Pine Lake State Park

Located along the Iowa River, 668-acre Pine Lake State Park provides a pleasing mix of woodland, river and lake in the midst of rolling farmland.The park was dedicated in 1926, placing it amongst the earliest state parks in Iowa. Local residents were first drawn to the area by the rumble of Pine Creek as it wound its way between towering white pines, rare ferns, and sandstone outcroppings on its way to the Iowa River. Much of the park was shaped by the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Visitors can still enjoy many of the historic structures built during this time. Pine Lake was named for being the southernmost stand of native pine trees in Iowa, but unfortunately most of the nearly 250-year old giants were lost to a severe hail storm in August of 2009. Visitors today will notice hundreds of caged tree seedlings throughout the park which are part of a massive reforestation effort.

Recreation: Trails The park has several miles of hiking trails that spur off from the two and one half mile paved multi-purpose trails, ranging from flat and easy to steep and rough. These hiking trails will take you through a variety of habitats, from wetland areas around the fringes of the lakes and Iowa River, through successional woodlands and remnants of native prairie. The keen observer will likely see some of the wide variety of wildlife species that reside in these various habitats. The trails are a combination of grass and crushed rock. Some sections of the trail use existing roadways to make the trail complete. The 2.6 mile paved bike trail connects the Cabins and Campground to the beach on Lower Pine Lake, and to fishing access on both Upper and Lower Pine Lakes. Other trails circle Lower Pine Lake, or wind through bottomland forest along the Iowa River. Lake and River Activities A beach is located on the lower lake which provides unsupervised swimming and sunbathing for all ages. Pine Lake has a number of fishing jetties on both Upper Pine Lake and Lower Pine Lake that provide great shoreline access. Both Lakes, according to local anglers, are full of bass, crappie, northern and catfish. Each lake has a boat ramp for convenient lake access. Each lake shoreline has a designated segment for 24-hour fishing access. The Iowa River also borders a portion of the park and is noted for its fine angling for channel catfish and small mouth bass. Fishing anywhere at Pine Lake will provide an enjoyable experience. Only electric trolling motors are allowed on the lake.

Nearby: Bring your clubs and enjoy a round of golf at Pine Lake Golf & Country Club, less than a mile away. Rock-n-Row Adventures coordinates tubing trips on the Iowa River. Visit the Hardin County Farm Museum in Eldora. Nearby Towns The city of Eldora lies one mile west of the park and Steamboat Rock lies two miles to the north. Iowa Falls is twenty miles to the northwest and Marshalltown about forty miles southeast.