Lake Manawa State Park

Lake Manawa State Park is comprised of 1,529 acres of land and a 772-acre lake in Pottawattamie County, Iowa and near Council Bluffs City. The main entrance to the park can be found about two and a half miles south of IA 80 (Exit 3) at Council Bluffs. You can also access the park by driving two and a half miles west of IA 29 (Exit 47).

Lake Manawa, an oxbow lake and the main attraction at this park, was created after a flood occurred in 1881 and resulted in a river channel getting cut off by the massive Missouri River. The resulting lake later became a major outdoor recreation area for a lot of visitors in the area and is to this day one of the most popular outdoor recreation facilities in the Omaha and County Bluffs metro area. The lake got its name from a Native American word meaning ‘peace and comfort.’

Besides the lake, there are a lot of other facilities that are also popular at the park including a fishing pier, hiking and biking trails, nature trail, open picnic shelters, several campsites, boat rentals, swimming beach, playground, boat ramps, and a food concession. Some of the activities that make this park popular include bicycling, camping, swimming, boating, lake fishing, mountain biking, and hiking. 

If you have a dog and if you would like to bring them to the park to participate in the recreational activities you can do so free of charge. That said, you will need to adhere to standard state park rules to avoid inconvenience to you or to other visitors to the park. 

Some of the rules with regards to dogs and dog owners include the following. First, you must ensure that your dog is always under your immediate control. Essentially, you should ensure that your dog is either in a secured confinement or that your dog is on a leash. The dog's leash should be no more than six feet in length.