Halvorson Park: Campground Review

Halvorson Park is located in Mitchell County Iowa just 1.5 miles south of St. Ansgar on county road T-26 in Northeast Iowa. The Mitchell County Conservation Board (MCCB) operates 36 sites in Mitchell County encompassing 2,011 acres for public use.

Campsites

Halvorson is 10.6 acres on the banks of the Cedar River, with 50 non-designated campsites throughout the park being serviced by 25 electrical/water hookups giving campers a choice of 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service and fresh water. There are no gravel or concrete pads to park your camper on, you just pick a spot that is close to power hookups and camp. Some power hookups may have multiple campers connected to them.

Amenities

A boat ramp and docks are located on the east side of the campground. Handicap fishing access is located on the west side. Smallmouth bass, crappie, catfish, perch, carp, walleye and northern have been caught by campers. A small beach, swimming area, picnic shelter and public restroom/shower building are the other amenities of the park.

The park has a large tree population made up of Oak, Maple, Basswood and other types of trees giving plenty of shade for campers.
At the entrance of the park is where campers self-register before camping. Rates are $10.00 per night without electric, $60.00 a week without electric, $18.00 per night with electric and $108.00 per week with electric. A $5.00 charge will be added if the park caretaker registers you. When leaving the campground there is a dump station for the RV and dumpsters for trash and recyclable items. The park is open for camping starting in May to mid-October. There is no reservation system in place, so it is first come first serve.

Sites

What we like about the parks ran by the MCCB is they are always improving the parks. Over the last few years Halvorson has seen an improved boat ramp, new boat docks and playground equipment. Meetings are held in local towns and the MCCB ask users of the parks what improvements they would like to see. This year Halvorson River banks were seeded with wildflowers and other native plants to protect the bank from soil erosion. Last fall the park got a new restroom/showers building.
The only complaint I have with the MCCB about Halvorson is the overcrowding of the park on some weekends, they do not have a set a limit of campers and this can cause some damage to the area due to overuse of the facilities.