Memorial Park is the one you see on your right as you first drive into Spirit Lake from…read moreEstherville. This is perhaps one of Spirit Lake's larger parks and perhaps its best. There's also a long and scenic walking path along East Lake Okoboji as you also approach the park from that direction. One of my fondest childhood memories was the old toboggan run that you could take from the park to the lake in the winter. Public safety standards would never allow that today, and I'm no worse for wear from my experiences. Besides great lake access, views, and lots of walking opportunities, Memorial park features a shelter house, pedestrian access under the highway, a horseshoe court, playground equipment, 2 handicap-accessible piers, park benches, picnic tables, grills, basketball court, and handicap-accessible restrooms.

Gilbert Park is a cute little green space that is on the way home between Downtown Spirit Lake and…read morecottage. I have fond memories of playing with my stepdaughters here during a pleasant evening sunset over a most enjoyable Labour Day weekend. The park itself features a shelter house, walking trail, 2 floating docks, approximately 500 feet of shoreline along East Lake Okoboji, basketball court, playground equipment, park benches, picnic tables, grills, and handicap-accessible restrooms.

This is a cute little park just down the road from my parent's cabin on Big Spirit Lake. It's just…read moreNorth of where the old Jeff and Mabel's Grocery Store used to be and features a small play area, a dock and a bench to watch the sunset. The park itself is an unexpected treat and another example of decent lake access for those who aren't lucky enough to own shore line property.

This place was an awesome kayaking spot. A bit windy for Spirit Lake so we looked for other…read moreoptions. The DNR was No help. Looked for a map, nada. Not like Wisco there's a map for everything on the DNR website. So we decided to head to the office. Closed but the road led us to this spot. We glamped at Marble Beach and the road I think it's 125th street is right up the road on the left. Pack some cold ones and enjoy.

One evening a few week ago, Gayle and the Kid stayed at home, while I was given permission to…read morewander around to various Iowa Great Lakes sites. I toured around the Lakeside Lab, stopped in at Vic's Corner and then decided to explore the back country a little bit. After you move beyond the major lakes here, there are a lot of small prairie lakes and associated wet lands. And since I didn't hunt or really fish growing up, I actually missed a lot of this cultural territory. It really was a pretty drive, especially late in the day. I went North on Highway 86 and turned right towards Welsh Lake. After that, I angled up to Kettleson Hogsback, and the spine road that travels between Hottes and Marble Lake. There's also a DNR Wildlife HQ (including home and corporate yard) and lots of bird houses. It was fun to pause and look, and then wander on somewhere else. And since Iowa's roads pretty much run on a square grid system, there's at least a gravel road every mile, and very little chance of getting lost. The name Hogsback comes from the linear and glacial plateau which resembles the ridge between the shoulders of a hog. This hogsback rises 40 feet and separates Marble Lake from Hottes Lake and can be seen from the access road. This area has shallow lakes, marshes, uplands, and woods, making it a great wildlife viewing site due to its variety. Hottes Lake is also an excellent site for canoeing and kayaking, and an opportunity to get closer to wildlife. And in the winter, a brisk cross country skiing trip, would complete the 4 season perspective on this hidden backwater jewel of the Iowa Great Lakes Region.

The Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery is located between East Lake Okoboji and Spirit Lake. This facility…read morecollects, spawns, incubates, and raises walleye for use throughout the state. Each year between 60 and 70 million walleye fry are hatched at this facility. My son and I love to come here every year. There's a neat aquarium in the lobby that's stocked with a variety of local fish. And depending on what's going on, many of the fish tanks on the floor are fully accessible for viewing. The DNR staff has always been very friendly and willing to explain almost anything about their jobs. Of course in a resort area such as this, there are many other options, such as Arnold's Amusement Park, swimming at Pikes Point, etc. But also this area is about the Lakes as natural resources and this place kind of grounds our entire experience here.

Gull Point State Park is on the west side of West Lake Okoboji and is considered to be the Grand…read moreDame of the state parks within this resort region. It's a large and pretty area with a nice beach, surrounding Burr Oak forest areas, winding hiking trails, and a restored rustic lodge. Lake Patrol and DNR operations are also headquartered here, as is a local scout camp which I attended one summer. Our family prefers Pikes Point State Park because it's closer and easier to work into our day. However, if you want a larger place to play, with a little more to do (including fishing), and on the same blue water Lake, then Gull Point is the place for family fun.

We rented two camp sites for seven people (2 adults and 5 kids). We adhered to the two tents/4…read morepeople per site rule. However, the DNR counted one of our tents as three tents, simply because it was three dome tents, and made us rent a third site. The worst part was how rude the lady was. She wouldn't even listen to me when I tried to show her the tent bag, indicating it was one tent. She acted as if we were criminals. Since there was NO two way conversation allowed, I indicated that we would pay for the extra site but would never be back, at which point she said "That's fine." Worst customer service ever! Three sites for 2 adults and five kids. Really? I don't recommend this place at all! There are way better places to stay in the Okoboji area!

This is another cute little Spirit Lake Park that you see on Upper East Lake Okoboji. I especially…read moreenjoy Lake view in the early morning as I'm traveling into Town. The park also features 2 floating docks, canoe ramp, RV dump, picnic tables, grills, handicap-accessible restrooms. The Iowa Lakes Trail also passes through here for your walking and biking pleasure.

We always enjoy coming to Emerson Bay Campground. Lots of sights with different hookups…read more I do wish people would treat this park better. We pay for this park through our tax dollars, why won't you want to keep it clean. The state doesn't have the staff or money to hire people to pickup after all the campers. When we pulled into site 56 I picked up a grocery sack of garbage and the fire pits had trash in it. Thanks to the De Jong family for not caring enough to clean up the site when you left.

In Iowa, it's not all meat, potatoes, and corn on the cob, although there's none better anywhere…read more Folks in these parts also enjoy their exercise, whether it be walking, biking, or working out at the local YMCA. In fact, just outside the door of our family cabin on Big Spirit Lake is part of the Dickinson County Recreational Trails network. These trails wind throughout the Iowa Great Lakes Region and are excellent 4 season avenues for bikers, hikers, runners, cross country skiers and snowmobiles. The Spine trail is 14 miles and I have taken it all the way down on my bike to Milford. And along the way, it's a treat to enjoy the lake scenery, cross the old RR bridge in Arnold's Park, and discover lots of natural habitat. Trail head parking is available at several location, as are resting/viewing benches, information kiosk displays, bathrooms, and picnic areas.