Pottawattamie - Hitchcock Nature Center

• All campsites must be reserved online; walk-up reservations are no longer available at the park 


• All camping is first reserved, first served


• Backcountry camping is $7.50 per tent or hammock per night


• Maximum stay - 14 days


• Checkout time - 2:00 p.m.


• Check-in time - 4:00 p.m.


• Campsites are open 365 days a year


• Campsites are considered occupied when an online reservation has been submitted and the camping fee paid


• All non-registered guests must leave the park by 10:00 p.m.


• Paid camping registration includes admission to the park for one vehicle. Additional guests, their vehicles and their license plates, that will be arriving separately and staying overnight must be noted in the "Event Info" field during the My County Parks checkout process. Additional guest will need to purchase a $2.00 per vehicle daily entrance pass at the front gate or have a valid Pottawattamie County Parks annual permit


• Keg beer is not permitted  


• Wheeled vehicles are not permitted, this includes wheeled coolers, bicycles, wagons, & wheeled luggage


• Leashed pets are welcome, owners are responsible for the removal and disposal of pet waste


• Each backcountry site is outfitted with a gravel tent site(s) or designated center anchor pole, & a fire ring with a grill


• Please, only place tents on designated tent pads


• Hammocks are only allowed to be hung at the designated hammock campsites (Backcountry Campsite #6, Shea Way and Backcountry Campsite #7, Heritage)


• Firewood is available for purchase from the campground office, campground host, or park ranger


• Campers are permitted to harvest dead fall wood from the ground for burning but may not cut down or damage live trees


• Please help us limit the spread of pests and DO NOT TRANSPORT FIREWOOD ACROSS STATE OR COUNTY LINES


• Refunds will be permitted via the refund policy in the Facility Contract

PLEASE NOTE - Backcountry campsites are PRIMITIVE & do not include access to modern amenities including drinking water or restrooms. Campers are responsible for carrying in and carrying out their own supplies including drinking water & the disposal of all human waste. Please bury human waste away from the established campsite and no less than 200-yds from water. ALL TRASH MUST BE CARRIED OUT WHEN YOU VACATE THE CAMPSITE.

ALL cancellations or
requests for refunds cannot be done online and must be made by calling the Park
Office at  (712) 328-5833.

Date Changes: All date changes must be made by calling the Park
Office at  (712) 328-5833.   Recognize that we must
first administratively cancel your existing online reservation, and then create
a second reservation for the new date. An Administrative Fee of $25 will be assessed to complete this transaction. Please
consider this procedure prior to making your initial reservation. (NOTE: Date
changes will not be allowed within two weeks of the scheduled reservation) 

Please
understand at the time of booking your reservation that you immediately
prohibit other people from reserving and utilizing that facility - they
therefore go elsewhere to locate a facility for that date. We will observe a
NON-REFUNDABLE RESERVATION FEE policy with the following exceptions:  

• Accident, serious
  injury or death of an immediate family member


• Travel conditions
  where a substantial risk is required in order to travel such as a winter storm
  where a travel advisory has been issued  


• We are unable to
  provide your facility (or like facility) in operable condition for the date of
  your event