Dolliver Memorial State Park

Dolliver Memorial State Park, along the Des Moines River in central Iowa near the town of Lehigh, is one of Iowa’s most geologically spectacular parks — a 590-acre park where Pennsylvanian-age sandstone canyon walls in striking shades of ochre, orange and red rise above the Des Moines River and its tributary ravines, creating a dramatic canyon landscape matched by few Iowa parks.

The park features the famous ‘Copperas Beds’ — distinctive yellow-orange stained canyon walls of sandstone leaching iron sulfate — towering canyon walls, the mound-studded Norton Mounds at the prairie overlook, and miles of trails through forest, canyon and riverside terrain. An almost entirely undiscovered gem outside central Iowa, Dolliver Memorial State Park is a treasured natural icon of the Des Moines River valley.

Dolliver Memorial State Park offers hiking on a trail system through the sandstone canyon (including the Copperas Bed canyon trail, the Norton Mound area trail and the riverside Des Moines River trail), wildlife watching, birding, fishing in the Des Moines River, picnicking, and camping in the park campground. The Copperas Bed canyon hike — past the brilliant ochre and orange iron-stained sandstone walls — is the signature draw. The combination of dramatic canyon geology, prairie overlooks, ancient mounds and riverside forest makes Dolliver a rewarding and underappreciated Iowa park.

Fall is excellent at Dolliver, when the wooded canyon frames the ochre sandstone walls in autumn color and the river and canyon are at their most beautiful; spring brings the canyon seeps and waterfalls at their most dramatic (iron-bearing water staining the walls in vivid colors). Summer offers cool canyon shade. The Copperas Beds are most vivid after rain, when water seeps through the iron-bearing sandstone and the stains are freshly washed. Fall for color and canyon scenery, spring for the seeps and canyon drama, and any cool season for the uncrowded canyon experience are the highlights.

Dolliver Memorial State Park is named for U.S. Senator Jonathan P. Dolliver of Iowa (1858–1910), a beloved Iowa statesman; the park was established as a memorial in his honor. The Des Moines River valley is part of the homeland of the Meskwaki and earlier peoples; the Norton Mounds at the park’s prairie overlook are ancient burial mounds. Civilian Conservation Corps workers developed park facilities in the 1930s. The park preserves the spectacular canyon, the ancient mounds and the CCC heritage of the Des Moines River valley.

Dolliver Memorial State Park is carved into Pennsylvanian-age sandstone — sedimentary rock deposited some 300 million years ago in the ancient inland sea — exposed and eroded by Lizard Creek and the Des Moines River into the canyon walls, slot passages and bluff faces of the park. The ‘Copperas Beds’ are sandstone layers rich in iron sulfate (copperas) — when iron-bearing groundwater seeps through the sandstone and oxidizes, it deposits vivid yellow, orange and ochre stains on the canyon walls in distinctive, dripping patterns. The Pennsylvanian sandstone, the iron-sulfate mineralogy and the stream erosion created Dolliver’s exceptional canyon landscape.

Dolliver Memorial State Park’s forested canyon, prairie bluffs and Des Moines River corridor support white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, beavers, mink, wood ducks, and a diverse birdlife — eastern phoebes nesting on the canyon walls, Louisiana waterthrushes along the canyon creek, wood thrushes and ovenbirds in the forest, and migrant warblers through the canyon in spring and fall. The Des Moines River adds herons, kingfishers and migrant waterfowl. The canyon birds — particularly the phoebe and waterthrush along the iron-stained canyon walls — are among the highlights.

Dolliver Memorial State Park protects a Des Moines River valley sandstone-canyon ecosystem — wooded ravines of maple, basswood and elm in the sheltered canyon, oak-hickory upland forest on the bluffs, the iron-bearing canyon-seep plant communities (ferns, mosses and specialized plants in the copperas-stained drip zones) and the Des Moines River riparian corridor — supporting diverse plant communities in the geochemically distinctive canyon environment. The copperas-seep plant community is unusual and sensitive. Protecting the canyon, the seep communities and the river corridor sustains the ecology of this exceptional park.

Dolliver Memorial State Park holds a treasured place among the underappreciated geological icons of Iowa — a dramatic sandstone canyon of vivid ochre and orange Copperas Beds, ancient burial mounds, CCC-built facilities and the beautiful Des Moines River, nearly unknown outside central Iowa but a geological gem of the first order. For those who discover it, Dolliver is one of Iowa’s most surprising and rewarding state parks. Dolliver Memorial State Park is a cherished natural icon of the Des Moines River valley.

Dolliver Memorial State Park is in central Iowa in Webster County, near the town of Lehigh along the Des Moines River, off Iowa Highway 50 (about 6 miles south of Fort Dodge). The park has a campground, picnic areas, the trail system and the Copperas Bed canyon access; a state-park entry fee applies. The city of Fort Dodge (about 6 miles north) has full services. The park is close to Ledges State Park (about 25 miles southeast). Check Iowa DNR for fees, camping reservations and current trail conditions before visiting.

Iowa DNR manages Dolliver Memorial State Park. Visitors help by staying on designated trails (the canyon walls and copperas-seep areas are fragile — do not disturb the iron-stained canyon seeps or any sandstone ledges), respecting the Norton Mounds (protected cultural sites; do not walk on the mound surfaces), protecting the Des Moines River water quality, packing out everything and following all park rules. The Copperas Beds, the canyon plant communities and the mound structures are sensitive and protected. Protecting the canyon, the seeps and the mounds sustains both the geological and cultural heritage of Dolliver.

The canyon trail can be muddy and slippery in wet weather and the sandstone canyon walls have overhanging sections; wear sturdy, waterproof footwear. Do not climb on the canyon walls or attempt to reach the copperas seeps by going off-trail (the slope above the canyon is unstable). Ticks are common in the forested canyon and riverside areas in warm weather; check after hiking. The Des Moines River can be high and fast in spring; do not wade in flood conditions. Respect the muddy canyon, the slippery sandstone, the ticks and the river in flood.

A state-park entry fee applies; camping requires reservations (Iowa DNR). Do not climb on or disturb the canyon walls or the copperas-seep formations. Do not walk on the Norton Mounds (protected cultural sites). Stay on designated trails. Pets must be leashed. Fishing in the Des Moines River requires an Iowa license; follow size and bag limits. Pack out all trash. Check Iowa DNR for fees, camping reservations and current conditions before visiting.

The city of Fort Dodge (about 6 miles north, with the Fort Dodge Historical Museum and the Iowa Central Community College), Ledges State Park to the southeast (another iconic Des Moines River sandstone-canyon park, about 25 miles south), the Des Moines River valley, the Brushy Creek State Recreation Area to the northeast, and central Iowa farmland lie near the park. The Des Moines River and the central Iowa sandstone-canyon parks define the region. Dolliver anchors the geological experience of the upper Des Moines River valley, a natural partner for a Ledges–Dolliver sandstone-canyon loop.

Hike the Copperas Bed canyon trail first at Dolliver — the vivid yellow and orange iron-stained sandstone walls above the canyon creek are the park’s most dramatic feature and look most spectacular after rain when fresh water seeps through the stained rock. Visit the Norton Mound overlook for the prairie-and-river view and the ancient mounds. Come in fall for the canyon color, spring for the seeps and canyon water, and any day but a busy summer weekend for a quiet, uncrowded canyon experience. Pair with Ledges State Park 25 miles to the south for a full Des Moines River sandstone-canyon day.