Sunday

August 20 2024 Update Oak Grove Park/Trick or Treat Hike

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Update as of Aug 20, 2024

Camping at Deer Run Campground remains open first come, first served for every weekend except trick or treat hike (Oct 11/12). Turkey Ridge Campground remains reserved for flood victims.
We are going to run the Oak Grove Trick or Treat Hike as normal in Deer Run Campground. Since our original post, we have been informed that we can expect to need Turkey Ridge Campground for flood victims but we are not likely to need Deer Run Campground. Therefore, sign up for campsites will start at 8am Sept 3 by calling 712/552-1047 and the event will be in Deer Run Campground (with the Prairie Woods Nature Center being open) on Oct 12th. Thank you for your patience as we were waiting for communication and updates.

Aug 7th Update Oak Grove Park Camping

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Update on Oak Grove Camping:
As of today, Wednesday August 7th, Deer Run Campground is currently open to all public camping on a first come, first served basis. Turkey Ridge Campground is designated to flood relief and closed to the public for camping, as we do not know what rate flood relief campers will be arriving. Please come and enjoy Oak Grove and all of it’s amenities! Thank you for supporting your Sioux County Parks!

Aug 2 Update Oak Grove Park Camping

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Edit: Aug 2, 2024 Deer Run Campground will be open this weekend for all camping. We will post a camping update for you weekly or biweekly until the campgrounds are full. Turkey Ridge is closed to camping as of now. Also, Big Sioux Rec Area beach is open!!!!

Halloween Hike News Oak Grove/Sandy Hollow

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We are still planning on having a fun Oak Grove Park Halloween Event on Oct 12. However, things will look a bit different due to the transitional housing for flood victims at our Oak Grove Campsites. Our staff is currently brainstorming, “How can we offer an opportunity to show support and love of our neighbors who have been displaced by the flood?” We would like this to still involve youth participating in costume for a fun family event. If you or your business would like to be a part of this event, please email [email protected].
Sandy Hollow will host their annual Trick or Treat Event on Saturday Oct 5 from 5:30-7:30. Ages 12 and under are invited to trick or treat in costume. The campgrounds are full of campers with friendly faces at each campsite and of course candy/goodies too. If you would like to be a camper, see below for details. Parking is provided. Trick or treating is from 5:30-7:30 pm. No pre-registration needed. Food truck available!
CAMPERS: First come First Serve for camping spots. Decorating encouraged, not required. Free camping Friday and Saturday night only in exchange for handing out 500 pieces of purchased candy/goodies. Campground gates close at 5:00 for event, no traffic in campground during.
Listen to KSOU 93.9 FM for weather cancellations.

Transitional Housing at Oak Grove Park and Flood Updates

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Public Press Release

Sioux County Conservation Board

8/1/24

For questions call Sunday Ford at 712/551-6780

 

Updates: Oak Grove Park is transitioning our campgrounds starting today, August 1st, to accommodate transitional housing for those displaced by flooding. This will take place in both of our campgrounds and is anticipated to occupy all of our non-seasonal campsites, including online reservation campsites. We anticipate that we will be closing these campgrounds to the public for camping, with the exception of non-electric tent sites, which will remain open in Deer Run Campground on a first-come, first-served basis. The company called Tetra Tech is overseeing the transitional housing program, with the aid of the Sioux County Emergency Management. The transitional housing is made possible by Iowa Homeland Security’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Through conversations with these groups, the Sioux County Conservation Board anticipates that everyone will be moved in within 1.5-2 weeks from Aug 1. Transitional camper housing has started with Turkey Ridge Campground, and will continue in Deer Run Campground. If you need temporary housing due to flooding, you can apply through FEMA. You will need to get a FEMA identification number to begin the process. The Sioux County Conservation Board anticipates being able to honor any currently existing online campsite reservations. We are thankful to be able to support our community through this support and encourage our patrons to visit the Prairie Woods Nature Center, enjoy our hiking trails, our fishing pond, access to the Big Sioux River and the many public programs we offer at siouxcountyparks.org

 

Other park updates: Sandy Hollow beach, campgrounds are open. The clubhouse will remain closed due to renovations. Big Sioux Recreation Area campgrounds and bathhouses are open, The Rookery multifamily cabin is available for reservation online, the boat ramp is open, dock is in and some of the trails and road are currently being repaired. The beach is ready to be opened as soon as we get a good water test reading, which is anticipated to happen 8/2/24. You can look at the results at https://programs.iowadnr.gov/aquia/Programs/Beaches. The Bruce Schomaker Recreation Area north of Boyden has camping and bathhouse open. Oak Grove Park is open to recreation, tent camping, and Prairie Woods Nature Center. The river area still has a lot of clean up needed.

 

Please be patient with us as we tackle each need. We had 17 buildings with flood waters throughout the county. We are ordering picnic tables and fire rings lost, repairing roads, trails and buildings, while maintaining mowing, campgrounds and wildlife areas. An early estimate of our Sioux County park damages is 1.3 million dollars.

Big Sioux Recreation Area north campground open

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We are pleased to announce at the Big Sioux Recreation Area. Meadowlark Campground is open and back for service. Beach will remain closed no swimming until water testing is done. Entrance shack will be open for service but no watercraft rentals. Eagle view campground will remain closed until electrical is completed. Please stay out of barricaded areas or you will be fined. Be careful of edges of roads there is some erosion along them. Also Campers do no take seasonal sites and reservable sites if you are a long term camper they could be arriving back anytime.

Sandy Hollow Campground News

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As of today July 1st, Sandy Hollow Campground in Sioux Center has opened the older part of the campground to campers. As of 10am, there are approximately 10 sites open. Please do not move cones or barricades. Some campsites have been blocked off until power has been restored and sites have been cleared.