|
Home >
Travel >
State Parks >
Iowa >
Viking Lake State Park |
|
|
Facilities and Activities
Boy on dock at Viking Lake State Park
Picnicking/Shelters
A long sweep of shady, grassy hillside extends down to the water's edge forming
a beautiful picnic area. The upper road also goes to an open picnic shelter and
overlook with an excellent view of the lake. The shelter may be reserved for a
fee through the park manager. There is also a large overlook above the beach
area.
Camping
The Viking Lake campground is one of the most popular in southwest Iowa. The
spacious, shady campground is located on the lakeshore. There are 120 campsites
(94 with electrical hookups, 22 full service, 9 buddy sites, and 26
non-electrical), modern rest rooms and showers and a trailer dump station. A
playground is located in the campground. 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
Hiking trails totaling six miles provide visitors an excellent look at the
park's natural features. The Bur Oak Nature Trail and its accompanying booklet
provide insight on many of the important shrubs, plants and trees found at
Viking Lake. The one mile trail takes abut one hour to walk. In winter,
snowmobiles may be operated on designated trails.
Lake Activities (swimming, boating, fishing)
The 137-acre lake was constructed in 1957 and is 44 feet at its deepest point
with many bays and projecting points on its four and one-half mile shoreline.
Viking Lake is well stocked with crappies, bluegills, bass, bullheads and
catfish. A sandy beach is located on the west shore with unsupervised swimming.
A concrete boat ramp is nearby and a docking area is a short distance away in a
well protected cove. Rental spaces are available on an annual reservation basis.
Any size boat motors may be used on Viking Lake provided they are operated at
"no wake" speeds.
Viking Lake is one of the most popular state parks in southwest Iowa due to its
accessibility and variety of recreational opportunities. A large portion of the
1,000-acre park has been left in its natural state and has an abundance of wild
flowers, plants and wildlife. It is not uncommon to see beavers, turkeys,
muskrats, ducks, shore birds and white-tailed deer. Many of the park's hills and
valleys were once campsites of Native American tribes and artifacts were
uncovered when the dam was being constructed.
Nearby Towns
Stanton is 4 miles from the park. Red Oak, the county seat, is 12 miles away.
Villisca is 10 miles from the park and has a golf course.
Contact Information
2780 Viking Lake Road
Stanton, IA 51573
ph. 712/829-2235
fax 712/829-2842
E-mail address: Viking_Lake@dnr.state.ia.us |
|
|
|
