Iowa State Parks
Iowa. Known for corn and wide open spaces. But what are their state parks like? Here at the List Ninja we aim to find out.
Iowa boasts 65 state parks each with a wide variety of outdoor activities. You can camp, hike, hunt, fish, bicycle, bird watch, swim, boat…pretty much anything you can thing of doing outside that’s legal within the Iowa State Park System. I would like to take a moment to highlight a few of the List Ninja’s favorite Iowa State Parks before we send you on your way with the entire list of all 65 Iowa State Parks.
Backbone State Park – This unique park is great for the hiking enthusiast. The park has over 21 miles of winding, rocky hiking trails that lead along the Maquoketa River to one of the highest points in northeast Iowa. The trail has been dubbed the “Devil’s Backbone” due to the unique limestone rock formations.
Wildcat Den State Park – This Iowa State Park has it all – Everything from beautiful campgrounds, great hiking trails along 75 foot cliffs lined with cedar trees or creek wading in Pine Creek. Hikers enjoy winding trails which lead to natural wonders such as the “Steamboat Rock,” “Devils Punch Bowl.” And the “Fat Man’s Squeeze”
Maquoketa Caves State Park – The caves in Maquoketa Caves State Park are currently closed due to a fatal disease that has been killing bats in the eastern half of the US. Unfortunately the disease may be transmitted by humans and in an effort to stop the disease, the caves have been closed. It is unknown when or if the caves will be reopened. However, there are many other wonderful things to see and do at this state park.
Ambrose A. Call State Park Algona
Backbone State Park Strawberry Pt.
Badger Creek State Recreation Area Van Meter
Banner Lakes at Summerset State Park Indianola
Beed’s Lake State Park Hampton
Bellevue State Park Bellevue
Big Creek State Park Polk City
Black Hawk State Park Lake View
Brushy Creek State Recreation Area Lehigh
Cedar Rock Quasqueton
Clear Lake State Park Clear Lake
Dolliver Memorial State Park Lehigh
Elinor Bedell State Park Spirit Lake
Elk Rock State Park Knoxville
Emerson Bay State Recreation Area Milford
Fairport State Recreation Area Muscatine
Fort Atkinson State Preserve Fort Atkinson
Fort Defiance State Park Estherville
Geode State Park Danville
George Wyth State Park Waterloo
Green Valley State Park Creston
Gull Point State Park Milford
Honey Creek Resort Moravia
Honey Creek State Park Moravia
Lacey Keosauqua State Park Keosauqua
Lake Ahquabi State Park Indianola
Lake Anita State Park Anita
Lake Darling State Park Brighton
Lake Keomah State Park Oskaloosa
Lake Macbride State Park Solon
Lake Manawa State Park Council Bluffs
Lake of Three Fires State Park Bedford
Lake Wapello State Park Drakesville
Ledges State Park Boone
Lewis and Clark State Park Onawa
Lower Gar State Recreation Area Arnolds Park
Maquoketa Caves State Park Maquoketa
Marble Beach State Recreation Area Orleans
McIntosh Woods State Park Ventura
Mines of Spain State Recreation Area and E. B. Lyons Interpretive Center Dubuque
Mini-Wakan State Park Spirit Lake
Nine Eagles State Park Davis City
Okamanpedan State Park Dolliver
Palisades-Kepler State Park Mt. Vernon
Pikes Peak State Park McGregor
Pikes Point State Park Spirit Lake
Pilot Knob State Park Forest City
Pine Lake State Park Eldora
Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area Palo
Prairie Rose State Park Harlan
Preparation Canyon State Park Moorhead
Red Haw State Park Chariton
Rice Lake State Park Lake Mills
Rock Creek State Park Kellogg
Shimek State Forest Farmington
Springbrook State Park Guthrie Center
Stephens State Forest Chariton
Stone State Park Sioux City
Templar State Recreation Area Spirit Lake
Trapper’s Bay State Park Spirit Lake
Twin Lakes State Park Rockwell City
Union Grove State Park Gladbrook
Viking Lake State Park Stanton
Volga River State Recreation Area Fayette
Walnut Woods State Park Des Moines
Wapsipinicon State Park Anamosa
Waubonsie State Park Sidney
Wildcat Den State Park Muscatine
Wilson Island State Recreation Area Loveland
Yellow River State Forest Waukon Junction
