List of Iowa state parks

This is a list of 63 state parks and recreation areas in Iowa. These state parks of the U.S. state of Iowa can be split into two groups based on management. The first group are those state parks managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The second group are those state parks managed by the county in which they are found.

DNR-managed state parks

Park name	County or counties	Nearby city	Area<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>		Date established<ref name="Respective">All data come from respective Iowa Department of Natural Resources webpage unless otherwise noted.</ref>	Body of water	Remarks<ref name="Respective" />
			acres	ha
Ambrose A. Call State Park	Kossuth County	Algona	Template:Convert	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	Template:Convert	1919	Maquoketa River, Backbone Lake	Features a rock ridge up to Template:Convert high, a recreational reservoir, and a museum on the Civilian Conservation Corps in Iowa.
Badger Creek State Recreation Area	Madison County	Van Meter	Template:Convert	1980<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Badger Creek Lake	Features a Template:Convert fishing lake outside Des Moines.
Banner Lakes at Summerset State Park	Warren County	Indianola	Template:Convert	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	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1934	Beed's Lake	Surrounds a Template:Convert reservoir crossed by a Template:Convert causeway built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Bellevue State Park	Jackson County	Bellevue	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		Mississippi River	Comprises two units on high river bluffs, with a nature center and butterfly garden.
Big Creek State Park	Polk County	Polk City	Template:Convert		Big Creek Lake	Surrounds an Template:Convert recreational reservoir originally created as a flood control project.
Black Hawk State Park	Sac County	Lake View	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1935	Black Hawk Lake	Comprises shoreline on the southernmost glacial lake in Iowa.
Brushy Creek State Recreation Area	Webster County	Lehigh	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		Des Moines River, Brushy Creek Reservoir	Forms one of the state's largest public outdoor recreation properties, with a Template:Convert reservoir.
Cedar Rock State Park	Buchanan County	Quasqueton	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	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	Template:Convert	1924	Clear Lake	Abuts the south shore of Template:Convert Clear Lake.
Dolliver Memorial State Park	Webster County	Lehigh	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1925	Des Moines River	Showcases tall river bluffs and narrow ravines.
Elinor Bedell State Park	Dickinson County	Spirit Lake	Template:Convert	1998	East Okoboji Lake	Provides public access to one of the Iowa Great Lakes.
Elk Rock State Park	Marion County	Knoxville	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1978	Lake Red Rock	Comprises two parcels on Iowa's largest body of water.
Emerson Bay State Recreation Area	Dickinson County	Milford	Template:Convert		West Okoboji Lake	Provides public access to one of the Iowa Great Lakes.
Fairport State Recreation Area	Muscatine County	Muscatine	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		Mississippi River	Provides water recreation opportunities Template:Convert from Wildcat Den State Park.
Fort Atkinson State Preserve	Winneshiek County	Fort Atkinson	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	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	Template:Convert	1930<ref name="ccc">Template:Cite news</ref>	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	Template:Convert		Skunk River, Lake Geode	Features a Template:Convert recreational reservoir and a display of geodes, the Iowa state rock.
George Wyth Memorial State Park	Black Hawk County	Waterloo	Template:Convert	1940	Cedar River and several lakes	Protects a natural area within the Waterloo – Cedar Falls metropolitan area.
Green Valley State Park	Union County	Creston	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		Green Valley Lake	Surrounds a Template:Convert recreational reservoir.
Gull Point State Park	Dickinson County	Milford	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1933	West Okoboji Lake	Protects a natural area on one of the Iowa Great Lakes.
Honey Creek State Park	Appanoose County	Moravia	Template:Convert		Rathbun Lake	Provides outdoor recreation opportunities on the north shore of Template:Convert Rathbun Lake.
Honey Creek Resort State Park	Appanoose County	Moravia	Template:Convert	2008<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	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	Template:Convert	1921	Des Moines River	Protects Indian mounds and a Template:Convert lake on a bend of the Des Moines River.
Lake Ahquabi State Park	Warren County	Indianola	Template:Convert	1936	Lake Ahquabi	Surrounds a Template:Convert recreational reservoir named "resting place" in the Fox language.
Lake Anita State Park	Cass County	Anita	Template:Convert	1961	Lake Anita	Surrounds a Template:Convert recreational reservoir.
Lake Darling State Park	Washington County	Brighton	Template:Convert	1950	Lake Darling	Honors Ding Darling, two-time Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning winner and early conservationist, with a Template:Convert recreational reservoir.
Lake Keomah State Park	Mahaska County	Oskaloosa	Template:Convert	1934	Lake Keomah	Surrounds an Template:Convert recreational reservoir.
Lake Macbride State Park	Johnson County	Solon	Template:Convert	1937	Lake Macbride, Coralville Lake	Borders an Template:Convert recreational reservoir.
Lake Manawa State Park	Pottawattamie County	Council Bluffs	Template:Convert		Lake Manawa	Provides boating opportunities in the Omaha – Council Bluffs metropolitan area on a Template:Convert lake created by the Missouri River changing course after the Great Flood of 1881.
Lake of Three Fires State Park	Taylor County	Bedford	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1935	Lake of Three Fires	Surrounds an Template:Convert 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	Template:Convert		Lake Wapello	Surrounds a Template:Convert recreational reservoir.
Ledges State Park	Boone County	Boone	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1924	Des Moines River, Pea's Creek	Showcases a Template:Convert deep sandstone gorge with concretions jutting from its side like ledges.
Lewis and Clark State Park	Monona County	Onawa	Template:Convert		Blue Lake	Commemorates the site where the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped on August 10, 1804; with a replica of their keelboat on a Template:Convert oxbow lake.
Lower Gar State Recreation Area	Dickinson County	Arnolds Park	Template:Convert		Lower Gar Lake	Provides public access to one of the Iowa Great Lakes.
Maquoketa Caves State Park	Jackson County	Maquoketa	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	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	Template:Convert		Spirit Lake	Provides the largest campground in the Iowa Great Lakes region.
McIntosh Woods State Park	Cerro Gordo County	Ventura	Template:Convert	1943	Clear Lake	Provides the primary boating access to Template:Convert Clear Lake.
Mines of Spain State Recreation Area and E. B. Lyons Nature Center	Dubuque County	Dubuque	Template:Convert	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	Template:Convert		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	Template:Convert		Nine Eagles Lake	Features a Template:Convert recreational reservoir and surrounding woods.
Okamanpedan State Park	Emmet County	Dolliver	Template:Convert		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	Template:Convert	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	Template:Convert	1935	Mississippi River	Features a Template:Convert river bluff named by Zebulon Pike several years before documenting Pikes Peak in Colorado.
Pikes Point State Park	Dickinson County	Spirit Lake	Template:Convert		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	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	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	Template:Convert		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	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		Pleasant Creek Lake	Surrounds a Template:Convert recreational reservoir located between the cities of Cedar Rapids and Waterloo.
Prairie Rose State Park	Shelby County	Harlan	Template:Convert	1962	Prairie Rose Lake	Surrounds a Template:Convert recreational reservoir.
Preparation Canyon State Park	Monona County	Moorhead	Template:Convert		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	Template:Convert		Red Haw Lake	Surrounds a Template:Convert recreational reservoir.
Rice Lake State Park	Winnebago County	Lake Mills	Template:Convert		Rice Lake	Abuts a Template:Convert lake.
Rock Creek State Park	Jasper County	Kellogg	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1952	Rock Creek Lake	Surrounds a Template:Convert recreational reservoir.
Springbrook State Park	Guthrie County	Yale	Template:Convert	1926	Middle Raccoon River	Features a conservation education center, a rental retreat, a Template:Convert lake, and public hunting areas.
Stone State Park	Woodbury and Plymouth Counties	Sioux City	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1935	Big Sioux River	Preserves a natural section of the Loess Hills.
Templar State Recreation Area	Dickinson County	Spirit Lake	Template:Convert		Spirit Lake	Provides a sheltered lagoon for launching boats on the Iowa Great Lakes.
Trapper's Bay State Park	Dickinson County	Lake Park	Template:Convert		Silver Lake	Offers additional public recreation space on the periphery of the Iowa Great Lakes region.
Twin Lakes State Park	Calhoun County	Rockwell City	Template:Convert		North Twin Lakes	Comprises two day-use areas on a Template:Convert natural lake.
Union Grove State Park	Tama County	Gladbrook	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1938	Union Grove Lake	Surrounds a Template:Convert recreational reservoir.
Viking Lake State Park	Montgomery County	Stanton	Template:Convert		Viking Lake	Preserves natural areas surrounding a Template:Convert recreational reservoir.
Volga River State Recreation Area	Fayette County	Fayette	Template:Convert		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	Template:Convert		Raccoon River	Preserves a bottomland hardwood forest within the Des Moines metropolitan area featuring the largest stand of black walnut trees in North America.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Wapsipinicon State Park	Jones County	Anamosa	Template:Convert	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	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	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	Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		Pine Creek	Features Template:Convert 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	Template:Convert		Missouri River	Showcases a bottomland hardwood forest on a former sandbar island named after former governor George A. Wilson.

County-managed state parks

The following state parks are managed by local county conservation boards:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Park Name	County or Counties	Nearby City
Bobwhite State Park	Wayne County	Allerton
Cold Springs State Park	Cass County	Lewis
Crystal Lake State Park	Hancock County	Crystal Lake
Eagle Lake State Park	Hancock County	Britt
Echo Valley State Park	Fayette County	West Union
Frank A. Gotch State Park	Humboldt County	Dakota City
Heery Woods State Park	Butler County	Clarksville
Kearny State Park	Palo Alto County	Emmetsburg
Lake Cornelia State Park	Wright County	Cornelia
Lake Icaria State Park	Adams County	Corning
Margo Frankel State Park	Polk County	Saylorville
Mill Creek State Park	O'Brien County	Paullina
Oak Grove State Park	Sioux County	Hawarden
Oakland Mills State Park	Henry County	Oakland Mills
Pammel State Park	Madison County	Winterset
Sharon Bluffs State Park	Appanoose County	Centerville
Spring Lake State Park	Greene County	Grand Junction
Swan Lake State Park	Carroll County	Carroll
Three Mile Lake State Park	Union County	Creston

See also

• List of Iowa state forests
• List of Iowa State Preserves

External links

• Iowa State Parks & Recreation Areas