| Trails
A trail will take you out past the Copperas Beds which are unique sandstone formations towering 100 feet above Prairie Creek. The trail then continues on up into oak covered hillsides & back down past Bone Yard Hollow. Trails also take you out to the Indian Mounds & up more wooded hillsides.
Boating & Fishing
Dolliver is located on the Des Moines River, which is popular for both boating & fishing. A modern boat ramp is located in the park & is a popular "put in-take out" spot for canoeists as well as anglers.
Bluffs, canyons, the Des Moines River, Prairie Creek & Indian mounds are all part of the natural & cultural history that make Dolliver State Park so valuable to the people of Iowa. Purchased for $38,500, the 457-acre park was dedicated in 1925. During the dedication ceremonies, a memorial plaque, the work of noted sculptor Laredo Taft, was unveiled before a crowd of 13,500 people.
Copperas Beds
A unique facet of the sandstone formations at Dolliver are the "Copperas beds." The towering 100-foot bluff on Prairie Creek is a cross-sectional view of the ancient river bed that is over 150 million years old. Over the ages, the erosive power of Prairie Creek uncovered this unique feature. The porous nature of the sandstone has caused many minerals such as calcite & sulfur to dissolve as the H2O seeps through. As the H2O evaporates, the mineral deposits are left behind. You can see many of these deposits in the sandstone cliffs, as well as petrified logs & sticks.
"Boneyard Hollow"
This narrow ravine running between rock walls was given its name "boneyard hollow" by early settlers who found large amounts of buffalo bones in the canyon. It is possible the area's first inhabitants drove herds of buffalo from the prairie over the cliff to their death or perhaps drove the herds into the narrow ravine & then killed & butchered them for their meat, hides, horns & bone.
In 1912, a family picnicking in the area of the creek that runs through Boneyard Hollow found a lead tablet at the mouth of the creek. Inscribed in Latin, it stated that it was deposited in 1701 by Father Hennepin, a French explorer, often credited with discovering the Des Moines River. The tablet was eventually found to be a hoax, planted by people from the nearby community. However, Edgar Harlan, then curator of the state archives, went to the site where the tablet was found. His interest in the beauty of the area helped spark the state's interest in eventually purchasing the park. |
Dolliver Memorial State Park Campground Web Site
Driving Direction GPS Coordinates:
42.379350, -94.087010
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Campground: Dolliver Memorial State Park in Lehigh Iowa *