A great place to stop while taking the Mississippi River Trail by car, Pikes Peak State Park…read moreprovides the best views of the River that my wife and I found during our 10 day road trip. It was definitely worth the stop and short walk along the wooden bridge boardwalk to see a small waterfall along the way. The state park was established in 1935, and is named after the same explorer (Zebulon Pike) that the summit in Colorado is named after.

Beautiful, very nicely maintained park overlooking the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin…read morerivers. Short walk to bridal veil falls along a wooden boardwalk is worth it. Lots of birds. Lovely, serene spot.

This is a really nice park for easy hikes with outstanding views…read more Lookout point is a must with a beautiful view of the Wisconsin river flowing into the Mississippi. The sand caves loop is an easy shaded hike perfect for hot days (with bug repellent). Driving down to the boat landing also give an interesting view from the fishing platform. Overall a really nice park.

We were here as part of a Nature Foundation of Wisconsin outing so we were lucky to have the park's…read moresuperintendent as one of our tour guides. We hiked along the trail that overlooked both the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. It was beautiful. Lots of interesting birds, plant life and history. There are many beautiful vistas and historic/ geographical plaques and markers to help explain the area. The flood marker at the boat launch was impressive. We were only here for the day but we could see how this is a popular place for camping. We understand in summer that the mosquitoes can be fierce - lucky we were here in May. We brought our picnic lunch to the far south end of the park at the Henneger Point picnic area and had it to ourselves. A very nice state park.

Came here one morning and loved the view. You can see Illinois and Wisconsin from the Iowa border…read more We watched several barges go in and out of the lock and dam. Could spend hours here walking the trails and taking in the view. There is plenty of parking around the park and there are tons of shelters. When we were here there were several being set up for events.

My husband and I really enjoyed this state park. There were a lot of spots to overlook the…read moreMississippi River and pretty sights. Also, they had a bunch of parks for our baby to play in, giving her something fun to do. There isn't an entrance fee, but you do have to pay a donation to park. We went on a Sunday early in the morning and there was almost no one there. It was super easy to find parking. The trails are clearly marked, but you don't go off path and everything is easy to walk; at least the trails we went on. Some were uphill and some were downhill, but we were able to have our stroller. Overall, it was a nice little stop from Galena and enjoyed ourselves.

I have been looking for a waterfall that doesn't require any hiking and voila this is what I found…read more We went to this place on the way to Galena it is called Thunder Bay waterfalls you just park walk a little bit and the Falls is there they even have a selfie station or a ledge that you can put your phone in and just take your selfies it's a pretty nice place to stop at for a few minutes and just take pictures. Happy sighting!

Discovered this nice , small waterfall in the Galena Illinois area. You don't need to spend much…read moretime here , maybe fifteen minutes tops. If you're in the area , it's worth a quick stop for some nice photos. The parking area is located very close to the falls. Maybe a two hundred yard walk. The terrain is a little bit bumpy for elderly people to walk on, but you can still view the falls from the road above if you don't want to get out of the car. The water empties into a beautiful , slow moving stream , surrounded by wildflowers. This attraction is free to view.

The DNR lady that was here today 8/5 at 10 am she was a phenomenal tour guide! I would definitely…read morecome back with friends and family.

We visited to specifically tour the Lowell Walter house, a.k.a. Cedar Rock, designed by Frank Lloyd…read moreWright. Cedar Rock does not disappoint!! Our tour guide Erick was great- knowledgeable and very engaging as was the other gentleman at the welcome center. Although we traveled by car, we loved that we saw a few guests actually arrived by kayak as the home's boathouse is right on the river- they did mention they called the park to prearrange their tour so as to meet the guide at the house. As avid kayakers we'll be doing this for a return visit. FYI kayakers/canoers- there's a sizeable sand bar forming a nice natural beach right across the river from the Cedar Rock boathouse that's perfect for a lunch stop/picnic. Thank You Cedar Rock staff!

Wow this place is easily Iowa's most beautiful park. If you live in the area and haven't been you…read moreare missing out .

I've never camped here so I can't tell you how those facilities are, but I do love the hiking…read moretrials. They are fun and not too challenging.

Such a beautiful spot to explore while visiting Dubuque! The Mines of Spain has great hiking…read moretrails, scenic views, and plenty of places to stop and take in the scenery. We especially loved the views around the Julien Dubuque Monument. Definitely worth adding to your list if you enjoy being outdoors!

Beautiful and extensive trails over a surprisingly large area, many along or near pretty waterways…read more....there are several well marked parking lots near the trail heads. We did get lost trying to find the nature center which didn't seem connected to the part of the park we first arrived in...it seems there are two separate entrances? Fortunately we were near the cool castle-like tower, the Julien Dubuque Monument, which offers stunning panoramic views of the Mississippi and of the city of Dubuque. Definitely would like to come back for more hiking here!

I absolutely love the Arboretum. Beautiful peaceful place. Spent hours there just soaking in and…read moreenjoying the area. The koi pond was wonderful. This place charges no fee for admittance. I don't understand how they cannot as such a wonderful place. I highly recommend

Small and quite walkable even for me with a disability. The Japanese garden was quite pretty. We…read morewere there early in the day so not a lot of other people around, which can be enjoyable. Would return to see it in different seasons.

Lots of amazing trails. The overlooks are fantastic. Trails shared with horses and Mtn bikes. Love…read moreit. No motorized bikes or ATVs. Cannot climb fire tower. Drive from Dubuque is gorgeous all the way. About 1.5 hours. Americana towns to stop and eat or shop little antique or resales.

I first camped here in the early-mid 1980's, and returned here last year with my son for a camping…read moretrip. This is the largest contiguous forest in Iowa, which is near the bluffs of the Mississippi River. It is also fairly isolated - spotty phone service, and buy all supplies before you arrive. The campgrounds are loops with little shade overall, but the nearby bluffs, trails, and fishing are what bring people. Toilets are pit toilets that were cleaned daily when we camped in the middle of the week, but they are pit toilets. No showers, sinks, or electricity. You fill out a form and stuff that and $8 into a little slot on a board with the site #'s posted above the slot This place is gorgeous. The trails are on bluffs high above the campground and the scenery is spectacular. You would never guess this is Iowa. It is also near the Effigy Mounds National Monument, a prehistoric burial site built by Native Americans over 1000 years ago. This is a place to camp and visit if you want to see some of the less-visited State Forests and Parks in the midwest.