Pikes Peak State Park
Encyclopedia
Pikes Peak State Park is a state park
of Iowa
, USA, featuring a 500 feet (152.4 m) bluff overlooking the Upper Mississippi River
opposite the confluence of the Wisconsin River
. The park is operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
. It is nearly a thousand acres (4 km²) in extent. The nearest city is McGregor, Iowa
. Iowa Highway 76
approximately defines its northern boundary.
It gets its name from the Iowa incarnation of Pikes Peak, a particularly high point overlooking the gorge of the Upper Mississippi, and like Pikes Peak
in Colorado
, is named for Zebulon Pike
.
There are hiking trails, campgrounds and RV facilities. Mountain bikes are permitted in certain portions of the park. Aside from recreational development, the land in the park was never cleared and to a large extent remains as it was before the advent of white settlement.
It is part of a larger complex of parks, reserves and refuges which include Effigy Mounds National Monument
, the various components of the Yellow River State Forest
, the enormous Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
and much smaller, much less well known Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge
. The Northeast Iowa Legacy Trail System is undergoing development, and will connect elements of these sites.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, USA, featuring a 500 feet (152.4 m) bluff overlooking the Upper Mississippi River
Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of Cairo, Illinois, United States. From the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the river flows approximately 2000 kilometers to Cairo, where it is joined by the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi...
opposite the confluence of the Wisconsin River
Wisconsin River
-External links:* * * , Wisconsin Historical Society* * * *...
. The park is operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is a department/agency of the U.S. state of Iowa charged with maintaining state parks and forests; protecting the environment; and managing energy, fish, wildlife, land resources, and water resources of Iowa.The Mission Statement: To conserve and enhance...
. It is nearly a thousand acres (4 km²) in extent. The nearest city is McGregor, Iowa
McGregor, Iowa
McGregor is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 871 at the 2000 census. McGregor is located on the Mississippi River across from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Pike's Peak State Park is located just south of the city...
. Iowa Highway 76
Iowa Highway 76
Iowa Highway 76 is a state highway located in northeastern Iowa, most of which is in Allamakee County. The long highway connects McGregor to Eitzen, Minnesota via Waukon. It begins in McGregor at an intersection with U.S. Route 18; the first of the route are signed as U.S. Route 18 Business...
approximately defines its northern boundary.
It gets its name from the Iowa incarnation of Pikes Peak, a particularly high point overlooking the gorge of the Upper Mississippi, and like Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County in the United States of America....
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, is named for Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Montgomery Pike Jr. was an American officer and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named. As a United States Army captain in 1806-1807, he led the Pike Expedition to explore and document the southern portion of the Louisiana Purchase and to find the headwaters of the Red River,...
.
There are hiking trails, campgrounds and RV facilities. Mountain bikes are permitted in certain portions of the park. Aside from recreational development, the land in the park was never cleared and to a large extent remains as it was before the advent of white settlement.
It is part of a larger complex of parks, reserves and refuges which include Effigy Mounds National Monument
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Effigy Mounds National Monument preserves three prehistoric sites in Allamakee County and Clayton County, Iowa in the midwestern United States.-Mounds:...
, the various components of the Yellow River State Forest
Yellow River State Forest
Yellow River State Forest is partly forested land owned by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. It is located in the southeastern corner of Allamakee County, the most northeasterly of Iowa's counties...
, the enormous Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is a . 261 river mile long National Wildlife Refuge located in and along the Upper Mississippi River. It runs from Wabasha, Minnesota in the north to Rock Island, Illinois in the south....
and much smaller, much less well known Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge
Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge
Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Iowa, southwestern Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois...
. The Northeast Iowa Legacy Trail System is undergoing development, and will connect elements of these sites.