“We’re pretty avid campers. Normally we go camping every weekend or every other weekend,” said Ernie Carr, who trekked to Lake Wapello with his wife, Pam, from Onslow, Iowa.

Justin Pedretti, park manager at Lacey-Keosauqua State Park in Van Buren County, said he would have anticipated a higher percentage of early season campers if it had not been for some of their renovation projects.

Part of the park campsite was recently shut down for five months for a sewer and water upgrade and several other general improvements to the park.

“We have still had a handful of campers each weekend,” Pedretti said.

And now that construction is complete and Memorial Day is approaching, he believes they will be steady for the rest of the summer.

“We’re never usually completely full, but we get a good crowd on the weekends and during the holidays,” he said.

Dave Long, executive director of the Keokuk County Conservation Board, said they have seen similar patterns at Lake Belva Deer.

Though the park is open year round, he said water and electricity hookups at the campsites were just turned back on during the second week of April.

“We have been about three quarters full on the weekends, with around 30-40 sites occupied each weekend,” he said. “Come Memorial Day, they will all be full.”

Most of the pre-reserved sites are full, he said, as well as the five new cabin facilities.

Scott Niles can be reached at (641) 683-5360 or via e-mail at sjniles@mchsi.com.