lady in the Des Moines area,” King said. “She has been doing it for 22 years, and she just loves it. Most camp hosts do and are great people who love being around people and love to camp.”

Many hosts volunteer in parks near where they live, allowing them to be community liaisons for guests wondering where they can grab pizza or buy propane.

“They do become ambassadors for the community,” she said.

Eddy Dirks, 52, and his wife Jane Dirks, of Marion, have been campground hosts at Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area in Palo since 2006. Dirks said he and his wife were avid campers before they started hosting, and they initially resisted hosting.

“I still wanted to camp in other areas,” he said.

But Dirks and his wife eventually gave it a shot, and they fell in love.

“I really enjoyed it,” he said. “I met so many people. I made so many friends.”

Dirks and his wife both work the early shifts at their day jobs, and they're back at the campground by 2 p.m. Once they arrive, Dirks said, they field question after question.

“Someone will have a question about the trails or where the fish are biting,” he said.

Dirks said he's gotten used to seeing familiar faces every summer, and they have gotten use to seeing his.

“I could do this year-round,” he said.