Iowa State Parks · Iowa
Preparation Canyon State Park
Iowa State Parks · Iowa, United States
- Sites
- 10
- Hookups
- 10 no hookups
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- No
- Showers
- No
- Dump station
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,401 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · T-Mobile none · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Moorhead
- Address
- Preparation Canyon Rd
- Phone
- 712-456-2924
About
Preparation Canyon State Park is an Iowa state park campground offering 10 hike-in campsites near Moorhead - first-come, first-served with self-registration at the east parking lot trailhead, no vehicle access and no bathroom facilities.
Fees
Free, first-come-first-served hike-in camping only - self-registration at the east parking lot trailhead. No fee schedule applies.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 11° | -21° | 51° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 36° | 17° | -33° | 69° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 49° | 29° | 6° | 74° | 10 of 11 |
| April | 61° | 38° | 22° | 85° | 8 of 11 |
| May | 70° | 53° | 38° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 85° | 64° | 47° | 101° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 85° | 67° | 54° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 81° | 65° | 53° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 81° | 62° | 45° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 64° | 43° | 23° | 80° | 2 of 10 |
| November | 50° | 32° | 7° | 71° | 7 of 10 |
| December | 36° | 21° | -5° | 68° | 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
- Willow Lake Recreation Area · City, County & Regional Parks · 11 mi
- Pelican Point State Recreation Area · Nebraska State Parks · 11 mi · 6 sites
- Schaben Park · City, County & Regional Parks · 14 mi
- Lewis and Clark State Park · Iowa State Parks · 16 mi · 78 sites
- Summit Lake State Recreation Area · Nebraska State Parks · 21 mi · 68 sites
All public campgrounds in Iowa · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.