Park Rules & Regulations
1. Prohibited Destructive Acts
It shall be unlawful for any person to use, enjoy the privileges of, destroy, injure or deface plant life, trees, buildings, or other natural or material property, or to construct or operate for private or commercial purposes any structure or remove any plant life, trees, buildings, sand, gravel, ice, earth, stone, wood, or any other natural material, or to operate vehicles, within the boundaries of any county park, preserve, or stream or any other lands or waters under the jurisdiction of the County Conservation Board for any purpose whatsoever, except upon the terms, conditions, limitations and restrictions as set forth by the County Conservation Board.
2. Speed Limit
The maximum speed limit of all vehicles on county park roads shall be fifteen miles per hour. All driving shall be confined to designated roadways.
3. Parking
All vehicles shall be parked in designated parking areas, and no vehicle shall be left unattended on any county park road, except in case of an emergency.
4. Hitching to Trees
No horse or other animal shall be hitched or tied to any tree or shrub or in such a manner as to result in damage to county property.
5. Fires
No fires shall be built, except in a place provided therefore, and such fires shall be extinguished when the site is vacated unless it is immediately used by some other party.
6. Removing Plants, Flowers, or Fruit
No person shall, in any manner, remove, destroy, injure or deface any tree, shrub, plant or flower, or the fruit thereof, or disturb or injure any structure or natural attraction, except that upon written permission of the County Conservation Board certain specimens may be removed for scientific purposes.
7. Use of Firearms Prohibited
Exceptions. The use by the public of firearms, fireworks, explosives, and weapons of all kinds is prohibited in all county parks and preserves, except preserves or portions of preserves designated as hunting areas by the County Conservation Board. However, any person may use a bow and arrow with attached bow fishing reel and ninety-pound minimum line attached to the arrow to take rough fish under rules and regulations prescribed by the Department of Natural Resources.
8. Littering Grounds
No person shall place any waste, refuse, litter or foreign substance in any area or receptacle except those provided for that purpose.
9. Prohibited Areas
No person shall enter upon portions of any county park or preserve in disregard of official signs forbidding same, except by permission of the Conservation Board or Director.
10. Animals on Leash
No privately owned animal shall be allowed to run at large in any county park or preserve or upon lands or in waters owned by or under the jurisdiction of the County Conservation Board except by permission of the County Conservation Board or Director. Every such animal shall be deemed as running at large unless the owner carries such animal or leads it by a leash or chain not exceeding six feet in length or keep it confined in or attached to a vehicle.
11. Closing Time
Except by arrangement or permission granted by the Conservation Board or Director, all persons shall vacate county parks and preserves before 10:30 o’clock p.m. The provisions of this section shall not apply to authorized camping in areas provided for that purpose and for fishing or hunting pursuant to Department of Natural Resources laws.
12. Camping
The County Conservation Board is hereby authorized to fix fees for camping and other special privileges which shall be in such amounts as may be determined by the Conservation Board upon a basis of the cost of providing and reasonable value of such privileges.
13. Camping Areas
No person shall camp in any portion of a county park or preserve except in portions prescribed or designated by the County Conservation Board.
14. Time Limit
No camping unit shall be permitted to camp for a period longer than that designated by the County Conservation Board for the specific park or preserve and in no event longer than for a period of two weeks.
15. Camping Refused
Custodians or the Director are given the authority to refuse camping privileges and to rescind any and all camping for just cause.
16. Penalties
Any person violating any of the provisions of the foregoing sections numbered 461A.35 to 461A.57 inclusive shall be guilty of a simple misdemeanor. These sections may be modified or superseded by rules adopted as provided in Section 350.5, Iowa Code.
