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Stone
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Facilities and Activities
Geology of Stone State Park
Wildlife and Plants found in Stone State Park
Hills at Stone State Park
A visit to Stone Park would not be complete without a visit to the Dorothy
Pecaut Nature Center. The center features a variety of interpretive displays,
including a "walk-under" prairie, a 400-gallon aquarium of native fish, and
natural history dioramas. A children's discovery area provides opportunity to
handle furs, antlers, fossils, and other artifacts. Two miles of hiking trails
exist around the nature center. The hours are: Tues. - Friday, 9a.m.-4p.m.,
Weekends, 1-4 p.m. Closed Mondays and Holidays. The center is managed by the
Woodbury County Conservation Board. For more information call (712) 258-0838.
Picnicking/Shelters/Lodge
Stone State Park is a great place for a family picnic. Three open shelters are
available and may be reserved for a fee. Picnic areas are located throughout the
park and many offer beautiful views of the Loess Hills and surrounding area.
Picnic areas contain tables and grills for use by the public.
A day-use lodge may be reserved for a fee from May 1 through September 30. Click
on the picture to see a larger image of the lodge. The Stone lodge is used for
picnics, receptions, and family reunions. The lodge contains a refrigerator,
microwave, and modern restrooms. Contact the park ranger to make a reservation.
Camping
The campground has 30 camp sites (9 with electric hookup). Starting February 13,
2006 advance campsite reservations can be booked through the park reservation
system. Half of the campsites are still available for self-registration on a
first-come, first-serve basis.
Trails
Trails in the park are used by a variety of visitors and not all uses are
compatible with one another. For the safety of all park visitors, and the
protection of the park's resources; bicyclists, snowmobilers, and horseback
riders are required to stay on trails designated for their use. Snowmobiling is
also permitted on unplowed roadways unless marked otherwise. Trails may be
closed temporarily by the park ranger if conditions are wet or otherwise unsafe.
Call the park office for the latest trail conditions.
Stone State Park contains 6 miles of equestrian trails, 6 miles of mountain bike
and snowmobile trails and 8 miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails.
Visitors are attracted to the rugged topography of Stone Park, which is typical
of the Loess Hills of western Iowa. The park offers many scenic vistas of wooded
valleys, dry prairie ridges, the Big Sioux River, and the neighboring states of
South Dakota and Nebraska. The 220 mile-long Loess Hills Scenic Byway passes
through the park.
History
Native Americans were the first humans to inhabit the area now known as Stone
Park. Although little is known specifically about their activities in Stone
Park, the area would certainly have been used during hunting activities,
migration and possibly for encampments. The Dakota Sioux were the last Native
American group to inhabit what is now northwest Iowa. They inhabited the area
when Lewis and Clark ascended the Missouri River in 1804 and passed close to
Stone Park.
In 1885, Daniel Hector Talbot began buying land that would later become Stone
Park. Talbot was well known for the various animals he raised, including: elk,
bear, bison, wolves, and monkeys. Thomas Jefferson Stone acquired the Talbot
farm in 1895. Stone's son, Edgar, began developing the area into a park in 1905.
Sioux City acquired the land from the Stone family in 1912 and continued to
develop roads, picnic areas, and a zoo. In 1935, the city sold the property to
the state of Iowa.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp was located in the northwestern area
of the park from 1935 to 1939. The CCC were responsible for constructing the
majority of the park's facilities, including: entrance portals, staff
residences, the Calumet shelter, and the rustic Stone lodge. The park was once
the home for the Salvation Army, Boy Scout, and Girl Scout camps.
Nearby Towns
The park is located in the northwest corner of Sioux City, along Iowa Highway
12, four miles north of Interstate Highway 29. The park consists of 1,069 acres
in Woodbury and Plymouth Counties.
For more information: Friends of Stone State Park (off-site)
Contact Information
5001 Talbot Road
Sioux City, IA 51103
ph. 712/255-4698
E-mail address: Stone@dnr.state.ia.us |
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