Nature and Recreation

The subtle majesty of Iowa's countryside allows many opportunities for outdooor recreation. Bike, cycle or relax with the kids in one of several area playgrounds...

Rock Creek State Park offers 602 acres with beaches, boating, 13 miles of trails, 200 self-registration campsites (some with electrical hookups), and game management area. A bike trail from Grinnell To Rock Creek starting at Eleventh Avenue and Sunset Street, is scheduled to be completed in 2003.

Conard Environmental Research Area, Grinnell College's 365-acre protected ecological research reserve. Experimental prairie grass areas have been planted, burned, and restored for ecological research.

Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve, 450 acres located just west of Grinnell, offers a 25-acre lake, fishing, a trail system for hiking and cross-country skiing, and a shelter house; no camping, bicycles, or horses. (641-792-9780)

Poweshiek County is noted for upland game bird hunting and also draws hunters for deer, ducks, cottontail and jack rabbits, and squirrels. The Iowa State Wildlife Bureau offers online hunting applications and information about hunting areas and regulations.

Please visit Grinnell College's Center For Prairie Studies for in-depth information and resources on our prairie environment.