As the COVID-19 pandemic drove people out of public spaces and into their homes last year, many found an escape in the great outdoors. While the pandemic caused near-universal economic strife as businesses did their best to survive, North Iowaâs outdoor institutions have thrived. In Winnebago County, the numbers were dramatic. Camping, hunting, fishing, etc. Whatever activity people could do in the outdoors, they did a lot more of it in 2020 than any year in recent memory. Eagle Lake State Park in rural Hancock County. LISA GROUETTE - Globe Gazette According to Winnebago County naturalist Lisa Ralls in her December 2020 column âWelcome to your Outdoors,â Thorpe Park saw campers spend 355 nights in 2020, compared to 195 nights in 2019, an 82 percent bump. At Dahle Park, it was even more dramatic, as total camping nights went from 77 to 279, an increase of 262 percent.Â