Iowa’s Favorite State Park Is Also Its Oldest

Even though parts of Iowa will see heat indexes at 105+ for multiple days this week, summer is slowly coming to an end. Eventually, fall will arrive and we'll start to enjoy the temperatures cooling down. In my opinion, fall is the best time of the year and it's truly sad how short the fall season can be in the Midwest.

Fall is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors as you (hopefully) won't have to deal with excessive heat. You can enjoy being outside without instantly sweating, it's flannel season, and you can see all of the amazing fall colors in Iowa. Fall might be the perfect time for you to check out Iowa's most popular state park. Not only is this Iowa's most popular state park, but it's also Iowa's oldest.

According to Insuranks, Backbone State Park, located in Dundee, has been Iowa's most popular state park for the past 3 years. This has been considered a state park in Iowa since 1920 when it was dedicated to Iowa, which makes it Iowa's first state park according to Iowa DNR. There is a narrow ridge of bedrock from the Maquoketa River, which helps form the highest point in northeastern Iowa.

Even if you aren't someone who enjoys camping, there are still so many things you can do and explore at Backbone. You can hike through the 21-mile trail system, you can snowmobile or cross-country ski through the trails. You can rock climb up the limestone cliffs. Richmond Springs is a quick-flowing stream known for incredible trout fishing. There are also two campgrounds as well as cabins you can rent for those who'd like to spend more than 1 day at the park.

There really is something for anyone who enjoys spending time outside and the Iowa DNR can help you plan your visit. Whether it's simply for an afternoon or you'd like to create a multiple-day stay, there is an endless amount of fun for just about anyone.

It's not a surprise this is one of Iowa's favorite state parks if you read the glowing reviews online. According to Google reviews, the park has a 4.7-star rating and has been reviewed over 1,500 times. Tripadvisor also shows the park with fabulous reviews as Backbone has a 4.5-star rating on its website.

I might be in the minority when I say this but I will always be someone who enjoys being outside in the fall a lot more than in the summer. If you haven't had your fun summer adventure yet, why not create one this fall? I can just about promise you won't have to worry about 100+ degree temperatures.