Date Traveled: June 25-28, 2021
I am pretty damned lucky. I have great parents (me thirty years ago would have disagreed). Three things about them: They are still in okay health, they live near me, and they are relatively adventurous people.
So, sometimes I make them do these SP visits with me. Ha.
If you’ve never been to northeast Iowa, then you are missing one of the most beautiful parts of the state. Iowa’s DNR website refers to Backbone State Park as a “geographically unique location”, and yep, that’s about right.
BSP has the accolade of being the first state park designated in Iowa (1920, y’all), and there really is something here for every type of outdoorsman. Challenging trails and staircases, camping, trout fishing, winter activities await the adventurous soul, and I wish we’d spent more time here. The fam and I stayed in an adorable Airbnb in Lamont, a mere 15 minutes away, and certainly enjoyed the freedom to come and go as we pleased.
I would like to think I’d get back here someday. It’s a definitely a beauty, and I felt a little like a Lord of the Rings character trekking through the woods and rocks. However, the real gem of this place is the trout stream fishing…and well, let’s be honest, I probably won’t be taking up angling anytime soon. If fishing is your bag, though, go for it!
I’m just going to let the pictures do the talking here.
HN
For further reading: Backbone State Park, Iowa DNR