Iowa
66
www.stateparks.com
Barber Creek State Wildlife Management Area '' © George Wharton
caves - Caves reopen today!
A great memory - In 1961 after some rapelling I was climbing the cliff, was ~50 feet up when the ledge I was standing on gave way. Luckily I grabbed some tree roots hanging down the cliff face and pulled myself up about 25 feet to the top and was fine. It made a lasting memory.
Great family fun! - We had a family weekend getaway. No TV, no electronics, etc. We played board games and went for a hike. We built a fire and roasted hot dogs & marshmallows. We had a great time! balanced rock! - It looks to me like the balanced rock is man made with pins holding it in place. I miss the Caves! - I really hope this year the caves open up, I miss coming to the park. I know, you can go to the park, but honestly, there are parks closer to home to do that. The caves are what makes the park unique! We Love this park - According to the Telegraph Herald the caves will be open this spring...whoooohooo Peaceful Park - Palisades is a Beautiful Park. I Love going there! Its a short drive from CR and it is so peaceful-it is my place to go when life hands me to much stress:) Best family time ever last 7 summers - Cabins are the best Was our favorite campground - We have been coming here for years, but since the caves are closed we have not gone to the park for the last three years. I really hope they open the caves soon before my kids get to big and dont want to go camping with us anymore. It made our year. - Our 5th grade class went here in April of 2009 and here is us writing back to it. We wish we could all pack up and go back right now. We made so many memories and met so many new people. WE LOVE SPRINGBROOK!!! park is great, Lake is terrible - The park has many options, and wonderful trails. The wild life is tame and plentiful. Manawa is dirty and mucky. I have been to most all the state parks in Iowa and Lake Manawa ranks in the lowest. It is a shame considering the number of people who use and would use this lake. The DNR has dropped the ball for with Lake Manawa. Great place to Camp - I can never say enough about the beauty of this area in Iowa. I was at Waubonsie 7 years ago on a much needed vacation from every day life. The week went by way too fast and I missed it when I had to leave. This area holds a very special place in my heart as my Dad was raised in Tabor and I was born at Thurman... I have such wonderful memeories from there and time seems to just stand still in this area -- it never changes...
WASTE OF A DRIVE NOW - Bats are a special interest group Im sure of it now.WHAT The Heck the dnr now caters to special groups.I will not visit the park and I know many people who wont waste their time going to this park without the caves open.Whats the point.Is not the caves THE PARK?Can not the dnr get a stimulas grant from our government to put together low housing project for the bats so humans can enjoy the park again?If bats are so great why do we try and remove them from our homes? Shouldnt we be made to leave our homes for their winter comfort. wish we had more time - we were here October 14, 2011, and spent an hour or so. Wish we would have had more time to spend! Had to take the detour as we came from the north and the north road was closed.
Nice trails, but be cautious if it is foggy--it was hard to see 100 ft ahead and a little disorienting. The fog did add a mysterious beauty the surroundings, and we did get some nice photos of the river and the mist. Horse riding - My horse & I had so much fun on the trails that we are sure to visit again. We were able to see many, many deer within yards from them, & beautiful birds. The only thing I will warn, is that if your horse is tender footed, make sure you have horse boots, because in order to keep the trails from eroding gravel is put down in some areas. 
No water - 2011 - there is No water in the lake; must be getting ready to fix it up. The lake bottom has some man made structure but very very litte of it. This is a good time to get some equipment in there and do it right, if money permits. Then it will take a while to stock it with fish.. Great park needing attention!!!! - Backbone is a great place and i have lived here my entire life and over the last decade it is starting to decay due to violent floods and poor government funding please help this beautiful park Special Place - The park has a special vibe. Very ancient and mystical. I just love the park. The most special place in Iowa!!
Shame the caves are closed, I would have loved to bring the kids. I visited once when the caves were open. The only cave i entered was dancehall cave. Very special! It does, however, seems like an unlikely home for bats. My guess is that they could keep open dancehall cave with no problem. I understand why the other caves are closed. I know that the scientists need time before they say it safe for the bats. 3 years is longe enough for Dancehall!! A lot more people would visit the park if dancehall was open. The place has become not well looked after. Nothing there. - Unless I missed something, there is nothing but a tiny wooden structure, a replica (not even the real thing) of the first school house built in IA, big enough for a couple of people to stand in, and deteriorating. There were no trails, despite the map showing a huge area for the park. Waste of time. Excellent trail around the reservoir - This park has a great 4 mile trail around the reservoir. Its wooded, but not well signposted. Pretty flat. Stunning scenery - We drove through Lake Macbride State Park last night just to enjoy the scenery. Was beautiful! Give it a few weeks and the trees will be breath-taking! Such happy memories of swimming and picnicking at Lake Macbride as a teenager! Such a treasure! Peacefulness - I remember visiting my grandparents farm and aunt/uncles place when they lived by pikes peak state park. When i was little We always had picnics at the park until all the places were acquired. Going to the park brings back fond memories of my grandparents. Its a gorgeous place Nice place, but not for a swim. - This is not a clean place to swim.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110916/NEWS/309160049/-1/NEWS04/Restoration-operation-set-Big-Creek-Lake
An amazing adventure - We were thrilled to discover such great hiking just a few hours from home. Even though the caves were closed, the trails were just amazing and easy to walk on with safety rails and kept up very well. We will visit again for sure...A must see!! CAVES ARE CLOSED - The caves are close and have been for the last three years. All public caves in Iowa are closed in an effort to fight the fungal infection, white nose syndrome in bats. The caves are expected to be closed for years to come. A great place to stay - What a great place for a vacation. We rented a cabin and the sheltered picnic area for a small family reunion. The cabin was clean and relaxing and the picnic area was well worth the small cost. The area is well kept with lots of beautiful scenery and wildlife. We will definitely go back. Awesome -ness - i love going to the caves, theres so much to do. espeically the begining of fall. the caves alone are great. and w/ the woods & trails that surround them; its an outdoor-sie person paridise. State Park Beauty! - Between big, old shade trees to help keep you cool and the camping area located down in a protected valley, the only thing that would make this Park better is a cold spring-fed creek. Oh wait, it has that too! Awesome place!!!!!!!!! Love it! - Does anyone know if the caves are open? Great! - Nice trails and lots of them. Could even ride around the lake when it was raining. Great place to go! Great get-a-way - We always enjoy camping at Lake Lacey. The hiking trails are well kept and beautiful! We love how it is so close to historic towns and to Keosauqua. Ice cream is not far! Definetly, our favorite place to camp! 1 of our favorite camping places!!! - - One of the cleanest parks I have EVER been too! We love going there, wish we could more often. Also really enjoy how nice the park rangers are. Bird watchers paradise - A great day at the park. The bird watch area built for watching is great. Many hummingbirds and other local birds. We caught fish in the river, saw deer swim across the river. Just a great day out for our 9 year old daughter and dad on an out of school day. Surprising - Approaching this park, you will wonder why it is called Ledges because the land is so flat all around. Soon after you begin to walk into the wooded area, you will find that the ledges are recesses in the terrain. Ledges State Park is intimate, beautiful, and surprising. Our Favorite Local Park - family time - My family and I recently camped for 7 days in one of the three fires cabins. It was a great experience. My wife and I have 2 grade school boys and the cabin was perfect. The fishing was great the trails were enjoyable the beech was fun and the grill and camp fire ring were both of great quality and made outdoor cooking a breeze. Bedford is a small town that is friendly and has a nice community pool. It has everything we needed other than fishing supplies you will need to stock up before you come. We will definitely rent the cabins again. Love the deluxe pontoon - The pontoons are the best just to relax and hang out on the water the only thing i wish is the radios on them would be fixed Nice average-to-large State park lake - I live near Rock Creek. Its camping, fishing, and trails etc, attract not only cities close to it, but far away. Its not huge, but neither small. Can be pretty packed in late spring, early summer, but very pretty. Pontoon rentals available, and the lake can have small motorboats, as well as small sails. Well-maintained. great park - Good swimming beach,fun fishing a many extras including an after dark movie on the beach. They have great food at the concession stand. - I miss going there with friends and family for like cookouts. Love this park - I been coming here to camp sence i was a kid now i bring my kids here to camp and swim.They really love going to the restaurant to have your pie and fried pickles.Wich they had the restaurant there when i was little.
A Wonderful Adventure! - Had a lovely time on the 30th of July 2011. The only bad thing was the restrooms were filthy, not maintained, and trash overflowing. This is unacceptable an must be addressed. Beautiful - Beautiful park! Will camp there again for the hiking but the swimming not so much lake very dirty-that is the only thing that disappointed us! The park itself very clean and lots of shade-the playground could use some more shade! WOW - who knew!! we were looking for another camp ground and found this and stayed. Nice campgroud.
Great view Awesome for the family! - Love this place - We love coming here, the DNR people are always friendly and you never feel crowded if when the campground is full! a hot weekend - lots of rules that are strickly enforced, no parking except right infront of camper, need to have boats far away in another parking lot
long walk to the beach, very little breeze Beautiful views - Annual motorcycle ride to Iowa and Wisconsin. Never miss stopping at the Park. The views are Awesome. Loved - theres never been one day we havnt gone we live in marion but yet still we walk there we drive and bike there with some gear and some army style glow sticks and our friends and family we are from the service and these caves are the best weve seen we love it i intend to get married there Clean! - Nice clean park. Nice People, good fishing too! Old memories shared with Young - It was grand to bring the grandchildren back to a park that my father worked in as a young man and i enjoyed as a child. Our family had many family gatherings at the caves. forgotten - usually dirty not kept up, grass overgrown , 2 ft in some places. water clarity bad fishing only so so. i think the dnr forgot about this lake , funny since its one of the larger lakes in southwest iowa go figure. The greatest place to camp. - I have gone to Pikes Peak St. Park once a year since my oldest son was 8 and he is now 55. The camping is the best and the view is fantastic. Give it a try. You will love it. Coming back - We camped here in 2009 and we were so impressed with the 2 level campground that we are coming back in July, 2011. We felt like we were the only camper there due to the lay out of the camp ground. Our Favorite Park - always been my favorite place to go since we 1st visited 11 years ago Kinda cool but muddy - We got there and it was really muddy and some of the ravines are steep. but exclent place to camp with guinea pigs and dogs... Great for water fowl and walleyes! - Nice big lake with great fishing and water fowl watching. Not bad for sailing too. I must go there again! - While visiting my wonderful family in Iowa, they took me to Backbone State Park, I fell in love with that place. The last time was 3 years ago, and I am visiting my family again this yr and I told them I got to go back, and they will take me. Love the unique environment comparing to where I am from, Southern California! Sure am looking forward to spending the day mediating there this summer! great park - We have stayed in Little Paint campground and it is wonderful. No Elec or water but always clean. great place to take the family - Wonderful Playground at he Beach Area - Hiking and horse trails are great. We love the condition of the docks and playground It is a favorite for our grandchildren. Wonderful Hole ! - I visit this park with friends in 2006, a great place.The visitor center is top!! Best place ! - I come from switzerland and visit this park all year and love the springbrook park with animals,silence and picnic. - Great trails! - My husband, dog, and I hiked entirely around the lake today. Took us about four hours, and we went eight miles! It was a gorgeous day and an invigorating hike, but we were unprepared for all the steep hills. Wow! How challenging! If you hike the entire trail like we did, wear good walking or trail shoes, make sure you take plenty of water and other provisions, like trail mix or something. And make sure you remember exactly where your car is parked. Great park. We will be back. our fav, camping park - we love that there is lots of room in each camp site! even when its busy its not over crouded. if I had to change one thing it would be that the showers get up dated. An pleasant surprise in the heart of IA - I was married in Backbone State Park after only a single visit to checkout the venue. I was extremely pleased to find such a jewel hidden in plain sight around the surrounding corn fields. Horseback Haven - Yellow River forest has great horse trails, and a very clean camp. Rilen (The DNR) is a great! He is respectful, and easy on the eyes. We always have a great time there! childhood memories from PA - Having left Iowa in the early 70s I now hope to take my family back to experience the majestic hiking trails. Breathtaking buckskinners camp - Sept camped with the buckskinners at the park and had great time. Beautiful trails and a good time was had by all. I do know I will be back this year. girl scouts - this park is awsome for girl scouts!!!!!!!!! - It is the place to reconnect - I used to go here camping when i was a boy and it was some of my best childhood memoirs. Went back last summer and it was like being little all over again. Its the perfect escape from the city and drone of everyday boringness It is the place to reconnect - I used to go here camping when i was a boy and it was some of my best childhood memoirs. Went back last summer and it was like being little all over again. Its the perfect escape from the city and drone of everyday boringness Peaceful - I often walk the trails with my dog in the evening before it gets too dark. It is rare that I hear people, and when I do it is only when we pass right near a campground site. I enjoy listening to the animals (mostly deer) walking around me, the frogs, and the birds chirping. It is among my favorite places. beautiful! - the cabins are so cute and cozy and the park is beautiful. we loved it. Pine paradise - It is such a beautiful and majestic place to be. If I were a pine I would want to grow there! Well Im a person and want to go there so that is cool!See you soon Pine Paradise!!! :-) One of several places we camp. - First place I ever camped, 1974. Sad that so many pine trees have been lost to a severe hail storm in August of 2009. excellent hiking - On 10-20-10, hiked around the entire lake and found the trail well kept, easy to follow and beautiful! A great afternoon for two 50 somethings - not too strenuous, but took about 3 hours by the time we made photo stops, etc. A great place to enjoy the woods! - Needs better upkeep - We stay in the fall for the past 20+ years. The showers are filthy every year. Last year the bathrooms were not replenished for 3 days ( with a full campgound) Outdoors - This place is just a great place to kick back and relax. The fishing for kids is amazing for bluegills! Great State Park - Great park with hot showers. Great place to fish. the catfishing is great - great fishing - i love all the fishing and stuff but the best part is the scenery God did this park right!!! - You are driving east on some little road through the corn fields, and suddenly you see a patch of trees. As you enter the park you are suddenly in a mini Grand Canyon with rocks, streams and rivers. God did it right with this park, oh and those guys who work there do a great job too!!! I Love this place! - This is one of the most beautiful, peaceful places to visit. We go there at least 6 times during the season. Its nice because its also not full of campers, so it keeps its wild side. Just breathtaking. Great - Love this place Beautiful scenery.... - The scenery is very beautiful. You could spend all day hiking and then cool off at the mill. Unfortunately the park rangers seemed to discriminate against my fiancé, our friends, and myself. We followed the rules yet they continued to stop by our site while leaving the other campers alone. They also tended to be rude. Unfortunately because of the park rangers attitudes we will not be spending our money to camp there but we will patron the mill. nice park - like the park but hate the states reservation web site there is no place to cancel a reservation,or if there is i cant find it. One of my favorite parks - The view is spectacular and the park is a nice place to picnic. We enjoy it whenever we are in the area. beautiful - this is a very beautiful state park. i have looked through your intire web site and this is a very beautiful park . it has everything that you will need to spend a vacation here from tent camping to cabins i have not been to this park as of et but i will be visiting it in the near future. - Great park - we enjoyed our camping - This is one great park. Nice quite, with great trails and nature. If you love hiking and just pleasant quite camping spot you are at the right place. We will visit the park again this year. Home Sweet Home - I grew up in Lacey State Park and it will always be home to me. I lived just up the road to the entrance from the Keosauqua bridge side. My father sold our acreage in the 1960s to the State, which made me very sad, but I have all the memories to cherish. It is a beautiful park with multiudes of history. The lake is wonderful and in years past was extremely full of swimmers. The picnic areas, shelters, etc., will always hold special memories for me. The manner in which this park was built by hard labor of the CCC is phenominal. Nice!!! - Camped here from July 16-18 and had great time. All camp areas are at least 90% shaded and the majority are very level. Great swimming area, clean sandy beach, very clean showers. Great place to grow up!!! - I had the honor of being able to live there part of my youth. My Dad worked there as an Asst. Ranger. I one day hope to visit there again and see if I can remember all the trails. Unique Yurts - ideal family camping in the yurts Had a family get together and had a ball camping, talking around the campfire, exploring the trails after dark and finding the stars. good people to work with also
Memories of growing up - I remember all the great times I had at Preparation park growing up and spending time with my family. Then after the tornado occurred it saddened my heart but was even worse to see it since it recently opened back up.I suggest they let the people come in and give it some TLC. It will take time for things to grow back but believe me there are alot of us that would like to spend a frew weekends out there to help clean things up and fix picnic tables and the grills. So that we may continue to make memories for our next generation camping - beautiful place i wish i still had my camper, one of the best parks i ever stayed in iowa A place to build memories - During the 70s and 80s, my family would rent a cabin every summer. 30 years later, we rent all 6 with kids and grandkids coming from all over the U.S. We sit around the fire and remember the old times, and build new memories. The DNR staff at LoTF has always been outstanding. The little things they do make your stay a joy. Rugged Area - White Pine Hollow is not your average Iowa State park. It features very rugged terrain and over grown trails. One of the best hiking spots in Iowa. Bring your own water... Great!!!! - We had a wonderful time there! hiking galore!!! - A BEAUTIFUL park and a great place to get away from it all. We rented a cabin, and were 110% satisfied!! Caught a few catfish and hiked on the many many trails. Just an absolutely wonderful place!! Very friendly park staff as well. Very romantic! - A great place to bring a picnic lunch and walk the trails hand-in-hand. nice state park - We visit springbrook at least yearly lots of wildlife. If you camp get up early and hear the turkes gobble in the spring.Deer are seen almost constantly around the park Favorite place to camp - a family tradition started 3 yrs ago.....love it!!! Great place - Wild cat den is a great place to camp and walk and it is just great!!!!! :) Wilderness not far away from the city - Lots of trails and back country make this large park one of a kind, especially since it is within the Sioux City boundaries. Many birds and other animals can be seen here in the wooded valleys and the beautiful prairie hilltops of the Loess Hills. Nice fishing lake - Lots of structure around the lake. good structure from shore or from a boat great walking path around the lake makes fishing access really easy with many fair to large size fish to catch Great memories - i grew up in clinton county which is not very far from mequoketa caves. some of my fondest memories was spending the weekend camping, hikeing, searching for arrowheads, watching the wildlife, and of course getting muddy from head to toe in the caves. this is a great fun and educational experience for any age. im now 23 and married but i still love mequoketa caves. best place to spend your vacation. my favorite place in the world - Waubonsi is our families place to go and we go as often as we can. There just seems to be a feeling of peace and contentment there that we have not been able to find at any other park area in Iowa or Nebraska. The scenery is amazing! My sisters and our families love the felling of being there any time of year.
The memories from the Washawtee unit are alive there and the rest of the world fades away. A terrific view of two great rivers - This is a terrific place to go and the view is awesome. I did not have time to do any hiking or possibly this would be a 5 star for me. Definatly worth the ride. Family Fun - It is alway fun a Backbone.It is soothing to feel the sand between my toes and see my children having fun. Family Fun - It is always fun at Backbone.My family loves to catch the fish and see them swim away from us.My child is having a birthday soon and Backbone is her favorite place. The Best Place In Iowa - Go every week, during the blooming season. Every week will bless and depress you, as everything that you see around used to be like this. Stand on a hill and look at the plowing and crops and dream of what is gone, what was there is at your feet. This is one of the most depressing and beautiful things I have ever seen. Very Beautiful - This is a very pretty place in the state of Iowa. A must see if you are in the area. Iowa in February - Cold!! Beautiful!! - SUPER QUIET!! Great destination. Camped in the area with electric. They have everything, even a dump station. Surprise: Verizon Cell Phone works too!! A whole herd of deer scurried off when we arrived, and raccoon tracks. 50% of earth is covered w/snow. summer fun - Plenty of parking! I can say that while the park does needs to start getting a better hold on the beer cans & bottles, It is still one of my favorite places to be! People need to stop expecting a darn 5 star resort when they go to some of these state parks. Its nature people there will be some smell and bugs and a little dirt but over all this is a quite nice little beach to go to. Everyone is just here to have fun. The beach is very lovely and I cant wait for us to go back again. I think everyone should pack a cooler and some rafts and just spend a day here. Oh and one last thing if you bring trash in take it back out there are plenty of trash bins in the parking lot for this reason
Great Campground - Great State Park and Campground. Bass fishing is good. Lake is becoming silted in however and E-coli is common in the water. Have been camping there for over 40 years and will continue to do so. With the amount of usage the state should seriously consider adding water and waste hookups to at least half the RV sites. Great Campground - Stayed 4 days. Park gets busy on weekends with large groups of campers. Drive slowly as many small unsupervised children out running off some energy which is the whole point right! Ran into quite a few folks not leashing their pets which led to some pet and owner confrontations, park rangers made numerous trips through the park to clean out the cash box but turned a blind eye to the loose pets. nice quiet park - good park to relax and take the kids- since it is so small you dont have to worry about them and can hear them from almost the whole park! Beautiful in the fall - This was a very nice park to camp in while visiting someone in the rehab center in Cedar Rapids. We went this past fall and experienced the first snowfall of the year. What a cool camping trip! My Favorite Place - I love going 2 this place it is so beautiful. great riding - very nice horse campgrounds no bike trails please - I dont think there should be a bike trail if there was people would bitch about me walking my dog there!!!!!! Leave it for the outdoors people not city people!!!! Beautiful!! - Passing through, what a great find, hiked for awhile, will be back to stay and explore! Awesome - - Directions - The best way to access Whitebreast and Lucas Units is off Hwy 65. Head west on 467th St. Continue on 467th to Whitebreast Unit or head north on 137th Trl to Lucas Unit. Best way to access Woodburn Unit is off Hwy 34, go south off 34 on 330th Ave. Excellent views - The campground rises in layers for great views of the beautiful lake. Great fishing, nice beach and clean bathrooms. Trails for hiking, and a wonderful community for support services. My favorite park to camp. - Great place to relax and get away from the busy city. Good hiking, great facilities and cabins. A great park - I love George Wythe, and I use it quite a lot. I occasional camp, I walk on the trails most days, and my grandson and I play at the playgrounds and explore the hiking trails as often as we can. It is convenient to go to everyday to walk, because I live in Waterloo, and I can walk in the woods and feel like I am far from civilization, except for then noise of the traffic on the highways that border the park. I can still see deer, many birds and enjoy the woods. I am very glad George Wythe is there! Excellent trail system and nature center - Hilly and good habitat. Trails go thru forest and quality prairies. Four! - This park boasts a beautiful, wooded, and uncrowded campground with adequate bathroom facilities including shower. It has wonderful caves to explore and is very near the great little town of Anamosa, IA. The only drawback is that the campground is situated next to a public golf course. You may not be an early riser but rest-assured, the golfers and grounds staff are. an unusually shady park... - but very nice. very shady, but still very nice. if you like shade. yeah, pretty much. A true Iowa treasure! - We love this park! Beautiful! The most serene camping and fishing location. This is the most underused park in Iowa. It is a true Iowa treasure. my escape - i live in omaha, get tired of the city and like to go here to breathe. PEACEFUL - What a view! Such a beautiful park to get in touch with nature & away from the hustle bustle. So peaceful & Beautiful at Waubonsie State Park in Loess Hills! Really special time in Palisades.. - I had special and lovely time in Palisades in this summer..
I fallen in love there!
We love this place! - This campground is very friendly and clean. Never have has any issues and will continue to camp here as long as we are in the area. Just breathtaking.......... - A beautiful park - Very nice campsites, shade trees, lots of healthy grass, easy to back trailer in, with a great view of the lake. One of the most beautiful places we have stayed and reasonably priced too. Only one negative - the older bathroom building was filthy, and the newer one could be better too. Maybe it was a bad day (just after the weekend). A fishermans paradise - Beautiful Park! - This park has it all. Whether you intend to fish, hike or just do a little nature watching you will not be disappointed. The best park ever - Lush and green very well kept park rangers are the best. No other park can compare to the beauty of Vicking Lake. - - Quiet park. Not very big but the people are frendily. Great place to camp & ride - Great trails, beautiful scenery, been going there 3yrs. 1st yr. great experience, 2nd yr bathrooms need cleaned during weekend, last weekend was there bathrooms/showers needed cleaned and the camp grounds really needed to be mowed. Its a beautiful place a shame not to take care of it. Love going there to ride & camp. Our Family Vacation - Next to Disney World this was the best family vacation we have ever taken. We took the four children we still had at home (two were teenagers) and a teenage friend. No fighting (which our kids tend to do on vacation), just fun! one of our favorite family places - In summer or spring we love to go here and camp or fish. It is above and beyond a great park for families with small children...very fun with playgrounds and the fishing is easy off the low landscapes to the water. We love your park!! We also love it that it only takes 10 mins to get to antique shopping in Walnut. What a cool town of antiques and collectibles. And what a park for our families! thanks. great boat rentals - Enjoyed the paddle boat rental for very reasonable price Lots of boats to choose from Looking forward to enjoying more of this park - A Wonderful and Beautiful State Park - I grew up in Linn County as a child, 40 plus years ago. Palisades Park is still the most beautiful place to go and spend time. Thank you for keeping it clean and family oriented! - - This is great for teens! - We took our boys here and they returned to camp full of mud,laughter,and stories to tell of their tour of all the caves....they loved it and want to go back! - Horse Friendly Park! - Great trails and a nice set up for camping with your horses. A+++
Just bring something to secure your horses corral gate. A great time. Awesome park - We camp there evey summer and love the friendly people,the wonderful sites and the peacefullness. Its great toget away. our wedding site - This is where I got married and it was great! The trails and the wooded areas are really pretty and it is very peaceful. - My friends and I absolutly love this park! We went hiking and fishing here amost every week. If you want a place to just escape the business of every day life, this place is the place to just relax and enjoy the setting around you! AWESOME - THis park is AWESOME LOVE IT
-GREEN beautiful place to spend alot of time - cedar river views and pristine forest atmosphere are the two exciting elements of a visit to palisades kepler. A family tradition - I live in Walnut and have been going to this park since I was a child. It is above and beyond the best place to go for family outings, and the new additions have made it even better. - Our favorite park! Great Place - In my experience, it is beautiful and peaceful. Park well maintained - Spent two full weekends, first in May then in August. Both trips we witness the DNR mowing, dumping trash and cleaning. This park is very enjoyable and we will return again and again. The outstanding fishing is only a bonus. Oh Deer! - Our family loves driving around the lake, the deer are amazing! They are right along the road and you can just gaze at them. One night we were driving and we saw two buck locking racks, it was the most amazing sight you rarely if ever experience Our Favorite! - We have been going there for years and love the place. The water quality has always been an issue but love the layout and views.Try to camp there 3-4 times a year! - favorite park for fishing and fun - the Christmas in July camp wkend has become a family reunion and annual event for our family from southeast Iowa. Thanks for all the work it takes and we will see you this year as well! - - No hookups or pads. Grass parking. Only one water spout that trickles. River flooded when there and had to leave. No dump site. On gravel road. is the park open? - We have been there several times in the past year, and each time, it has been closed. I remember it from earlier years and it is aswesome! I love to ride through the creeks that run over the rodeway! my boyhood home!!! - I grew up on this property long before it was state owned - I know every foot of that beautiful piece of land (especially when in fall colors) - the adjacent piece of land to the east was my family farm (Keener family) - we leased the Indian Bluffs farm from the Chismore brothers (at 80 years old they could outwork a strong farm raised teenager!) - many many MANY fond memories on that acreage!!! - Scenic Stream with Fun, Walking Trails - Fun place to take family and kids over 8.
Echo Valley has beautiful main walking trail with bridges and many more adventureous trails along cold water trout stream. Awesome little park. Beautiful area. - We visited in September and there were pelicans, geese and ducks. It is a beautiful area and had many spots for spending time relaxing. Great fishing - Such a fun place to spend a weekend if you want to ride, fish and relax. Its quiet and not loud with partying kids. Great place to spend time with the family. Duncombe also has a gas station where we get all of our bait, lunch, snacks and gas. My favorite park in Iowa - Palisades-Kepler state park is my second home, and my favorite place to go on a weekend or a day. Beautiful any time of the year! I love the bluffs, hiking the trails, walking the beach, or camping here. I would recommend this park to anyone who likes being in nature yet close to home. A Lifetime of Memories - I have been camping at Rock Creek Park since I was a small child. I have many fond memories there and will continue to make many more. I love the camping, fishing, and swimming areas. I hope everyone that lives in Iowa gets the chance to enjoy Rock Creek Park at least once in their life. Not so bad - It is a good place to take younger kids trout fishing. The water is extremely clear and the trout will come from some pretty decent distances to take down your bait. Great memories park - I grew up in Des Moines, and my family went to this park a lot - I think I even learned to drive some in this park around the age of 14. Then many years later, my husband and children went again with my brother and his young family, and we had the most perfect day in October. It is a beautiful park with wonderful memories for us! Great State Park! - We stayed there 2 Septembers ago & loved it! We are hoping to stop there the first of October again. We are from Wyoming. Has a great view overlooking the river. - - I used to live in Strawberry Point and my family has rented a cabin for Thanksgiving for the past 10 years. It is FABULOUS! I would recommend this park to anyone! wildlife paradise - eagles flying in the morning and evenings, deer-lots of deer, ducks, and geese very plentyful One of my favorite places - I grew up camping and hiking on the trails at Wildcat Den. As an adult who has moved away, every time I come back to visit family, I make sure to take a trip out to Wildcat Den. A hidden gem, - My husband and I spent a week at the park for our 35 th aniversary. We had a wonderful time relaxing, fishing and hiking 30 miles in 6 days. It is a beautiful park and the cabins were cozy and convenient. We plan to make it an annual trip!!! way cool - you could spend the whole day there - This was one park that really made an impact on my time in Iowa. Its so beautiful all over. I will never forget my trip to this park. nice but need bike trails around - there is some much to see at sweet marsh a bike trail would open the area for lots more people to see the neat wildlife would be great for family outings. A great park - A great park with great trails. Plenty of trails to hike on and you can easily spend an entire evening on Mt. Lucia staring off into the distance. Plenty of spots to picnic and even areas to camp. - Maquoketa Caves is most definitely the choice place to go caving. The caves are suitable for the most extreme outdoors people searching for the tightest crawl spaces... And fine for anyone else to enjoy walking through caverns without even having to bend over. - Peaceful and Relaxing - a very nice and relaxing place to stay and visit. Lots of activities if one choses to be more engaged. Bring your inner child!!!! - Even with high gas prices my boyfriend, a few friends and I drive out from Des Moines every weekend to enjoy the nice clean beach. Childhood paradise - We have been staying in the cabins at Lacey since I was a baby, and all of our large family rent the 6 cabins each summer for the last 30 plus years. We are now bringing our parents, and own kids. We love it, grew up here, and spent many memories on the trails, in the lake, and at the cabins. It is our childhood paradise, home away from home. - the atmosphere is awesome - Great birdwatching - This large wetland-prairie complex attracts tens of thousands of geese and ducks each spring, as well as large numbers of shorebirds. Good hunting, too. - very clean/nice shwr house, well kept grounds,campstore is convienent and beach is also nice My favorite park in the state - Has a little something for everyone Great Get Away!!! - I love this park!! will always be our favorite place! - this place is absolutly breath taking. we are even having our wedding there on one of the trails. My favorite camping place - I really love this park for camping, you can put your tent near enough to the creek to be lulled to sleep by the water rushing,there is plenty of wildlife to enjoy and lots of trout in the creek. If you really like to rough it this is the place for you. There is not any electical hook ups or water hook ups and most cell phones do not have signal in Little Paint Creek camping area! nice view of west okoboji from the swimb - sat on the beach-mixed crowd-young, 0ld, caucasian, latin, beers floated up from a passing boat-probably from sail boat. Ban jet skis its perfect for trail riding - the campgrounds are perfect for keeping your horse near to your camping area and the trails are great. beautiful scenery. A very nice clean park - The park was well kept, grass mowed and a lot of trees. A lot of families were there when we were. Backbone - My family and i have been going to backbone for generations and we love it more and more every year!!!! thank you for all the great memories! we hope to make many more! Great Camping - lots of trees, well shaded tent area. Flush restrooms(plus with little ones). Large modern shower house. Walk to lake. Beautiful beach. We have never seen a misquito here, the breeze off the lake keeps them away. Our every Weekend getaway - Twin Lakes is the best place to go for boating and camping we literly go there every weekend to get away from the city life for camping and boating. Awesome location close to home. I would strongly reccomend this park to anyone who just want to get away. - Outdoors - camping the most relaxing vacations - we have been to bakebone state park for three years and it is the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations I look forward to it every year One of our favorite outings - Our Boy Scout Troop has been going there for about ten years. The scouts love it as well as the adults. We have never had any problems.We drive four hours to get there. - Amazing cabins - Every year my family, my friends and I go to Backbone State park. We rent the Cabins for 3 days and 2 nights. I love hiking and fishing. In the summer I love boating. I wish I lived out there. My kids love it! - The walk to the site is quiet and restful. The kids saw many forms of wildlife, and loved the wide paths and signs to read aloud. The Bertram site is amazing to both adults and kids, and the history is important as well as the geological and hydrological results. A great 1/2 day adventure with learning besides!!! Like to Hike - The trails are easy to follow, the camp is clean, you can hike either a long distance or a short distance. Camp sites have easy access. Horses are allowed. Very scenic bluffs. Eagles can be viewed. Serenity - It is such an awesome park for walking wonderful trails and the streams running thru the park are so clear. In the warm weather it is an great place to splash in the water, grill, and be totally blown away by the awesome view at this park. A must on your midwest parks list - We have been going to Ledges since 1993, we are partial to Nebr. Indian Caves but Ledges ranks right there. Get reservations close to a state university and race track it is always busy. A country girls dream! - Beautiful lake, lush green grass, trails are filled with greenery just so beautiful. | Stoney Ridge Cabin Rentals - Derby, IA Cottages and Cabins Our cabins are located on my fourteen acres of ground next to Stephens State Forest in south-central Iowa located on the Chariton River bottom approximately 60 miles south of Des Moines in some of Iowa's best white tail and turkey habitat.  Web Site: http://www.stoneyridgeoutfitters.com/ |
