Though campgrounds were allowed to reopen in Iowa last weekend, the Guthrie County Conservation Board has stuck with their intended plan to open its campgrounds tomorrow.

The Board approved a three-tiered policy for reopening their facilities to the public this week, with Level One beginning Friday at 8 a.m. at the Nations Bridge and Lenon Mill Park campgrounds. Level One permits camping only to self-contained wheeled units, and some campsites are still closed as to maintain proper social distancing. Conservation Director Brad Halterman says he was caught off guard by the timing of the Governor’s lift of camping restrictions last week, “We just didn’t feel that it was prudent for our areas to open on the 8th and that a better timeline was still with the 15th. We also had weeks ago set that at the May 11th Conservation Board meeting was for this policy to be adopted and to be put into play.”

As a reminder restrooms and shower houses, and playgrounds remain closed, and a 14-day camping limit is in effect except for some construction workers and health care workers wishing to isolate from their families. Levels Two and Three of the policy eases camping and park restrictions further, but Halterman says they have no dates set for when those will take effect, and he encourages visitors to abide by their protocol so they can hopefully “level up” soon.