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Enjoy the outdoors at Tama County parks

Scenes from opening weekend at Otter Creek Lake and Park northeast of Toledo, Iowa. News Chronicle photos/John Speer

Tama County Conservation parks and wildlife areas have remained open for day-use through the pandemic, with recommended closures and practices in place. We always see an influx of visitors at the park in April and May as the weather warms, but this year we saw higher than usual numbers.

Individuals, couples, and families have used the park as a safe place to get out of the house and social distance while hiking, walking, fishing, birdwatching, paddling, bird

watching, mushroom hunting, or just driving through for the scenery.

Outdoor recreation is a great way to have fun, and also exercise and reap mental health benefits during a time like this when other options are limited.

We have encouraged visitors to enjoy the park, but bring their own hand sanitizer, stay more than six feet away from other visitors, and stay home if they feel sick.

On Wednesday May 13, our East side roads and campgrounds opened for the 2020 season, restricted to self-contained units only with limitations on visitors and the number of people at each site.

Kayaking on Otter Creek Lake

Our self-registration kiosks are available as always to pay with no contact. Currently, the showerhouse and restrooms, beach, playgrounds, fish cleaning station and shelterhouses remain closed, including the west side park roads that access the non-electric sites and shelterhouses. Foot traffic is welcome on the west side. We are monitoring statewide decisions and evaluating daily to decide when the next phase of re-opening will occur. This could change before the next paper is published. Folks can find the must up-to-date info on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/tamacountyconservation or by calling our office at 641-484-2231.

While you could go out on the water (photo below) or enjoy your camping trailer (above, left) the playground and beach remained off limits to all but the geese as COVID-19 restrictions were still in place last weekend at Otter Creek Lake and Park. Fishing was also seen as a popular activity.