Park name |
County or counties |
Nearby city |
Area[1] |
Date established[2] |
Body of water |
Remarks[2] |
acres |
ha |
Ambrose A. Call State Park |
Kossuth County |
Algona |
130 |
53 |
1925 |
Des Moines River |
Features heavily wooded hills and a reconstructed log cabin on the site of the first cabin in Kossuth County, built in 1854 by settler Ambrose A. Call. |
Backbone State Park |
Delaware County |
Strawberry Point |
2,000 |
810 |
1919 |
Maquoketa River, Backbone Lake |
Features a rock ridge up to 80 feet (24 m) high, a recreational reservoir, and a museum on the Civilian Conservation Corps in Iowa. |
Badger Creek State Recreation Area |
Madison County |
Van Meter |
1,162 |
470 |
|
Badger Creek Lake |
Features a 276-acre (112 ha) fishing lake outside Des Moines. |
Banner Lakes at Summerset State Park |
Warren County |
Indianola |
222 |
90 |
2002 |
Banner Lakes |
Provides fishing and mountain biking opportunities on the site of a rehabilitated open-pit coal mine. |
Beed's Lake State Park |
Franklin County |
Hampton |
319 |
129[3] |
1934 |
Beed's Lake |
Surrounds a 99-acre (40 ha) reservoir crossed by a 170-foot (52 m) causeway built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. |
Bellevue State Park |
Jackson County |
Bellevue |
770 |
310[4] |
|
Mississippi River |
Comprises two units on high river bluffs, with a nature center and butterfly garden. |
Big Creek State Park |
Polk County |
Polk City |
3,550 |
1,440 |
|
Big Creek Lake |
Surrounds an 866-acre (350 ha) recreational reservoir originally created as a flood control project. |
Black Hawk State Park |
Sac County |
Lake View |
86 |
35[5] |
1935 |
Black Hawk Lake |
Comprises shoreline on the southernmost glacial lake in Iowa. |
Brushy Creek State Recreation Area |
Webster County |
Lehigh |
6,500 |
2,600[6] |
|
Des Moines River, Brushy Creek Reservoir |
Forms one of the state's largest public outdoor recreation properties, with a 690-acre (280 ha) reservoir. |
Cedar Rock State Park |
Buchanan County |
Quasqueton |
423 |
171[7] |
1981 |
Wapsipinicon River |
Offers tours of a Frank Lloyd Wright house built in 1950 in his Usonian style. |
Clear Lake State Park |
Cerro Gordo County |
Clear Lake |
55 |
22 |
1924 |
Clear Lake |
Abuts the south shore of 3,643-acre (1,474 ha) Clear Lake. |
Dolliver Memorial State Park |
Webster County |
Lehigh |
600 |
240[8] |
1925 |
Des Moines River |
Showcases tall river bluffs and narrow ravines. |
Elinor Bedell State Park |
Dickinson County |
Spirit Lake |
80 |
32 |
1998 |
East Okoboji Lake |
Provides public access to one of the Iowa Great Lakes. |
Elk Rock State Park |
Marion County |
Knoxville |
850 |
340[9] |
1978 |
Lake Red Rock |
Comprises two parcels on Iowa's largest body of water. |
Emerson Bay State Recreation Area |
Dickinson County |
Milford |
12 |
4.9 |
|
West Okoboji Lake |
Provides public access to one of the Iowa Great Lakes. |
Fairport State Recreation Area |
Muscatine County |
Muscatine |
17 |
6.9[10] |
|
Mississippi River |
Provides water recreation opportunities 6 miles (9.7 km) from Wildcat Den State Park. |
Fort Atkinson State Preserve |
Winneshiek County |
Fort Atkinson |
5 |
2.0[11] |
1968 |
None |
Interprets the remains of a U.S. Army frontier fort manned from 1840-1849 to monitor the resettled Ho-Chunk tribe. |
Fort Defiance State Park |
Emmet County |
Estherville |
221 |
89 |
1930[12] |
None |
Commemorates the site of a fort built to protect the Iowa border during the Dakota War of 1862. |
Geode State Park |
Henry County |
Danville |
1,641 |
664 |
|
Skunk River, Lake Geode |
Features a 187-acre (76 ha) recreational reservoir and a display of geodes, the Iowa state rock. |
George Wyth Memorial State Park |
Black Hawk County |
Waterloo |
1,200 |
490 |
1940 |
Cedar River and several lakes |
Protects a natural area within the Waterloo – Cedar Falls metropolitan area. |
Green Valley State Park |
Union County |
Creston |
990 |
400[13] |
|
Green Valley Lake |
Surrounds a 390-acre (160 ha) recreational reservoir. |
Gull Point State Park |
Dickinson County |
Milford |
195 |
79[14] |
1933 |
West Okoboji Lake |
Protects a natural area on one of the Iowa Great Lakes. |
Honey Creek State Park |
Appanoose County |
Moravia |
828 |
335 |
|
Rathbun Lake |
Provides outdoor recreation opportunities on the north shore of 11,000-acre (4,500 ha) Rathbun Lake. |
Honey Creek Resort State Park |
Appanoose County |
Moravia |
828 |
335 |
2008[15] |
Rathbun Lake |
Mixes outdoor recreation with higher-end amenities such as a lodge, luxury cabins, golf course, and indoor water park. |
Lacey-Keosauqua State Park |
Van Buren County |
Keosauqua |
1,653 |
669 |
1921 |
Des Moines River |
Protects Indian mounds and a 30-acre (12 ha) lake on a bend of the Des Moines River. |
Lake Ahquabi State Park |
Warren County |
Indianola |
770 |
310 |
1936 |
Lake Ahquabi |
Surrounds a 115-acre (47 ha) recreational reservoir named "resting place" in the Fox language. |
Lake Anita State Park |
Cass County |
Anita |
1,062 |
430 |
1961 |
Lake Anita |
Surrounds a 171-acre (69 ha) recreational reservoir. |
Lake Darling State Park |
Washington County |
Brighton |
1,387 |
561 |
1950 |
Lake Darling |
Honors Ding Darling, two-time Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning winner and early conservationist, with a 171-acre (69 ha) recreational reservoir. |
Lake Keomah State Park |
Mahaska County |
Oskaloosa |
366 |
148 |
1934 |
Lake Keomah |
Surrounds an 83-acre (34 ha) recreational reservoir. |
Lake Macbride State Park |
Johnson County |
Solon |
2,810 |
1,140 |
1937 |
Lake Macbride, Coralville Lake |
Borders an 812-acre (329 ha) recreational reservoir. |
Lake Manawa State Park |
Pottawattamie County |
Council Bluffs |
1,529 |
619 |
|
Lake Manawa |
Provides boating opportunities in the Omaha – Council Bluffs metropolitan area on a 772-acre (312 ha) lake created by the Missouri River changing course after the Great Flood of 1881. |
Lake of Three Fires State Park |
Taylor County |
Bedford |
1,155 |
467[16] |
1935 |
Lake of Three Fires |
Surrounds an 85-acre (34 ha) recreational reservoir named for a Council of Three Fires meeting once held there by three Native American tribes. |
Lake Wapello State Park |
Davis County |
Drakesville |
1,150 |
470 |
|
Lake Wapello |
Surrounds a 289-acre (117 ha) recreational reservoir. |
Ledges State Park |
Boone County |
Boone |
1,200 |
490[17] |
1924 |
Des Moines River, Pea's Creek |
Showcases a 100-foot (30 m) deep sandstone gorge with concretions jutting from its side like ledges. |
Lewis and Clark State Park |
Monona County |
Onawa |
176 |
71 |
|
Blue Lake |
Commemorates the site where the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped on August 10, 1804; with a replica of their keelboat on a 220-acre (89 ha) oxbow lake. |
Lower Gar State Recreation Area |
Dickinson County |
Arnolds Park |
7 |
2.8 |
|
Lower Gar Lake |
Provides public access to one of the Iowa Great Lakes. |
Maquoketa Caves State Park |
Jackson County |
Maquoketa |
323 |
131[18] |
1921 |
Raccoon Creek |
Preserves 13 caves, some developed with lighting and walkways and others in a natural state. |
Marble Beach State Recreation Area |
Dickinson County |
Orleans |
64 |
26 |
|
Spirit Lake |
Provides the largest campground in the Iowa Great Lakes region. |
McIntosh Woods State Park |
Cerro Gordo County |
Ventura |
62 |
25 |
1943 |
Clear Lake |
Provides the primary boating access to 3,643-acre (1,474 ha) Clear Lake. |
Mines of Spain State Recreation Area and E. B. Lyons Nature Center |
Dubuque County |
Dubuque |
1,387 |
561 |
1981 |
Mississippi River |
Features a monument to Julien Dubuque, the first European settler in Iowa, and recipient of a 1796 land and mining grant from then-owner the Governor of Spain. |
Mini-Wakan State Park |
Dickinson County |
Spirit Lake |
20 |
8.1 |
|
Spirit Lake |
Lies on the north shore of the state's largest natural lake, in the Iowa Great Lakes region. |
Nine Eagles State Park |
Decatur County |
Davis City |
1,119 |
453 |
|
Nine Eagles Lake |
Features a 64-acre (26 ha) recreational reservoir and surrounding woods. |
Okamanpedan State Park |
Emmet County |
Dolliver |
19 |
7.7 |
|
Okamanpeedan Lake |
Provides fishing and boating access on the south shore of a lake on the Iowa – Minnesota border. |
Palisades-Kepler State Park |
Linn County |
Mt. Vernon |
840 |
340 |
1922 |
Cedar River |
Features dramatic river bluffs and deep ravines on the site of an early 20th Century resort. |
Pikes Peak State Park |
Clayton County |
McGregor |
970 |
390 |
1935 |
Mississippi River |
Features a 500-foot (150 m) river bluff named by Zebulon Pike several years before documenting Pikes Peak in Colorado. |
Pikes Point State Park |
Dickinson County |
Spirit Lake |
15 |
6.1 |
|
West Okoboji Lake |
Offers one of the most popular swimming beaches in the Iowa Great Lakes region. |
Pilot Knob State Park |
Hancock County |
Forest City |
528 |
214[19] |
1923 |
Pilot Knob Lake, Dead Man's Lake |
Features an observation tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps on Iowa's second-tallest point, and the state's only sphagnum bog. |
Pine Lake State Park |
Hardin County |
Eldora |
585 |
237 |
|
Iowa River, Upper and Lower Pine Lakes |
Encompasses two lakes surrounded by 250-year-old eastern white pines. |
Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area |
Linn County |
Palo |
1,927 |
780[20] |
|
Pleasant Creek Lake |
Surrounds a 410-acre (170 ha) recreational reservoir located between the cities of Cedar Rapids and Waterloo. |
Prairie Rose State Park |
Shelby County |
Harlan |
661 |
267 |
1962 |
Prairie Rose Lake |
Surrounds a 218-acre (88 ha) recreational reservoir. |
Preparation Canyon State Park |
Monona County |
Moorhead |
344 |
139 |
|
None |
Preserves a section of the Loess Hills on the site of a town founded in 1853 by a Mormon splinter group led by Charles B. Thompson. |
Red Haw State Park |
Lucas County |
Chariton |
649 |
263 |
|
Red Haw Lake |
Surrounds a 72-acre (29 ha) recreational reservoir. |
Rice Lake State Park |
Winnebago County |
Lake Mills |
15 |
6.1 |
|
Rice Lake |
Abuts a 1,200-acre (490 ha) lake. |
Rock Creek State Park |
Jasper County |
Kellogg |
1,697 |
687[21] |
1952 |
Rock Creek Lake |
Surrounds a 602-acre (244 ha) recreational reservoir. |
Springbrook State Park |
Guthrie County |
Yale |
920 |
370 |
1926 |
Middle Raccoon River |
Features a conservation education center, a rental retreat, a 17-acre (6.9 ha) lake, and public hunting areas. |
Stone State Park |
Woodbury and Plymouth Counties |
Sioux City |
1,069 |
433[22] |
1935 |
Big Sioux River |
Preserves a natural section of the Loess Hills. |
Templar State Recreation Area |
Dickinson County |
Spirit Lake |
10 |
4.0 |
|
Spirit Lake |
Provides a sheltered lagoon for launching boats on the Iowa Great Lakes. |
Trapper's Bay State Park |
Dickinson County |
Lake Park |
57 |
23 |
|
Silver Lake |
Offers additional public recreation space on the periphery of the Iowa Great Lakes region. |
Twin Lakes State Park |
Calhoun County |
Rockwell City |
15 |
6.1 |
|
North Twin Lakes |
Comprises two day-use areas on a 453-acre (183 ha) natural lake. |
Union Grove State Park |
Tama County |
Gladbrook |
282 |
114[23] |
1938 |
Union Grove Lake |
Surrounds a 110-acre (45 ha) recreational reservoir. |
Viking Lake State Park |
Montgomery County |
Stanton |
1,000 |
400 |
|
Viking Lake |
Preserves natural areas surrounding a 110-acre (45 ha) recreational reservoir. |
Volga River State Recreation Area |
Fayette County |
Fayette |
5,500 |
2,200 |
|
Volga River, Frog Hollow Lake |
Provides wildlife habitat and extensive recreation options along a waterway featuring limestone bluffs and old steel bridges. |
Walnut Woods State Park |
Polk County |
West Des Moines |
250 |
100 |
|
Raccoon River |
Preserves a bottomland hardwood forest within the Des Moines metropolitan area featuring the largest stand of black walnut trees in North America.[24] |
Wapsipinicon State Park |
Jones County |
Anamosa |
390 |
160 |
1923 |
Wapsipinicon River, Dutch Creek |
Features rocky cave- and crevice-ridden bluffs, a nine-hole golf course, and an 1877 steel bridge that is on the National Register of Historic Places. |
Waubonsie State Park |
Fremont County |
Sidney |
1,247 |
505[25] |
1926 |
Lake Virginia |
Showcases unique Loess Hills topography, with rental facilities restored from a former Girl Scout camp. |
Wildcat Den State Park |
Muscatine County |
Muscatine |
423 |
171[26] |
|
Pine Creek |
Features 75-foot (23 m) cliffs, rock formations, and several historic structures, including an 1848 gristmill that is on the National Register of Historic Places. |
Wilson Island State Recreation Area |
Harrison County |
Missouri Valley |
547 |
221 |
|
Missouri River |
Showcases a bottomland hardwood forest on a former sandbar island named after former governor George A. Wilson. |