Bellevue State Park

Bellevue State Park, just south of Bellevue, Iowa, stretches along the Mississippi River in two separate units divided by U.S. Route 52. Its most striking feature is the high bluff at the Nelson Unit, where a limestone rise overlooks the river. Trails in the park pass scenic overlooks, Indian burial mounds, restored prairie, a butterfly garden, an old quarry, and, in the Dyas Unit, a stream with beaver dams. The park combines nature study and recreation through the South Bluff Nature Center, butterfly habitat gardens, picnicking, shelters, and camping. In winter, open water near Lock and Dam No. 12 attracts bald eagles, and secluded areas sometimes shelter pileated woodpeckers.

Iowa · United States