Bellevue State Park (Iowa)

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Bellevue State Park
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View of Bellevue, Iowa and the Mississippi River from Bellevue State Park
USA Iowa location map.svg
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Location of Bellevue State Park in Iowa
Location Jackson, Iowa, United States
Coordinates 42°14′50″N90°25′22″W / 42.24722°N 90.42278°W / 42.24722; -90.42278 Coordinates: 42°14′50″N90°25′22″W / 42.24722°N 90.42278°W / 42.24722; -90.42278
Area788 acres (319 ha)
Elevation807 ft (246 m) [1]
Governing bodyIowa Department of Natural Resources
Website Bellevue State Park

Bellevue State Park is a state park of Iowa, USA, along the banks of the Mississippi River just south of Bellevue.

State park protected area managed at the federated state level

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 beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential. There are state parks under the administration of the government of each U.S. state, some of the Mexican states, and in Brazil. The term is also used in the Australian state of Victoria. The equivalent term used in Canada, Argentina, South Africa and Belgium, is provincial park. Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies.

Iowa State of the United States of America

Iowa is a state in the Midwestern 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 east, Missouri to the south, Nebraska to the west, South Dakota to the northwest and Minnesota to the north.

Mississippi River largest river system in North America

The Mississippi River is the largest river in the United States and chief river of the second-largest drainage system on the North American continent, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. Its source is Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota and it flows generally south for 2,320 miles (3,730 km) to the Mississippi River Delta in the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. The main stem is entirely within the United States; the total drainage basin is 1,151,000 sq mi (2,980,000 km2), of which only about one percent is in Canada. The Mississippi ranks as the fourth-longest and fifteenth-largest river by discharge in the world. The river either borders or passes through the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Contents

The park lies in two separate tracts. The Nelson Unit is at the immediate south edge of Bellevue on U.S. Route 52 (The Great River Road), atop a 300-foot (91 m) limestone bluff. The Dyas Unit is 2 miles (3.2 km) farther south on U.S. 52.

U.S. Route 52 highway in the United States

U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States highway in the central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows a northwest–southeast route, and is signed north–south or east–west depending on the local orientation of the route.

Bellevue State Park offers high bluffs with scenic views of the Mississippi River amidst 788 acres (3.19 km2) of timbered walking trails, a unique butterfly sanctuary as well as an enclosed nature center.

Butterfly gardening

Butterfly gardening is designed to create an environment that attracts butterflies, as well as certain moths. Butterfly gardening is often aimed at inviting those butterflies and moths to lay eggs as well. Because some plants are not fed upon by adult butterflies, the caterpillar host should also be planted for a bigger population of butterflies. Butterflies typically feed on the nectar of flowers, and there are hundreds of such plants that may be planted to attract them, depending on the location, time of year, and other factors. In addition to the planting of flowers that feed butterflies, other means of attracting them include constructing "butterfly houses", providing sand for puddling, water, and other resources or food items, including rotten fruit.

Picnicking/shelters

Picnickers at the Nelson Unit can enjoy views of the Mississippi River. Open picnic shelters may be reserved for a fee. The lodge is available on a reservation basis for wedding receptions and other family events. The lodge and open shelters may be reserved online through the park reservation system.

Camping

The Dyas Unit has 46 camping units (31 with electrical hookups), modern rest rooms, showers and a sanitary dumping station. Advance campsite reservations can be booked through the park reservation system. Half of the campsites are available for self-registration on a first-come, first-served basis. Camping is not allowed in the Nelson Unit.

Trails

The Nelson Unit has four trails that provide a variety of hiking opportunities. One trail leads to a scenic overlook of the Mississippi, one winds past Indian burial mounds, one passes through a restored prairie and a "Garden Sanctuary for Butterflies", and leads past an old limestone rock quarry.

The Dyas Unit comprises about 4 miles (6.4 km) of foot trails, scenic overlooks, a stream with beaver dams, and aquatic and other wildlife. In winter bald eagles concentrate to feed near the open waters below Lock and Dam No. 12. pileated woodpeckers are occasionally seen in isolated areas.

Bald eagle A bird of prey from North America

The bald eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting.

Lock and Dam No. 12 lock and dam on the Mississippi River at Bellevue, Iowa, USA

Lock and Dam No. 12 is a lock and dam located on the Upper Mississippi River at Bellevue, Iowa, United States. The movable portion of the dam starts at the locks adjacent to the Iowa shore and is 849 feet (258.8 m) long, consisting of seven tainter gates and three roller gates. It connects to a 200-foot (61.0 m) storage yard and continues toward the Illinois shore with a 2,750-foot (838.2 m) non-submersible dike, a 1,200-foot (365.8 m) submersible dike and a 3,130-foot (954.0 m) non-submersible dike. The non-submersible sections are separated from the submersible section with two 120-foot (36.6 m) transitional dikes. The main lock is 110 feet (33.5 m) wide by 600 feet (182.9 m) long. There is also an incomplete auxiliary lock. In 2004, the facility was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as Lock and Dam No. 12 Historic District, #04000172 covering 1,017 acres (4.1 km2), 1 building, 3 structures, and 4 objects.

Pileated woodpecker species of bird

The pileated woodpecker is a woodpecker native to North America. This insectivorous bird is a mostly sedentary inhabitant of deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is the second-largest woodpecker on the continent, after the critically endangered—and possibly extinct—ivory-billed woodpecker. The term "pileated" refers to the bird's prominent red crest, with the term from the Latin pileatus meaning "capped".

South Bluff Nature Center

The South Bluff Nature Center in the Nelson Unit contains displays on the plants, animals and geology of Bellevue State Park. The center is open seasonally and offers a variety of programs in the summer.

The "Garden Sanctuary for Butterflies" is located nearby. This unique area contains over one hundred separate plots, each featuring plants which provide food and habitat for butterflies. A network of pathways allows visitors to walk through the garden and see a wide variety of butterflies as well as enjoy the flowers and the pond in the center.

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References

  1. "Bellevue State Park". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey. 1979-04-30. Retrieved 2011-02-25.