Iowa's oldest state park offers a nature escape with trails, trout fishing, cabins, and activities perfect for campers, hikers, and families alike.

Iowa's first state park sets the bar high for beautiful views of the Driftless Area.

Organizers plan to see more than 1,500 attendees this year. While You’re There: Explore Backbone State Park and walk the bedrock “Devil’s Backbone,” one of the most popular hikes in the state.

The park -- the state's first -- is so critical that local residents banded together in 1997 to raise money to dredge the lake, even after the state said it would just silt back in.

Backbone State Park stretches across 2,001 acres of northeast Iowa, featuring a lake ballooning from the Maquoketa River. There, visitors can swim, kayak or simply lie on the beach during warm ...