City, County & Regional Parks · Iowa
Nelson Park
City, County & Regional Parks · Iowa, United States
- Cost
- Primitive cabins from $42/night plus $50 deposit.
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- Pets
- No
- Elevation
- 1,145 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 3
- Nearest town
- Dow City
- Address
- Nelson Park Road, 2 miles west of Dow City, IA
About
Crawford County Conservation 165-acre park developed in 1963, with an 11-acre lake, large modern campground with comfort station, three other camping areas, a beach and swimming area, play area, and shelter rentals. Primitive cabins available. Electric hookups, pressurized water, sewer/dump station, restrooms, shower facilities. Boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking. Pets prohibited.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 10° | -20° | 51° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 36° | 18° | -32° | 69° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 50° | 31° | 6° | 74° | 10 of 11 |
| April | 61° | 40° | 23° | 84° | 8 of 11 |
| May | 72° | 55° | 38° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 85° | 65° | 47° | 102° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 86° | 68° | 55° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 82° | 65° | 55° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 81° | 63° | 46° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 65° | 44° | 24° | 80° | 3 of 10 |
| November | 50° | 33° | 7° | 71° | 7 of 10 |
| December | 37° | 21° | -8° | 69° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Manteno Park · City, County & Regional Parks · 5 mi · 27 sites
- Yellow Smoke Park · City, County & Regional Parks · 11 mi · 76 sites
- Schaben Park · City, County & Regional Parks · 12 mi
- Willow Lake Recreation Area · City, County & Regional Parks · 18 mi
- Preparation Canyon State Park · Iowa State Parks · 22 mi · 10 sites
All public campgrounds in Iowa · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-29. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.