Pick Your Own In Iowa

“Pick Your Own” Farms: Iowa

Tis the season for gardens to go crazy! From tomatoes and peaches to green beans and corn, there’s a bountiful harvest out there in back yard gardens and at local farms, where you’re invited to come and pick your own fresh produce. It just doesn’t get any fresher than that.

This year, take your Webster City RV, find a nearby RV park, and make a weekend of collecting fresh produce!

We found a handy site called PickYourOwn.org that has a list of farms, harvest calendars for each state, and offers recipes. If you happen to be inspired to try canning so you can savor that fresh flavor well into winter, they have a “how to” section. The Pick Your Own website has a direct link to local Iowa farms, so you can start planning your next RV trip!

Do you have a garden? What are your favorite crops?

Pine Lake State Park

Iowa's State Park System is one of the best in the country, and Pine Lake State Park near Eldora is no exception. Easy to get to off of hwy 175 Pine Lake State Park surrounds you in comfort and let's you relax in privacy or explore to your heart's content.
where

Situated on 587 acres of wooded timber and lakefront property it beckons the outdoorsman. Two lakes, 50 acres and 69 acres respectively, make up the water portion of the park while White Pines crown the beautiful forest landscape. Some of the pines have been rumored over 250 years old! Pine Lake is under an hour drive from Waterloo, Ames, and Webster City.
camping
Enjoy the smell of the pines in the campgrounds with 124 campsites for the RVer. Half of the campsites can be reserved on the park reservation system. Modern shower facilities are close by and 2 Handicap campsites are also available for the mobility impaired. Trailer dump stations are also located within the park. Many RVer's absolutely love this state park for it's close proximity to the lake, picnic grounds, hiking trails, and general peacefulness.
Stone and timber cabins equipped with modern facilities are also available in the park for those wanting a camper without wheels. Each cabin has a shower, stove, refrigerator, and bath and they can also be reserved online.

to-do
Pine Lake is bristling with outdoor activities. Fishing, needless to say, is really good on both lakes. You will find Bass, Northerns, Crappie, and Catfish while the boat ramps make it easy to get the boat in and out. Hiking trails abound all over the park and around the lake. For the adventurous the Lake-To-Lake State Park Bike Route goes from Pink Lake all the way to George Wyth Memorial State Park in Waterloo. The 50 mile trail is loved by bikers.
Local town Eldora has grocery shopping and fuel.



 Links
Iowa DNR: Pine Lake State Park
Pine Lake State Park Reviews
Tubing on the Iowa River Near Pine Lake
Pine Lake State Park Google Map
Pine Lake Country Club Golf Course

Midwest Premiere Campground: Brushy Creek State Park

Recently on WHO Radio Sunday show Sportsman Notebook was interviewing Kevin Szcodronski from the Iowa DNR. The conversations ranged anywhere from lake fishing to bike trails. A caller mentioned Brushy Creek State Park and Szcodronski stated how it was Iowa's Permiere state park and in fact may be the Midwest's best park. Many campers agree.

Level Campsites w/ Fire Rings

Just west of Webster City RV off of Hwy 20 Brushy Creek State Recreation Area is a combination of Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Horse-riding, Shooting, and much more. At over 6,500 acres it is one of Iowa's largest recreational areas. It has over 45 miles of multi-use trails for horse, snowmobile, hiking, or mountain biking. The lake is 690 acres with fishing opportunities everywhere. Anglers enjoy catching bass, bluegill, crappie, walleye, and even musky. Many fishing jetties are located along the shore and the main fishing pier is on the west shore. Three boat ramps make access to the water easy. Two open shelters are available for use and many picnic spots with grills have great scenic views.

Brushy Creek Fishing

Three separate campgrounds make for the bulk of activity around the lake including 2 equestrian campgrounds and a non-equestrian located near the beach. A nice feature about Brushy Creek Campsites is the relative distance to your camp neighbors, there is more space than most campgrounds.The two equestrian campgrounds have horse hitching posts and a combined 230 campsites. Modern showers, horse arena, and full hookups are available at both campgrounds.

Pets Welcome

The non-equestrian campground features 47 campsites including 39 with electrical and 8 with full hookups. The main campground road is paved and there is a modern shower and restroom facility also. The beach is a short 5 minute walk away and the playground is excellent for the kids. All three campgrounds can be reserved with the park reservation system. Feel free to bring your pets, cameras, binoculars, and video cameras as the scenery is some of the most beautiful in the state. Two shooting ranges afford the marksmen to practice either still target or clay pigeons.

When planning your next vacation or weekend getaway give Brushy Creek State Park a chance, you will not be disappointed.

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Destinations/StateParksRecAreas/IowasStateParks/ParkDetails.aspx?ParkID=610108&idAdminBoundary=175

http://www.stateparks.com/brushy_creek.html