Backbone State Park, dedicated in 1920 in northeastern Iowa along the Maquoketa River, is the state’s oldest state park. Named for the steep bedrock ridge called the Devil’s Backbone, it preserves a rugged landscape long valued for its ancient geology, springs, caves, sinkholes, and forested cliffs within Iowa’s Driftless Area. Protection efforts in the 1890s and state action after 1918 secured the land. Much of the park’s historic character came from Civilian Conservation Corps work from 1933 to 1942, including Backbone Lake, trails, roads, cabins, shelters, and stone structures. Today it remains a major recreation area and an important example of Iowa conservation history.