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).

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.