Bellevue State Park is a state park of

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

, USA, along the banks of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

just south of

Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to: Placenames Australia * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales Canada ...

. The park lies in two separate tracts. The Nelson Unit is at the immediate south edge of Bellevue on U.S. Route 52 (The Great River Road), atop a limestone bluff. The Dyas Unit is farther south on U.S. 52. Bellevue State Park offers high bluffs with scenic views of the Mississippi River amidst of timbered walking trails, a unique butterfly sanctuary as well as an enclosed nature center.

Picnicking/shelters

Picnickers at the Nelson Unit can enjoy views of the Mississippi River. Open picnic shelters may be reserved for a fee. The lodge is available on a reservation basis for wedding receptions and other family events. The lodge and open shelters may be reserved online through the park reservation system.

Camping

The Dyas Unit has 46 camping units (31 with electrical hookups), modern rest rooms, showers and a sanitary dumping station. Advance campsite reservations can be booked through the park reservation system. Half of the campsites are available for self-registration on a first-come, first-served basis. Camping is not allowed in the Nelson Unit.

Trails

The Nelson Unit has four trails that provide a variety of hiking opportunities. One trail leads to a scenic overlook of the Mississippi, one winds past Indian burial mounds, one passes through a restored prairie and a "Garden Sanctuary for Butterflies", and leads past an old limestone rock quarry. The Dyas Unit comprises about of foot trails, scenic overlooks, a stream with beaver dams, and aquatic and other wildlife. In winter bald eagles concentrate to feed near the open waters below Lock and Dam No. 12.

pileated woodpecker The pileated woodpecker (''Dryocopus pileatus'') is a large, mostly black woodpecker native to North America. An insectivore, it inhabits deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the ...

s are occasionally seen in isolated areas.

South Bluff Nature Center

The South Bluff Nature Center in the Nelson Unit contains displays on the plants, animals and geology of Bellevue State Park. The center is open seasonally and offers a variety of programs in the summer. The "Garden Sanctuary for Butterflies" is located nearby. This unique area contains over one hundred separate plots, each featuring plants which provide food and habitat for butterflies. A network of pathways allows visitors to walk through the garden and see a wide variety of butterflies as well as enjoy the flowers and the pond in the center.

References

External links

Bellevue State Park
{{authority control State parks of Iowa Nature centers in Iowa Protected areas of Jackson County, Iowa Protected areas on the Mississippi River