Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park is a 390-acre Iowa State Park that is located near Anamosa City, Jones County, Iowa. The park was established in 1923 and is privileged to have been one of Iowa’s first state parks. The park was mainly established to protect several naturally occurring features in the area including sandstone and limestone bluffs of the Wapsipinicon River. The park is named after this river.

If you want to access the park easily, drive south of Anamosa which is by the Wapsipinicon River. Other notable cities that are close by include Stone City, which is the birthplace of Grant Wood (the famous artist) and Cedar Rapids, which is Iowa's second largest city and about 20 miles southwest on U.S. 151. When you get to the park, you will find that there are diverse and attractive features that will draw your attention. 

For example, you will get to see human-made features like the 1877 steel bridge that is on the National Register of Historic Places. You can also see natural features like rocky caves and crevice-ridden bluffs, and you can also get to enjoy all the above as well as play golf in the nine-hole golf course that is within the park.

Other amenities that are made available to park visitors include open picnic shelters, several campsites, modern restrooms and showers in the campground, nature trail, day-use lodges, multi-use trails, and a boat ramp. These amenities make it possible to enjoy activities like hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, bicycling, snowmobiling, cave exploring, and cross-country skiing.

If you have a dog, you can also bring them to the park at no extra cost. If you do so, remember that there are some park rules that you must follow. These park rules are designed to not only protect you and the environment that you are in but also to prevent inconvenience to other pets, visitors, and wildlife within the park. 

Some of the important rules you must follow include ensuring that your dog is always on a leash that is not more than six feet long. Ensuring that your dog does not wander in the park unattended to and ensuring that you do not have more than two pets/dogs in cabins and yurts.