Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area

Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area is a premier outdoor recreation venue of Linn County. This recreation area is home to a 410 acre lake, 1,517 acres of public hunting grounds, a swimming beach, campgrounds, and twelve miles of multi-use trails. As a unique resource, showcasing large tracts of restored prairie. Pleasant Creek Recreation Area creates a wide variety of enjoyable outdoor experiences for all visitors. As a "no-wake" lake, Pleasant Creek is popular for windsurfers, kayaks, canoes, SCUBA diving and pontoon boats. Near perfect water clarity during spring, and most of the summer, allows great visibility for divers. Kayak and diving lessons are offered throughout the summer by local certified instructors.

Recreation: Trails There are 8.5 miles of trails for hiking, running, snowmobiling, mountain or fat tire biking, cross-country skiing and equestrian riding, with connecting access to many area facilities and scenic overlooks. Lake Activities Pleasant Creek Lake offers a wide variety of fishing opportunities for both the novice and the experienced angler. From panfish to large game fish there are species for all anglers to enjoy. Channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, walleye, perch, white bass and muskellunge are all commonly caught. Shoreline fishing has been enhanced by the construction of jetties. Pleasant Creek is a relaxing place to spend a day at the beach. Swimming, volleyball, showers and restrooms are all available at Pleasant Creek's spacious beach which is located on the north shore. Pleasant Creek Lake is one of the most popular boating spots in eastern Iowa. Four launching sites are conveniently located around the lake. These sites have a total of seven ramps for fishing, leisure boating and sail boating access. Any size boat motor may be operated at "no-wake" speeds. Hunting Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area is open to public hunting and trapping. Popular species of game include rabbits, pheasants and quail. Pleasant Creek also has an area dedicated to field dog trials. These grounds are groomed to aid the trials, yet maintain Pleasant Creek's natural habitat. Here one may take part in or observe club-hosted shoot-to-retrieve and horseback field trials.

Nearby: The Pigman Sprint Triathlon is held each June around the recreation area - utilizing the lake and the roads of the park and the surrounding community. The Pleasant Creek Trail Runners race consisting of 1, 2 or 3 loops around the lake on the equestrian trail is held annually each September. The race is 15k, 30k or 45k. Fishing tournaments are held on a regular basis each season on the lake. Nearby Cedar Rapids hosts numerous activities throughout the summer and is also home to the Hawkeye Downs Raceway and Cedar Rapids Kernels minor league baseball team. Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center is located about six miles from Pleasant Creek and serves as a fun and educational guide through Iowa's natural history. Nearby Towns Pleasant Creek lies approximately fifteen miles northwest of Cedar Rapids and forty miles southeast of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan area. Palo is located five miles south.