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
Season dates aren't confirmed for this campground yet - opening and closing dates haven't been verified. Check the operator's page or call ahead before you plan a trip.
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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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.