State: Iowa
Address 1: 680 Road M47
City: Harlan
Zip: 51537
Phone: 712/773-2701
Open: Open all year
Open all Year: Yes
Number of Sites: 95
Electric: 77
Camp URL: http://www.iowadnr.gov/parks/state_park_list/prairie_rose.html
Full Hook: Yes
Prairie Rose State Park provides a number of beautiful picnic areas with excellent views of the 218-acre lake. These are ideal places for family cookouts. Two open picnic shelters may be reserved online through the park reservation system. Both of the shelters have electrical outlets available.
Camping at Prairie Rose, whether for a weekend or a family vacation, is delightful. There are 95 campsites, 77 with electric hookups and 8 with full hook-up. Two campgrounds are available. The larger one features electrical hookups and modern shower and rest room facilities. The other campground, with non-modern rest room facilities, is popular with tenters. Advance campsite reservations can be made through the park reservation system. Half of the campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
There are approximately 7 miles of multi-purpose trails within the park which offer visitors year round use. An interpretive trail starts in the northwest corner of the park and winds along the shoreline providing great places to observe a variety of plants and wildlife. All trails within the park are open for hiking, snowmobiling, and cross country skiing.
The lake is the real focal point of the park. The Prairie Rose beach provides swimming and sunbathing fun for young and old. A play-ground area is located near the beach and another one in the campground area.
The lake is popular for all types of boating from canoes and sailboats to motor boats and, in the winter, ice boats. Any size boat motors may be used at “no wake” speeds. Two modern boat ramps provide easy access to the lake.
Anglers of all ages will find a challenge at Prairie Rose. The lake provides excellent bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill and crappie fishing from boat or shoreline. Six new fishing jetties have just been completed. There are two fish cleaning docks located on the lake for successful anglers convenience.
Prairie Rose State Park is one of the most attractive outdoor recreation areas in western Iowa. The 422-acre park lies in a region of scenic hills, six miles east and three miles south of Harlan.