Recently we were in Iowa and made a trip to Effigy Mounds National Monument. It is located in the northeast corner of the state along the Mississippi River. We were only able to explore a small section, but it was a fascinating place.

Our son in law, Wade, grew up near here and he said the local residents call this God’s country. When he said that we all expected Blake Shelton to start singing…lol

On the way, we stopped at one of Wade’s family’s favorite place to buy meat sticks. They were very yummy and we bought a whole box…lol

Effigy National Monument was created in 1949. It covers 2526 acres. Early Native Americans created mounds by moving the dirt by hand. This area is unique as many of the mounds resemble animals such as bears and birds, which is why it was preserved.

At the visitors center, we used the displays to complete the Jr Ranger booklet. Each Jr Ranger ceremony is abit different which makes it fun to earn.

This visitor center had a cool handout…a ranger hat, explaining the history of the hat.

From the visitor center you can hike up the bluffs along the Mississippi River and view the mounds. The first part is steep but well worth the effort.

We hiked a portion of the northern section. The trails are well marked and nicely maintained.

From the visitor center displays, we had learned that the monument has over 200 mounds created between 800-1400 years ago. It is estimated that there were originally 10,000 mounds in the Midwest, which is why it is so amazing that Effigy Mounds was preserved. The purpose of the mounds is not known but they are considered sacred and you are asked to not walk on them.

Conical or round mounds are 2-8 feet high and 10-20 feet in diameter.

Compound mounds are conical mounds that are connected by linear or straight mounds.

The monument staff mows the grass so that the mounds are visible. Around the mounds, Great Blue Lobelia was in bloom.

Little Bear Mound….You could see the outline of a bear

Great Bear Mound is approximately 3.5 feet high, 137 feet long, and 70 feet wide….the pictures do not do justice to the mounds and the amount of work it would have taken to move the dirt by hand, is incredible to imagine. The pathway continues around the mound to give you a good view.

Around every corner of the trail, there were more mounds, mostly conical. One theory is that the mounds were for ceremonies or perhaps even burial sites.

We hiked the loop to Fire Point. The mounds in this area contain burned clay that was carried up from the Mississippi River.

On the day we were at Effigy Mounds, Mitchpalooza was occurring on the Mississippi River. The small island is known locally as Gilligan’s Island. It looked like a crazy party and the sound system was amazing. Mitch Laue was a very good singer…great music from the 1970s and 80s.

Since we were on the river bluffs there were very steep drops off the trail, but we had a great view of the Mississippi River

It was an extremely hot and humid day. Our daughter said that she felt like her eyelids were sweating. Even with the heat, Effigy Mounds was worth the effort. We need to come back and explore the other parts of the monument, especially Marching Bear Mounds. And we think Wade was right, the area is definitely God’s Country.