Pillsbury Point State Park

Pillsbury Point State Park in Arnolds Park, Iowa, occupies a narrow projection into West Okoboji Lake and, at 6.48 acres, is Iowa’s smallest state park. Despite its size and urban setting among private summer houses, it is closely tied to major regional history. The site was the location of the Spirit Lake Massacre in 1857, and nearby graves, an 1895 monument, and the Gardner cabin connect it to that episode. Named for Rev. Samuel Pillsbury, later developed for recreation and donated to the state in 1928, the park was reshaped by CCC Company 778 in 1933–1934 and is valued today for its historic landscape, archaeology, and lakeside access.

Arnolds Park, Iowa · United States