Field Of Dreams

What got us to this part of Iowa was the Field of Dreams. Growing up, this was Justin’s favorite movie (might still be). You know the movie, man hears a voice in Iowa cornfield, he rips it out, builds a baseball field, and a bunch of dead ball players come and play. When we found out that the actual movie set was open we decided to make it part of our itinerary. The most famous line in the movie is “If you build it, he will come”. Well, they built the set and we went – and had a blast!

The Field of Dreams movie location is located in Dyersville, Iowa. It is literally in the middle of miles and miles and miles of cornfields – just like in the movie. Driving up was one of the coolest experiences of our whole trip, seeing the lights pop up over the corn fields was super cool. You drive up and you are transported right into the movies – it is the exact same thing! Best part about the whole thing – it is totally free!

You can play baseball on the actual field. For this baseball family we thought we were in Heaven, not Iowa. We made sure we had our baseball equipment and went out and had so much fun playing catch, running around the bases, and walking in and out of the cornfield.

The other part of the movie set you can check out is the home of the Kinsella family. This is a 30 minute tour that takes place every hour. The cost is $20 for an adult and $12 per kid. We didn’t do this, but have heard it is worth it.

They have a great little concession stand along the third base line, just like you would have at a regular little league field. Really authentic. Something new that they have is the gift shop run by Baseballism. This is a super cool gift shop with some really unique gifts. Any Northeast Iowa road trip has to take you to the Field of Dreams.

Effigy Mounds National Monument

We are on a quest to visit all of the National Park Sites in the continental United States before our kid graduates high school. So, most of the time we travel we find routes that have these sites along the way. We were excited that Effigy Mounds was near this area.

Effigy Mounds is located in Harpers Ferry, Iowa on the banks of the Mississippi River. This is an ancient American Indian mound-building site. There are many theories out there as to why these 200+ mounds were built, but all agree that this is a sacred site for the more than 20 tribes who have lived in this area. These mounds are in the shape of different animals. It is pretty sweet to hike around and hunt these down.

In order to see this park you will need to do some hiking. There is a north and south side to Effigy Mounds. The south side is an easier hike with little elevation change. From here you will be able to see the March Bear Group mounds. The north side is the more challenging hike. You are pretty much going straight uphill at the beginning, but once up there you get some incredible views of the Mississippi River. We didn’t realize that there were cliffs like this in Iowa. A really fun surprise. There are a bunch of lookout points, Fire Point is about a two-mile hike round trip from the parking lot, Twin Views is about three miles, and if you feeling really adventurous you can do the seven-mile hike to Hanging Rock.

Make sure you get your National Park Passport stamp as well as the Junior Ranger Badge while you are there. This is a great stop on any Northeast Iowa road trip.

The Stockman House

Frank Lloyd Wright is considered the greatest architect in American history. In 1908 he built a house, The Stockman House, in Mason City, Iowa. This house remains as an early example of the Prairie School style of architecture. We aren’t really into architecture, but were wowed by this building. What stood out to us the most was the fact that it was built so long ago. The house feels so modern yet it is over 100 years old.

Tours are available on a first come, first served basis. They can get expensive, around $15 per person and they last an hour. If you want to just walk around the grounds you are able to do that. We happened upon someone who was part of the historical society. They were great and told us all we needed to know.

Mason City is a cool little town. A lot of the buildings are inspired by the Stockman House. Just driving around is fun in itself. A great place to get off of the main roads on your Northeast Iowa road trip.

Pikes Peak State Park

Pikes Peak State Park is located just south of McGregor, Iowa along the shore of the Mississippi. This is a great place to go hiking along the cliffs of the Mississippi. From this park you will have a ton of great views of the river. You even have a waterfall just a short hike from the main parking lot.

There is no entry fee to get into the park, but there are fees for camping. Overall, there are 11 and a half miles of hiking with views of the surrounding towns, Bridal Veil Falls, fossil remains, and the sheer limestone walls. This is a great place to stop for the afternoon – or spend the night if you have an skoolie or RV.

Historic McGregor Iowa

McGregor, Iowa is a historic town on the Mississippi River in between Effigy Mounds and Pikes Peak State Park. This town rose to prominence during the 1870’s because the ferry service that ran between the two banks of the river. When a train was headed west, they would disassemble the cars, ferry them across, and put them back together in McGregor. At this time, McGregor was the busiest shipping port west of Chicago. Unfortunately for the town, the railroads decided to build a bridge, and the boom town went bust.

Today though McGregor is a quaint little downtown that transports you back in time. They have some pretty cool shops, a lot of food options, and even an “old west” themed area. McGregor is a great place to take a break after a day at one of the two local parks.

Barrel Drive In

Barrel Drive In. Yep, that’s the name. The Barrel Drive In is a 1950’s era driven in diner located in West Union, Iowa that specializes in broasted chicken. If you are wondering what broasted chicken is – we were too. We asked our carhop what it was. His response “it is chicken that is put in our broaster.” Well…thanks, I guess? We laughed and laughed because we have no idea what a broaster is anyway. (The service here was awesome, the kid we asked was like 13 and had no idea, but they were amazing!!!)

So, broasted chicken is a midwest tradition. It is kind of like fried chicken but cooked with a combination of pressure cooking and deep frying. It is pretty delicious. The best things that we had there though were the onion rings, the milkshakes, and Megan especially loved the chocolate malt. We felt like we were in Back To The Future when we were there. Definitely check that out.

We don’t know if we will be back through this section of Iowa, but we hope to one day. What were some things we missed out on? What would you want to check out from this list?

If you are looking for more road trip adventure ideas check out our Kentucky Road Trip or Southwest Virginia.

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The post Is This Heaven? No – It’s Northeast Iowa first appeared on Go The Adventure Way.

Custer State Park Entrance Fee

Different states have different policies in regards to state parks. For Custer there is an entrance fee of $20 per vehicle. This gives you access to the park for a full week. So, if you are going for a day or a week, the price is the same. Many National Parks have this same policy. This is a good excuse to spend a couple of days in the park.

Custer State Park Map

When you pay the fee, the attendant will give you a map to help you explore. Make sure you ask any questions you might have of the park. They are there to help and want to make sure you have all the information that you need.

There are four main entrances to the park – the East, West, Sylvan Lake (northwest), and Blue Bell (southwest). The East Entrance comes in from the Iron Mountain Highway (more on that later) and the Mount Rushmore area. The West Entrance is near the fun town of Custer. The Blue Bell Entrance is the closest access to Jewel Cave National Park and the Wildlife Loop Road in the park. Sylvan Lake Entrance gets you to Crazy Horse Monument and is the quickest access to Needles Highway and Sylvan Lake (obviously).

Visitor’s Centers

Custer State Park has two visitor’s centers that are great places to stop and get some information. The main visitor’s center is by the East Entrance and is home to the Peter Norbeck Education Center. This is a great place to learn about the park and do some indoor exploring. There is a pretty big parking area here along with picnic tables and a little nature trail.

The other visitor’s center is located along the Wildlife Loop Road. This center is not nearly as big, but is a good place to stop and use the bathroom while you are out searching for wildlife. You can also go into the visitors center and ask about the wildlife you see along the road.

Custer State Park Scenic Drives

There are three main scenic drives in and around Custer State Park. All three of them are amazing and offer something different. We highly recommend checking all three of them out.

Needles Highway

The Needles Highway is the most famous of the drives and rightfully so. It is probably the most famous thing about the whole park. This drive is different than anything we have ever been on. It runs for 14 miles from Sylvan Lake in the northwest part of the park to Highway 16A, the main spine of the park. This drive takes you through the Black Hills forests and climbs in and through the giant granite rock formations that look like needles sticking up in the sky. It is something to behold to drive through this area.

In addition to the needles rock formations you can drive through a couple of awesome tunnels. The most famous one is the Needles Eye Tunnel right by the Needles Eye. This tunnel is less than 9 feet wide and 11 feet tall. It is a tight squeeze but oh so fun! There are a ton of places to stop off and get pictures. Because this is one of the highlights of the park, it can get pretty crowded. This could take anywhere from an hour to two depending on traffic and what you want to experience.

Iron Mountain Highway

There are some parts of Custer State Park that you can get to without having to pay the entrance fee. One of those parts just happens to be on one of the most spectacular highways in all of the United States. The Iron Mountain Highway runs from the Mount Rushmore area to the East Entrance of the park. We didn’t know much about it, but because we were traveling that direction we were able to experience this incredible road.

The Iron Mountain Highway is 17 miles of pure highway construction artwork. There are a couple of things that make this road stand out. The first is the natural beauty of the Black Hills. The forests through this area are incredibly peaceful. Because this road is lesser known, not as many people are on the road so you can actually relax and slowdown.

Another really cool aspect of the highway are the “Pigtail Bridges”. These bridges allow you to gain altitude rapidly by climbing up a corkscrew bridge. We would have gone on this road just for these.

The next thing that makes this road stand out are the three tunnels that you get to drive through. All three of these tunnels frame Mount Rushmore as you drive through them. It is awesome to see Rushmore as you are driving through these mountain tunnels. We had no clue about this, but loved it. There are plenty of other places to stop with viewpoints of Mount Rushmore. We actually enjoyed these views of Rushmore more here than the day we went there.

Even if you are not coming in from this area, we recommend checking it out. It is out of the way if you are on the other side of the park, but it is worth it. This is also where we were able to drive down the road with a couple of huge bison!

Wildlife Loop Road

You go to Custer State Park because you want to see the wildlife. The Wildlife Loop Road is where you do that. The main event is the herd of 1,350 bison that the park boasts. We got stuck in a “Bison Traffic Jam” for 30 minutes. Check that off the bucket list. These huge beasts casually walked in and around the cars. We were able to get up close and personal. It is something to come face-to-face with these guys. They are magnificent.

In addition to the bison, you can also see prairie dogs, free range burros, big horned sheep, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, coyotes, mountain lions (very rare to actually see), and burrowing owls. If you want to see these other animals, your best bet is first thing in the morning or right before the sunset.

On The Water At Custer State Park

Custer State Park has a ton to offer if you like to be on the water. The park is full of picturesque lakes and rivers that allow for all sorts of fun. Whether you want to fish, swim, or kayak – there is something for you. There are four main lakes in the park (five total) – Sylvan Lake, Center Lake, Stockade Lake, and Legion Lake. All four have a beach area to relax and soak up the sun. In addition to that, each of the lakes has a camping area where you can spend the night. We stopped by all of the lakes, but spent most of or lake time at Sylvan Lake.

Sylvan Lake

Sylvan Lake is the busiest of all of the lakes at Custer State Park. All of the lakes here are great, but we have never seen anything like Sylvan Lake. Sylvan Lake is located at the end of the Needles Highway right before you get to the Sylvan Lake Entrance.

Sylvan Lake is the most beautiful swimming hole you will ever find. What makes this lake stand apart from the others are the amazing rock formations that are in and around the lake. We had so much fun climbing all around them. If you are able to climb the rocks in the lake you have a great view of the whole area. Like the other lakes, Sylvan Lake has a great sandy beach and plenty to swimming areas. You can rent non-motorized watercraft at the nearby general store so you can go kayaking or canoeing.

The Sylvan Lake Shoreline Trail runs around the lake from the general store to the main rock formations that makes for a leisurely stroll. In addition to that, the Black Elk Peak and Sunday Gulch Trailheads are at the main parking area for Sylvan Lake.

Hiking At Custer State Park

We were surprised by the amount of trails that this park had to offer. Though we weren’t able to hike them all (we only had a day!) we did go on parts of them. After talking to the rangers and exploring a little of the park we have put together a list of trails to tackle the next time we are there. At the top of the list are the Cathedral Spire Trail, the rest of Sunday Gulch Trail, Little Devils Tower Spur Trail, Lovers’ Leap Trail, and Black Elk Peak. If you want more info on the trails of Custer State Park we love using AllTrails.

What to bring to Custer State Park

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Custer State Park is big and offers lots of various terrain to explore. You could spend hours in a bison jam before even making it to the trail you want to hike. Here are a few things we like to have with us while visiting state parks –

• Water Bottles, Packed Lunch and Snacks! – You will find yourself being pretty far away from anywhere to eat or stuck in the car while waiting for Bison to cross the road. We always take plenty of snacks and a picnic lunch with us on days like this. Our favorite water bottles are Tal and we take them everywhere! And we like this cooler for a day trip.
• Dress in layers – Even in the middle of July when we visited we needed a light layer early in the morning and after the rainstorm that rolled through. Here is a great lightweight long-sleeve summer option for women and one for men. We also had our rain jackets and so glad we did as a summer thunderstorm came through. Megan’s favorite Rain Jackets that keep her totally dry while hiking –rain jacket .
• Shoes – we actually didn’t get a chance to spend a ton of time hiking in this park but these are our favorite hiking boots and Tevas for quick hikes and outdoor days. These Tevas are hands down my favorite shoes ever for travel. I have worn theme everywhere and had the same pair for 10 years!
• Beach Towel or Beach Blanket – there are plenty of lake areas for swimming and beach access! Definitely throw one in your car in case the mood hits for a swim! (Plus your bathing suits!)
• Binoculars – much needed for the wildlife loop road! This is a nice smaller travel pair to try.
• Backpacks for all the things. Here is Megan’s favorite small travel backpack!
• Hats and sunglasses are always a good idea too!

Takeaways

Custer State Park really is a gem of South Dakota. In a lot of ways it feels more like a National Park. You can definitely spend a day here and see and do a lot! You can also spend days here exploring this place! Whether you choose a day or longer – don’t miss stopping and spending some time here. It will leave you longing to come back!

Most people come to this part of the United States because they are visiting some of our amazing National Parks. Within two hours of Custer is Jewel Cave, Wind Cave, Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, the Badlands, and Minute Man Missile – all parts of the National Park System. In addition, you pass by here on your way to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, or even Glacier if you are traveling from the east.

It is easy to overlook or bypass this park because it is “merely” a State Park. Don’t do that. Take some time on your trip and enjoy this park. You will not be disappointed. It will actually be one of the highlights of your road trip.

PS! Looking for other Epic day trip ideas? Check out our guide to Pipestone National Monument or Getaway to Canaveral National Seashore!

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The post How To Have An Epic Day At Custer State Park first appeared on Go The Adventure Way.

Where Is Pipestone National Monument?

Pipestone National Monument is located in Pipestone, Minnesota in the southwest corner of the state. It is about a 30 minute drive north of I-90. If you are in the east and heading to the South Dakota or Wyoming parks, it could seem like too long of a detour. We thought it was worth it.

The town of Pipestone is mainly a farming community but they have a great downtown area with shopping and dining. We ate lunch at Lange’s Cafe. This food was so good! Some really great comfort food that was made to order with some fresh ingredients. They also have a ginormous dessert menu with tons of pies. This was almost worth the detour in itself.

Around the corner from the downtown area sits Fort Pipestone. This is a replica of a fort from pioneer days that is free to explore. You can find American Indian crafts and souvenirs for sale here, including many that are made from pipestone (including ceremonial pipes). The fort is only open from May to October. The National Monument is literally right around the corner from fort, super convenient.

Why Go To Pipestone National Monument?

Pipestone really blew us away. We had no idea that this beautiful landscape was hiding inside the town. Matter of fact, the Park Ranger told us that a lot of people who live in and around the Park don’t even realize it’s there and don’t visit! For us, this truly is a hidden gem in Minnesota and the National Park System.

What is Pipestone anyway? As East Coast people, we had no idea! Pipestone is considered to be the the thick bedrock layers of ancient rock called Sioux Quartzite that are now exposed. Pipestone National Monument was founded in 1937 to preserve this sacred American Indian site. This is still an active quarry and the stones collected are still used to carve into their sacred pipes and other crafts.

The park may seen small and unassuming compared to some of the larger well known National Parks. But – the beautiful red and pink rock formations are something you don’t see everyday. Truly it is magnificent to see in person, to touch and explore. The park is really well laid out with a trail along the pipestone formations teaching you the history and importance along the way.

What is there to do in Pipestone National Monument?

Circle Trail

The Circle trail is a 3/4 mile trail that leads you through the park along each significant landmark. The trail is easy and paved with a few little spur trails or places to climb into the quarry to get a view. It may seem like this isn’t a big deal…but we thoroughly enjoyed it. There is so much to see and discover along the trail that we spent way more time than you think you would.

You walk through the Tall Grass Prairie, the Pipestone Rock Formations, climb to get a view up top and see the oracle, walk to Winnewissa Falls, follow the river path and see an active quarry. So much to see in less than a mile! This really is a great place for kids to run and explore. Don’t forget to get your junior ranger badge too!

Tall Grass Praire

We loved taking our time walking through the Tall Grass Prairie. Because of it’s protected status this native habitat is one of the only Tall Grass Prairie’s left in America. There are a lot of unique and rare plant species found here and even one that is endangered. The day we went it was really windy…which was awesome because it kept the bugs away! The many flowers and grasses were in bloom and it was stunning. Side note, you can also snowshoe along the trail of the Tall Grass Prairie during the winter if the weather allows for it! Don’t rush through this special landscape.

Pipestone Rock Formations

Once you pass through the Tall Grass Prairie the Rock Formations jump out of nowhere. They are truly incredible and the colors are stunning. It was almost as if you are transported to another part of the world it is so sudden. The trail takes you right up close and you are taken away as they keep going and going. We loved climbing up to get a view from the top. Honestly the rocks almost didn’t seem real they were so perfect.

Winnewassa Falls

This was a total surprise for us! We had no idea this park held such a beautiful waterfall. This is a super easy waterfall to get to…we are used to hiking up major mountains to get this kind of view. We spent a while just soaking up the refreshing spray and shade in this section of the trail. You can also climb to the top of the waterfall (super easy) for another angle. Probably the biggest surprise of the experience.

The 3 Maidens

This portion of the park is not located on the Circle Trail. You will pass the 3 Maidens as you enter the park and it’s easy to find. The 3 Maidens are a spiritually significant spot for Native Americans. They still bring offerings and honor this area so people are asked to not climb or sit on the rocks here. This is a granite boulder that was most likely brought here by a glacier at some point that has split into 3 separate pieces. There is a lot of history and stories surrounding these interesting and out of place rocks. The visitor center is a great place to discover more about these and also view some of the ancient petroglyph slabs that at one time surrounded them!

Active Quarries

One of the neat aspects of this park is that it is still used as an active Quarry. The quarrying of pipestone is a slow and difficult process. The American Indians still use many hand tools and long hours to extract this stone. You can view one of the quarry sites along the Circle Trail. Most quarrying is done in the fall. This is a skill and craft that only a small number of people still do.

Takeaways

Don’t overlook this special National Monument! We were so taken by it and would love to visit again one day. Don’t think you will just run in and out of this one. Really take some time to enjoy and appreciate all of the special aspects found in Pipestone! It was a special find for us!

Have you been to Pipestone National Monument? What did you think? What are some other smaller, lesser known National Park Sites that you have enjoyed! We would love to know!

PS! If you like visiting National Park Sites, check out our Guide to the National Parks of the Outer Banks, our 5 Yosemite Views you Must see or Visiting the Missions in San Antonio.

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The post Pipestone National Monument Day Trip Guide first appeared on Go The Adventure Way.