North Central Iowa Regional SWA Sanitary Landfill

North Central Iowa Regional SWA Sanitary Landfill in Fort Dodge is where larger loads get buried - locals and haulers use it when curb pickup won't handle the job. The site sits off Landfill Drive and looks like most landfills: wide dirt and gravel roads, piles of cover material and active cells. Expect a practical, no-frills stop rather than anything tidy.

Drive up to an entrance booth and pass over a scale; tipping fees at places like this are charged by weight, so plan to be weighed on the way in and again on the way out. Pull into the lanes and follow the flow of trucks - pickups and commercial rigs both maneuver through the same areas, though larger vehicles need extra room. The ground is mostly gravel or packed dirt and there are large containers and equipment around, so leave space and watch for heavy machinery. Lines build up on weekends and during spring clean-up, so busy times can mean waiting at the booth.