Elk Rock State Park is a
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
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 the ...
, USA, located in
Marion County situated on both upstream banks of
Red Rock Reservoir.
Knoxville
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state's ...
at the southwest and
Pella
Pella ( el, Πέλλα) is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is best-known for serving as the capital city of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, and was the birthplace of Alexander the Great.
On site of the ancient cit ...
to the northeast are the nearest cities. On north are
Otley
Otley is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically a part of the West Ridi ...
and
Monroe; at the west is
Pleasantville.
Elk Rock has two areas: the main area and the "Mile Long Bridge" area. The bridge area is much smaller than the main area but has a couple of shelters and a restroom facility.
The main area has many camp sites, two boat ramps, park office, and various trails.
History
Native American inhabitation dates back five thousand years. The Sac and Fox tribes granted white settlers rights to the grounds in 1842. The outlines of the extinct town of Red Rock lie at the bottom of the lake.
The
began construction of a dam in 1960 and completed it in 1969. In 1969, the
Iowa Conservation Commission leased land from the Corps of Engineers to establish North Elk Rock (now
Cordova Park). In 1978, a lease was obtained for South Elk Rock which is now what is considered Elk Rock State Park.
Land usage
The
Red Rock Reservoir provides for good fishing as well as general boating and swimming activities. Elk Rock also has an
equestrian
The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse".
Horseback riding (or Riding in British English)
Examples of this are:
* Equestrian sports
*Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...
camping area with a 100′ x 200′ arena and other facilities.
Red Rock also serves as a stopping point for migratory birds and other waterfowl. 200 species of birds, 54 species of trees, 62 species of wildflowers, 43 species of fish, and 35 species of mammals have been seen here.
References
External links
Elk Rock State Park
{{authority control
State parks of Iowa
Protected areas established in 1978
Protected areas of Marion County, Iowa
1978 establishments in Iowa