On my cross-country drive, this was a good area to stop in and I stumbled across Stone State Park…read moreand its adorable camping cabins. The cabins have to be booked for 2 nights so I had to book it the day-of. I barely made it in time to check in but I did - many thanks to the ranger for being patient! I recommend bringing cash if you try to same-day stay. The place was really adorable and cozy! There's an AC unit, a dehumidifier, a microwave, and a decent sized minifridge, along with a small table, bunk beds, and a futon. I was happy to be on a bed and just used my sleeping bag for sheets. As for the park, it has beautiful hills and sweeping views. I didn't take a longer hike but would absolutely not hesitate to stop by, for camping or hiking.

Beautiful state park. Lots of places to hike but also a lovely drive. Great views where you can see…read moreNebraska and South Dakota. There's a beautiful old building you can rent for events. Plenty of picnic tables for a day visit. There are campsites in the park too. Its a gem in northwest Iowa.

This park holds a ton of memories for me. My family would venture here often when I was a child. I…read moreremember having larger family gatherings here from time to time. It's very well maintained and has a few 'indoor' restroom options. There's a very long main loop around the lake that is about 3mi and VERY hilly. I know there's hiking path and such as well. A few small paths exist. It's a lot of fun on bikes and quite kid friendly. Two large playground areas and a couple fishing docks. Also plenty of parking. The dog park is newer and very nice. Can be very busy, tho. It's so clean. I'm proud of SIoux City and surrounding citizens for keeping this place so nice. Totally free; no entrance fee. Can kayak on the lake, but it's too small for boats. Maybe a paddle boat. I'm sure the shelters can be reserved but I don't have information on that. A couple water fountains are available. Don't forget sun screen!!

This nearly 3 mile walk around the lake is really beautiful. Moderate hills and dog friendly with…read moreadjacent dog park. Highly recommended.

A month after my first to Spirit Mound Historic Prairie, I'm still in awe of the peacefulness and…read morenatural beauty. Visiting the second week of August was perfect-the yellow daisies were in full bloom. What made the experience even more special was that we had the place to ourselves around 4:00 p.m., making it feel incredibly serene. We had so much fun taking photos of the vibrant flowers, including close-ups of a bee and a butterfly, adding to the magic of the moment. I got so caught up in the beauty of the prairie that I did not read the interpretive signage to learn more about the history. Next time!

What a nice little stop on our road trip! There's a great amount of history here, make sure to read…read morethe informational plaques. If you happen to go on a nice sunny day the views are spectacular! You pass a stream on your way up to the mound. Once you get to the mound you can see views far and wide, no wonder it was a great spot chosen by the expedition party. We brought our dogs with us so they could enjoy the walk as well, there were others with their dogs too so I would say this place is dog friendly. No bathrooms per se, only a port-a-potty that badly needed cleaning. There was plenty of parking. We went later in the day but this place still seemed a little busy.

What a great not-so-little trail located in the heart of Westfield, Iowa! I had the pleasure of…read moretaking a stroll here the day after Thanksgiving as part of the #optoutside effort with my partner, whose folks live in the area. If you find yourself in this neck of the woods, I can't recommend this trail enough. Five Ridge Prairie features beautiful landscapes, and each ridge overlooks the rolling hills of the western side of the state. Even in fall, when things are much less green, and certainly not blooming, we really enjoyed this hike. It's a workout, too! Those ridges are no joke.

The new maintenance guy is trying hard to bring this place back from the brink of being a complete…read moredump, but he's got a long road ahead of him. The Iowa DNR has caused/allowed Blue Lake to drop 8' - leaving it impossible to boat in the lake. And they spent YEARS literally neglecting this park. They just don't care - and it shows. What once was a beautiful and heavily used park has become a ghost town - and for good reason. Years ago it was a really nice park. Now it's not - and this is completely on the Iowa DNR.

This is a wonderful RV and tent campground. The restrooms have free showers and are clean. There…read moreis lots of exploring areas and and amazing playground for the kids. The on-site personal are friendly and helpful. Watch out for ticks in the higher grasses and bushes on the natural trails. Fishing is excellent. Pull thru sites and back ins available with full hook ups

Absolutely beautiful camp sites! Lots of trees, fairly level sites, beautiful river with paved…read morewalking trails and pit toilets. Attendants were very pleasant. About 20 minutes from downtown! The only warning I have... there's a racetrack nearby and we happen to be therein race night - very loud till 10:0-ish... after that... very quiet!

Stunning Park, Deeply Disappointing Experience and Park Practices:…read more A park this beautiful shouldn't leave visitors feeling deceived and angry -- but after my first visit, I'll never invest another penny to return. The grounds are pristine, the scenery breathtaking, and it's the kind of place you'd gladly support -- I would have happily donated to help preserve it. But being blindsided with a $128 citation for parking in the visitor's lot, at the ranger station, before even reaching the park itself, left a lasting mark that no view could erase. We were short on time, but since it was her favorite birthday tradition -- and her two friends (myself included) had never seen the park she loved so much -- my friend offered to give us a quick drive-through using her season pass. We parked just outside the small brown ranger station at the main entrance -- before entering the park itself -- and hopped into her vehicle, which had the pass. We stayed only long enough to share a small cupcake and take in her favorite view. When I returned to my car minutes later, I found a $128.xx citation on my windshield. I was stunned! My car had never entered the park -- it sat at the ranger station where visitors commonly stop for information. When we explained the misunderstanding, the ranger repeated a script he seemed to know too well: "You don't have to pay the citation if you buy a season pass." When it was clear that wasn't an option, he moved to, "We also have a monthly pass," and finally landed on "daily." Why not start there? It felt rehearsed -- as if this situation happens often, relying on loosely interpreted rules to justify charges. We had deliberately parked outside to ensure we were abiding by the park's rules -- a choice made out of respect, not avoidance. Ironically, we could have driven through without a care and paid the same or less. It made me wonder if this is how the park maintains such immaculate grounds -- by penalizing good-intentioned visitors for honest mistakes, time and time again, until the script is second nature. For those unaware: the moment your tires touch the gravel -- even before reaching any usable part of the park -- it's considered "entry." There was no signage clarifying this, no grace for an honest misunderstanding, and no willingness to resolve it fairly. What could have been a memory of shared beauty became a lasting disappointment. Instead of creating lifelong visitors, this experience ensured that none of us will return. It breaks my heart that a place so beautiful left such an ugly impression.

One of those "what is that?" place you should stop by if you have time. Built by local residents to…read morehonor the memory and burial location of a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, it's also the first National Park Historical Landmark. The views are terrific. Expect to take at least 15 minutes here - longer of the weather is favorable and you want to savor the river views from bluff top.

This beautiful, historic park on the falls of the Big Sioux is great for walking, running, or…read moredriving around at the holidays to see the extensive light displays. You can go up into the tower during business hours. Wear good shoes in winter or wet weather. There's a linear trail that extends beyond the park and is good for running, walking, bike riding, or perhaps birding as well.

One must considering viewing the falls for which a major populated city was named. Unbelievably…read morecreated by volcanic activity millions of years ago, this showcase is domiciled smack in the heart of Downtown Sioux Falls. Although it does have an elevator lookout with a platform for viewing, it does lack a movie detailing the falls creation as well as history of the Cities development.

The setting and surroundings of Olson Park are absolutely fantastic!…read more I tell ya...for just quickly visiting and hanging out here for a couple of hours, this Olson Park was so well maintained! I'll say it again, lol, very well maintained!! The park is flush with green grass and is situated right by a scenic lake. Too bad I wasn't spending the night here because they offer camping. And...I am a camping enthusiast! I was here at Olson Park back at the end of June 2021 and the conditions were truly pleasant. I honestly felt like taking a blanket out of my car and having a midday nap underneath a tree, lol. I really can't say enough good things about this park. Before I do...I'll just provide some insight and details about where Olson Park is located and some of the worthwhile benefits it offers that make it such a worthwhile destination for enjoying nature and the outdoors. Olson Park is located in the town of Worthington, Minnesota. Worthington sits about 175 miles southwest of Minneapolis and only 10 miles north from the border with Iowa. It's situated about 3 miles outside downtown Worthington. I was traveling down through Minnesota along my 2021 cross country road trip. Eventually I was heading into Sioux Falls, South Dakota and further west towards Badlands National Park and the Mount Rushmore area. Along my driving for half the day, I was just a little fatigued and pulled off Interstate 90 and figured why not take some time to relax at a park and rest up before continuing on my journey. I discovered Olson Park through the wonderful app on my phone called Campendium. Upon arriving here, I was surprised they offered camping. I just figured this place was a quiet town park where you could come play some ball, have a picnic or just simply go fishing by the lake. Well cool...this Olson Park was perfect and ideal for camping! The best part being that you can set up your tent along all the fluffy and lush green grass which definitely make a for comfortable night sleep. Plus...I can't tell you enough how clean this park was! Seriously it was like out of a fresh springtime catalogue for a photo album! Lol, just reflecting back on my pictures invoke warm memories. Too bad...I should have just camped out for the night. But instead, I took it easy for a few hours before returning back to Interstate 90. Also...there wasn't a cloud in the sky during my time here. The sun reflected down on the lake's waters making for a wonderful ambiance. The campsites located next to the lake were efficiently set up. Just taking pictures of the park with the lake in the background was beautiful. For camping... - Campsites 1 - 12 w/ electric hook-up was $33 for the night. - Campsites 13 - 63 w/ electric hook-up was $28 per night. - Campsites 64 - 68 without electric hook-up was only $22 per night. All these sites were very reasonable and fairly priced for camping out at such a well-maintained park! You can book a reservation by calling 507-372-8600 Monday thru Friday. If there isn't a campsite occupied, then it's first come, first served. For spontaneous campers coming here on a whim, once you find an unoccupied site, simply claim it and then drop the fee into the courtesy box on the east side of the office if no attendant is around. And that's it, you're good to go! Here are some other terrific amenities about Olson Park... - They have a shower house with flush toilets, so no vault toilets are always a good thing, lol. - Cell phone reception worked perfectly here. - You can bring swimming apparel to enjoy the waters of the lake. - There were picnic tables situated all around. During my visit here on June 30, the park was empty. It was so quiet for such a picturesque park. And btw, it's always a benefit not having too many campers occupying the grounds. Overall...having tons of green grass, trees situated all around, good shade and a calm setting made this Olson Park to be an absolute winner in my book. I can't remember finding a better campground along my entire 5-month journey across the United States! For those who happen to be driving Interstate 90 and or making their way through the southern portion of Minnesota during their travels, I can't recommend Olson Park enough, so refreshing to discover this hidden gem of a park and campground.

Beautiful park and very nice for camping. Stayed here on our way out to South Dakota. Will…read moredefinitely stay again.