Water Off: Modern shower and restroom facilities will be closed on 10/16/26; hydrants and the dump station will be closed on November 1st. Pit vault toilets remain available for year-round use. Facilities will reopen in late April of 2027. (Posted 10/14/26)
Last Minute Cabin Rentals: If you are unable to reserve a cabin online because the reservation window has closed,
you must call the park office at 712-773-2701 regarding cabin availability.
All last minute cabin rentals are handled by park staff and should be done
prior to arriving at the park.
Campground Operations: This campground is 100 percent reservable and accepts reservations year round until 10:00 pm CST the day of arrival.
Prairie Rose State Park, IA
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Overview
Description
Whether you are picnicking, swimming, camping, boating, hiking or fishing, the lake provides a real focal point at Prairie Rose State Park. Construction of the 218-acre lake started in the 1950s and the park was dedicated in 1962.
Recreation:
Trails
Approximately 7 miles of trails weave through the park. All the trails are open for hiking, biking, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. The trail is a great place to observe a variety of plants and wildlife and feature several areas of restored prairie along the way.
Lake Activities
The 218-acre lake is a focal point for park activities. The unsupervised beach provides swimming and sunbathing for young and old, and a playground is located nearby. There are two boat ramps that provide easy access to the lake for all types of boating, including ice boats in the winter. Any size boat motors may be used at "no-wake" speeds.
Anglers of all ages will find a challenge at Prairie Rose. The lake provides excellent bass, channel catfish, bluegill and crappie fishing on the water or from the shoreline. There are 6 fishing jetties to aid in shoreline access and two fish cleaning stations located on the lake for anglers' convenience.
Facilities:
Picnicking/Shelters
Prairie Rose State Park provides a number of beautiful picnic areas with spectacular views of the lake. In addition there are two open picnic shelters which can be reserved in advance. Both shelters have electricity with water and restrooms nearby, and are the perfect place for your next family reunion, birthday party or other event.
Camping
Camping at Prairie Rose, whether for a weekend or a family vacation, is delightful. The park boasts two campgrounds with sites that can be reserved in advance. The east campground has electric and full hook-up (electric, water, sewer) campsites, modern restrooms and showers and sanitary dump station. The west campground is popular for tenters and has non-electric and electric campsites and non-modern restroom facilities. The east campground also has a basketball court, horseshoe pits and playground.
Cabins
Two camping cabins offer another overnight option for park visitors. Each cabin is equipped with heat/AC, microwave, dorm fridge, table and chairs, two twin-over-full bunk beds, picnic table and fire ring. There are water hydrants and a pit latrine adjacent to the cabins and a fishing jetty. Each cabin accommodates 5 people, with a maximum of 7, and can be reserved in advance.
Nearby Attractions:
Each June the town of Walnut hosts an antique festival that draws people from around the country. There are stock car races every Saturday night at the Shelby County Speedway.
Nearby Towns
Prairie Rose State Park is located 3 miles south of Harlan, Iowa and 8 miles north of Walnut, Iowa.
Services and Amenities
Services & Amenities:
Within Park
- Bicycling
- Bird Watching
- Boat Launch Ramp
- Cabins
- Canoeing
- Dump Station
- Firewood Sales
- Fish Cleaning Station
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Horseshoe Pits
- Jogging/Running
- Kayaking
- Modern Restroom
- Mountain Biking
- Park Lake
- Park Office
- Parking
- Picnic Area
- Playground
- Registration Building
- Restrooms
- Showers
- Swimming - Beach
- Toilet, Pit/Vault
- Trash Dumpster
- Walking
- Water Hydrants
- Wildlife Viewing
Within 10 Miles
- ATM/Cash Machine
- Antiquing
- Church
- Fuel, Vehicles
- Grocery Store
- Hospital
- Medical Clinic
- Motel
- RV / Camper Maintenance
- Retail, Bait & Tackle
- Retail, Drinks
- Retail, Ice
- Town
Nearby Parks
[26.16 miles*]
[40.83 miles*]
[41.72 miles*]
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