Driftless Area Parks

National Parks
Effigy Mounds National Monument www.nps.gov/efmo Harpers Ferry, Iowa

Following is a list of state parks in the Driftless Area that exhibit the typical geology and topography present in the area. The websites (where available) list complete information about each park and what they offer to visitors.

State Parks – Illinois
Apple River Canyon State Park, Apple River, Illinois
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R1/APPLE.HTM

Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area, Lena, Illinois
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R1/LEAQUANA.HTM
Mississippi Palisades State Park, Savanna, Illinois
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R1/PALISADE.HTM

State Parks – Iowa
Backbone State Park, Dundee, Iowa
http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/state_park_list/backbone.html

Bellevue State Park, Bellevue, Iowa
http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/state_park_list/bellevue.html

Fort Atkinson State Preserve, Fort Atkinson, Iowa
http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/state_park_list/fort_atkinson.html

Maquoketa Caves State Park , Maquoketa, Iowa
http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/state_park_list/maquoketa_caves.html

Mines of Spain, Dubuque, Iowa
http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/state_park_list/mines_spain.html

Pikes Peak State Park, McGregor, Iowa
http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/state_park_list/pikes_peak.html

Volga River Recreational Area, Fayette, Iowa
http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/state_park_list/volga_river.html
Wapsipinicon State Park, Anamosa, Iowa
http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/state_park_list/wapsipinicon.html

Yellow River State Forest, Waukon Junction, Iowa
http://www.iowadnr.com/forestry/yellowriver.html

State Parks – Minnesota
Beaver Creek Valley State Park, Caledonia, Minnesota
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/beaver_creek_valley/index.html

Carley State Park, Plainview, Minnesota
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/carley/index.html

Forestville/Mystery Cave, Preston, Minnesota
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/forestville_mystery_cave/index.html

Frontenac State Park, Frontenac, Minnesota
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/frontenac/index.html

Great River Bluffs State Park, Winona, Minnesota
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/great_river_bluffs/index.html

John H. Latsch State Park, Winona, Minnesota
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/john_latsch/index.html

Lake Louise State Park, Leroy, Minnesota
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/lake_louise/index.html

Rice Lake State Park, Owatonna, Minnesota
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/rice_lake/index.html

Whitewater State Park, Altura, Minnesota
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/whitewater/index.html

State Parks – Wisconsin
Black River State Forest, Black river, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/Forestry/stateforests/SF-BlackRiver/

Blue Mound State Park, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/bluemound/

Browntown-Cadiz Springs State Park, Browntown, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/browntown/

Devils Lake State Park, Baraboo, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/devilslake/
Governor Dodge State Park, Dodgeville, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/govdodge/

Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area, Menomonie, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/hoffmanhills/

Kinnickinnic State Park, River Falls, Wisconsin
No web link available

Merrick State Park, Fountain City, Wisconsin
No web link available.

Mill Bluff State Park, Camp Douglas, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/millbluff/

Mirror Lake State Park, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/mirrorlake/

Natural Bridge State Park, Leland, Wisconsin
No web link available.

Nelson Dewey State Park, Cassville, Wisconsin
No web link available

New Glarus Woods State Park, New Glarus, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/ngwoods/

Perrot State Park, Trempealeau, Wisconsin
No web link available

Rocky Arbor State Park, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
No web link available

Tower Hill State Park, Spring Green, Wisconsin
No web link available

Wildcat Mountain State Park, Ontario, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/wildcat/

Wyalusing State Park, Bagley, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/wyalusing/

Yellowstone Lake State Park, Blanchardville, Wisconsin
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/yellowstone/

County Parks
There are numerous county parks in the Driftless Area and it would be very difficult to try to list them all here. If you have interest in a particular county you can try that counties website for more information on what is available.

 

National Wildlife Refuges

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/UpperMississippiRiver/ The 261-mile refuge is the longest river refuge in the continental U.S. The refuge begins at the confluence of the Chippewa River near Wabasha, Minnesota, and ends near Rock Island, Illinois. The refuge lies within four states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois.

Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/driftless/Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge Established in 1989, this refuge is helping to recover two federally listed species: the endangered Iowa Pleistocene snail and threatened Northern monkshood. Although the Refuge was established to protect the snail and flower an entire rare community of plants and animals is preserved on these sites.

Necedah National Wildlife Refuge
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Necedah/ The 43,656-acre refuge was established in 1939 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.

Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/trempealeau/ This is a 6200 acre site that has a mix of prairies, wetlands and forests that attract a wide variety of wildlife species.

There are many other state and local wildlife refuges in the area. Many of them can be found through the state DNR websites.


Places of Interest in the Driftless Area

National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium

http://www.mississippirivermuseum.com/main.cfm

Prepare to take an entertaining and informative journey on the Mighty Mississippi at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. Enjoy dynamic aquariums, historical exhibits and a stroll through the wetlands and boatyard. Each visit is a truly interactive experience where visitors can get "up close and personal" with live critters and become barge pilots. Tour the steamboat William M. Black and watch as a boat is launched into the Mississippi River.

 

Mississippi River Lock and Dam System

http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/history/old_man_river/#lock

The lock and dam system has had a long and controversial history. There are 10 of them in the Driftless Area stretch of the Mississippi River.

 

National Eagle Center , Wabasha , Minnesota

http://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/

The upper Mississippi River is traditionally a favorite overwintering area for a number of bald eagles. The habitat also attracts year-round resident eagles.Our river deck is open 24 hours, seven days a week for eagle observation.

 

The Great River Road

The Great River Road travels the entire length of the Driftless Area and beyond on both sides of the Mississippi River. A traveler can visit a number of historic towns and villages along this route as well as enjoy the scenic beauty of the hills, bluffs and river overlooks.

www.greatriverroad-illinois.org

http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2190/

www.mnmississippiriver.com

www.wigreatriverroad.org

 

Lead Mining in the Driftless Area

One of the unique features of the driftless area was the lead mining that took place from prehistoric times through the 1800’s. Lead was first used for trinkets and other objects and at some point was used by the Indians for body paint. When the first French fur traders arrived the Indians used lead as a medium of exchange to buy items they wanted from the fur traders. Mining was an important factor in the settling of the area by various groups. Many of them left in the late 1840’s to go to California with the gold rush.

One of the important places to visit in the driftless area is the Bevans Lead Mine in Platteville Wisconsin. There is a museum with many exhibits explaining much of the history of lead mining in the area as well as an underground tour of an old mine. The Rollo Jameson Museum is also connected with the mining museum and has a wonderful collection of artifacts from the area. They are open every day from May through October. Visit their website for more information. http://www.mining.jamison.museum/

For more information on the history of lead mining in the driftless area visit the following websites.

Lead and zinc mining in the Dubuque area

http://www.igsb.uiowa.edu/browse/leadzinc/leadzinc.htm

Illinois lead mining

http://dnr.state.il.us/orep/c2000/assessments/driftweb/mining.htm

Southwest Wisconsin lead and zinc mining

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/tp-026/