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Lake Keomah State Park |
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Facilities and Activities
Beach at Lake Keomah
A lodge is available on a reservation only basis. It is an ideal place for
special events such as wedding receptions or family reunions. Contact the park
office to make a reservation.
Lake Keomah's scenic beauty has long made it a very popular picnic spot. Open
picnic shelters may be reserved for a fee through the park office.
Camping
The campground has 65 campsites (41 with electrical hookups), modern showers,
rest rooms and a trailer dump station. Starting February 13, 2006 advance
campsite reservations can be booked through the park reservation system. Half of
the campsites are still available for self-registration on a first-come,
first-serve basis.
Group Camping
Lake Keomah also has a dining/rest room building available on a reservation
basis to organized groups. Camping for group members is allowed nearby. See the
document Group Camp Rental Reservation for specifics on reservation policy and
specific rates, damage deposits and reservation deposits.
Trails
The park's wooded terrain provides great hiking year-round. There is a multi-use
trail which runs along the lake shore. In winter, snowmobiles may be operated on
designated trails.
Lake Activities (swimming, boating, fishing)
Spring and summer fishing for crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass and channel
catfish is excellent. Ice fishing is popular in winter. A fishing jetty is
available on the west shoreline and is accessible to persons of varying
abilities.
Electric motors only are allowed and 2 boat ramps provide easy access to the
lake.
Lake Keomah has an unsupervised swimming beach. The beach is a great place for
young and old alike on hot summer afternoons.
Lake Keomah State Park is 366 acres of beautiful woods and water. Lovely shaded
picnic areas are nestled between the arms of the 83 acre man-made lake.
During the summer the open water, grasslands, deep woods and marshy areas
provide habitat for all types of wildlife. Hikers along the park's scenic hiking
and nature trails may catch a glimpse of bullfrogs blowing and puffing bass
solos, a great blue heron wading the shallows in search of minnows, or a covey
of quail rising at the approach of human footsteps. In the fall, the lake is
surrounded by a mass of color from a variety of trees and shrubs.
"Keomah" may sound like an Indian name, but it is not. The name is derived from
the first syllables of the two counties that helped finance the park over 50
years ago --Keokuk and Mahaska. A portion of the south side of the lake was
reserved for private development and many homes dot this side of the lake. The
park was dedicated in 1934. Many of its facilities were constructed by the
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
Nearby Towns
Oskaloosa is six miles west of the park and the site of beautiful William Penn
College. Sigourney is 20 miles east. Pella is 21 miles northwest.
Contact Information
2720 Keomah Lane
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
ph. 641/673-6975
fax. 641/673-0647
E-mail address: Lake_Keomah@dnr.state.ia.us |
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