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I stayed there twice in 2003 and 2005, got the space for $10 a night. 

2003 was incredibly quiet and i enjoyed it a lot, partiers came in 2005 and it was a lot louder. I’m not a camper so I rent a hotel in Des Moines every year. 

I too am fustrated. I'm lucky and got a spot, but not my normal one I've been in for the last 7 years. I've camped next to my family this whole time since it is a family vacation. I know we have to be thankful for what we have but there has to be a way to better this process. My family has been camping at this facility for 25+ years and then and me as an adult for the last 10 years. I get that the higher ups came up with this system, but I feel like we need to find a way to contact them, flood them with complaints. There's no reason they couldn't treat our campsites like our tickets. You have until this day to renew and then it goes to the public. Or something of sorts. It's a great facility, don't want to look elsewhere, just would like the system to go better. There's obviously a reason we all keep going back. I feel bad for those that weren't able to get a spot. I know of at least 4 'regulars' that didn't get a spot.

*on the 8th day God created dirt tracks*

They used to treat the campsites just like tickets.  But someone decided that wasn't "fair" to all.  I guarantee the park rangers would like to go back to old way.  They take a beating for the issues with this new system. 

This page lists all the board members and numbers along with the top dog and his contact info.  I'm sure you won't be the first to complain.   

I'm in the same boat as many of you.  We did the cramped next to your neighbor thing at RV's back in the day. It was fun and all as we were younger and more into the party scene.  Once we started taking the family along we got into the Marion County Park by luck back in the day when you could reserve and keep your site annually.  We enjoyed out site, our neighbors and the campgrounds ammenities and scenery.  The Rangers were nice and always accomodating and everyone around us were friendly and helpful.  We truly looked forward to arriving each year.  That was until the change, which totally ruined the whole deal and we've not gotten back to nor want to attempt to anymore.  We've now been at a new location adjacent to the track that has worked out tremendously and have no plans of changing our location here on out.

We drove through the Marion County Park this year just to see how things were and for old times sake.  Still looks great as ever.  Just not our scene doing the online fight to get a site.  As in the past three years, already got next years site (same one) reserved for next year even before we left.  No muss no fuss. And no wild bureaucracy.  

Jeff Wesell
Hartford, WI

I've been very lucky with retaining my spot year after year until this year. Someone came in and got the spot I've had since this new system began (and people in our group have been camping in that area since the 70s I believe). Luckily people in my group were able to find replacement spots across the way, but lost our sewer hookups that we've had. We do have to be happy that we at least got something when a lot of folks have lost their spots. It's a bad system and causes bad vibes in the campground because everyone is concerned if someone else is trying to steal their spot for next year. The state has had loyal customers in that campground for years and then the state screwed their loyal customers with this program.

It's a shame the big ups in the government don't care about the customer of the Knoxville Nationals and only the money that comes from it. It's kind of like the Iowa Travel Twitter account leaving Knoxville off of their list of big tourist attractions during August in Iowa last year, they just don't care.

Ask Frank