A major road construction project will begin July 7, 2009. The entire 7 miles of park road will be reconstructed which
includes widening, paving and adding bike lanes. On August 3, 2009, the campground, camping cabins and shelters 2 and 3 will close. The main boat
ramp will remain open through Labor Day weekend when the rest of the park will close. On July 7, 2009 shelter 1 will close. The project
will continue through the winter and hopefully normal park activities will resume in April 2010. Check this
map for specific dates and road closures.
Please check back for updates or contact the park office for additional information.
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Honey Creek Resort
Reservations
State Park Campground
Reservations
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Honey Creek is a great place for picnics and larger gatherings.
Open Picnic Shelters are located at
scenic points overlooking the lake and may be reserved online through the
park reservation system.
Honey Creek is a favorite camping destination. There are
149 modern campsites with showers, rest rooms and a trailer dump station. Twenty-eight of the sites have full
recreation vehicle hookups (sewer, water, electricity), and 75 are equipped with electricity only. Electricity is
available year-round in the campground and the shower building is heated in the winter. The full hookups, however, are
closed during the winter. Advance campsite reservations can be booked through the
park reservation system. Half of the campsites are still available on a
first-come, first-serve basis.
The rustic pine log camper cabins offer visitors a sense of
pioneer lifestyle. The cabins have electricity, a covered porch and basic furnishings. Visitors must provide their own
bedding, towels, cooking utensils and other camping items. Cabins are located near the campgrounds so cabin users will
have use of the shower and toilet facilities. The cabins can be reserved online through the
park reservation system.
Hikers enjoy the miles of multi-use trails and the Woodland Interpretive Trail. By following the interpretive
trail one may learn about the early Indians who inhabited the area. Displays on the history of Honey Creek are located
in a special shelter at the beginning of the interpretive trail.
(boating, fishing)
Rathbun Lake is very popular with sailboaters, power boaters, water skiers and anglers. Crappie, walleye and
channel catfish are available to challenge anglers. The park has excellent boat launching ramps and conveniently
located fish cleaning facilities.
Visitors to Honey Creek State Park return often to enjoy the beautiful setting of 828 acres of rolling, timbered
hills against a background of beautiful Lake Rathbun, Iowa's largest lake. In 1954, Congress authorized the construction
of Rathbun Lake because the Chariton River Valley in south central Iowa was susceptible to flood and drought problems.
The dam was completed in 1969 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Rathbun Lake provides flood protection for 149,300
acres of land along the Chariton River.
The Corps manages 55 square miles of land and water at Rathbun Lake. Honey Creek is a part of the Rathbun Lake
recreation complex consisting of 11,000 acres with eight parks, 155 miles of shoreline, two marinas and 21,000 acres
of public land. In addition to Honey Creek State Park, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources manages the Rathbun
Fish Hatchery and Fisheries Research Facility located below the dam.
Honey Creek is located about 12 miles from Moravia and 4 miles from Iconium. The park is approximately 24 miles
from both Albia and Centerville.
Honey Creek State Park
12194 Honey Creek Pl.
Moravia, IA 52571-8879
ph. 641/724-3739
fax: 641/724-9846
E-mail address:
Honey_Creek@dnr.iowa.gov
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