Geology of Stone State Park
Wildlife and Plants found in Stone State Park
A visit to Stone Park would not be complete without a visit to the
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center.
The center features a variety of interpretive displays, including a "walk-under" prairie, a 400-gallon
aquarium of native fish, and natural history dioramas. A children's discovery area provides opportunity to handle furs,
antlers, fossils, and other artifacts. Two miles of hiking trails exist around the nature center. The hours are:
Tues. - Saturday, 9a.m.-5p.m., Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Closed Mondays and Holidays. The center is managed by the Woodbury
County Conservation Board. For more information call (712) 258-0838.
Stone State Park is a great place for a family picnic. Three open shelters are available and may be reserved
online through the
park reservation system. Picnic areas are located throughout the park
and many offer beautiful views of the Loess Hills and surrounding area. Picnic areas contain tables and grills for
use by the public.
A day-use lodge may be
reserved for a fee from May 1 through October 15. Click on the picture to see a larger image of the lodge. The Stone
lodge is used for picnics, receptions, and family reunions. The lodge contains a refrigerator, microwave, and modern
restrooms. The lodge may reserved online through the
park reservation system.
The campground has 30 camp sites (10 with electric hookup). A large youth group campsite is also available for use by
chaperoned organized youth groups. Advance campsite reservations can be booked through the
park reservation system. Half of the campsites are available on a
first-come, first-serve basis.
The camping cabins are heated/air-conditioned with no sanitary facilities but are located near the campground with
showers and restroom. The camping cabins have 2 full size futon beds, counter top with microwave, large dorm size
refrigerator, dining table with 4 chairs, outside fire pit and outside picnic table. The camping cabins can be
reserved online through the
park reservation system. The camping cabins may be rented from May 1
to October 15 of each year.
Trails in the park are used by a variety of visitors and not all uses are compatible with one another. For the safety
of all park visitors, and the protection of the park's resources; bicyclists, snowmobilers, and horseback riders are
required to stay on trails designated for their use. Snowmobiling is also permitted on unplowed roadways unless marked
otherwise. Trails may be closed temporarily by the park ranger if conditions are wet or otherwise unsafe. Call the
park office for the latest trail conditions.
Stone State Park contains 6 miles of equestrian trails, 6 miles of mountain bike and snowmobile trails and 8 miles
of hiking and cross-country skiing trails.
Visitors are attracted to the rugged topography of Stone Park, which is typical of the Loess Hills of western Iowa.
The park offers many scenic vistas of wooded valleys, dry prairie ridges, the Big Sioux River, and the neighboring
states of South Dakota and Nebraska. The 220 mile-long Loess Hills Scenic Byway passes through the park.
Native Americans were the first humans to inhabit the area now known as Stone Park. Although little is known
specifically about their activities in Stone Park, the area would certainly have been used during hunting activities,
migration and possibly for encampments. The Dakota Sioux were the last Native American group to inhabit what is now
northwest Iowa. They inhabited the area when Lewis and Clark ascended the Missouri River in 1804 and passed close to
Stone Park.
In 1885, Daniel Hector Talbot began buying land that would later become Stone Park. Click here for more information
about Mt. Talbot State Preserve. Talbot was well known for the various animals he raised,
including: elk, bear, bison, wolves, and monkeys. Thomas Jefferson Stone acquired the Talbot farm in 1895. Stone's son,
Edgar, began developing the area into a park in 1905. Sioux City acquired the land from the Stone family in 1912 and
continued to develop roads, picnic areas, and a zoo. In 1935, the city sold the property to the state of Iowa.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp was located in the northwestern area of the park from 1935 to 1939.
The CCC were responsible for constructing the majority of the park's facilities, including: entrance portals, staff
residences, the Calumet shelter, and the rustic Stone lodge. The park was once the home for the Salvation Army, Boy
Scout, and Girl Scout camps.
The park is located in the northwest corner of Sioux City, along Iowa Highway 12, four miles north of Interstate
Highway 29. The park consists of 1,292 acres in Woodbury and Plymouth Counties.
For more information: Friends of Stone State Park (off-site)
5001 Talbot Road
Sioux City, IA 51103
ph. 712/255-4698
E-mail address: Stone@dnr.iowa.gov
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Nature Center