Pilot Knob State Park

Last updated
Pilot Knob State Park
Pilot Knob State Park Observation Tower.jpg
Observation Tower
USA Iowa relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Pilot Knob State Park in Iowa
Location Hancock, Iowa, United States
Coordinates 43°14′56″N93°33′26″W / 43.24889°N 93.55722°W / 43.24889; -93.55722 Coordinates: 43°14′56″N93°33′26″W / 43.24889°N 93.55722°W / 43.24889; -93.55722
Area700 acres (280 ha)
Elevation1,365 ft (416 m) [1]
Established1923
Governing bodyIowa Department of Natural Resources
Website iowadnr.gov

Pilot Knob State Park is located southeast of Forest City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1923, it is one of the oldest state parks in Iowa. Between 1990 and 1995 one area was named nationally recognized historic district and five structures were individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Contents

History

Picnic Shelter Pilot Knob State Park Picnic Shelter.jpg
Picnic Shelter

A group of local citizens met in Forest City in August 1920, and 158 of them contributed $7,000 to buy the land. [2] The state paid them for the same amount and acquired the land in 1921, and dedicated the park in 1923, making it one of the oldest units in the state park system in Iowa. [3] The park was partially developed in the 1920s. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 1757 came from working at Dolliver State Park on April 7, 1934 to build several major buildings and structures and to landscape the park. They completed their work on October 8, 1934 and then moved on to Council Bluffs. At its inception the park was 237.5 acres (96.1 ha) before it grew to 375.13 acres (151.81 ha) in 1936, and was reduced to 368.81 acres (149.25 ha) in 1942. [2] The state has subsequently added more property.

On November 15, 1990 the observation tower, picnic shelter, amphitheater, one set of entrance portals (Area 5a), and a trail area were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [4] A second set of entrance portals (Area 5b) were added on April 17, 1995. The park was part of a larger study of Iowa's state parks called the Civilian Conservation Corps Properties in Iowa State Parks: 1933-1942.

Observation tower

The observation tower is located at the top of Pilot Knob. It is in the middle of a cleared area surrounded by timber. The tower is composed of two elements: a circular tower and a timber shelter in the rear. The tower rises to a height of 33.6 feet (10.2 m). [2] It was designed, like all the historic structures in the park, in the rustic style by the Central Design Office in Ames. The walls are composed of rubble granite that taper slightly. A metal staircase is located on the interior. At the top of the tower is a metal floor and a waist-high wall. The shelter features a gable roof that is held up by round timbers.

Picnic shelter

The picnic shelter is located on a grassy area near timber southwest of Dead Man's Lake. It measures 25.75 by 42.5 feet (7.85 by 12.95 m). [5] It features random rubble limestone at the rear of the structure and on the adjacent, partial side walls. A chimney is centered along the rear wall. Four round timber posts support the gable roof on the front. It has a poured concrete floor.

Amphitheater

Amphitheater Pilot State Park Amphitheater.jpg
Amphitheater

The outdoor amphitheater is located in a small valley that is surrounded by timber in the eastern part of the park. It features four sections of seats on the hill that face a turf stage. The seating is composed of wood planks that rest on stone piers. A low, random, retaining wall of rubble stone encircles the south half of the opening behind the seats. Another rubble retaining wall is located behind the half circle turf stage. There are rubble stone stairs set in concrete that lead away from the amphitheater in the back. Two more sets of rubble steps flank the stage and are held in place by a retaining wall along the front. The amphitheater measures 128 by 130 feet (39 by 40 m). [6]

Portals

Pilot Knob St Park Portal Area 5a.JPG
Northwest entrance portal (Area 5a)
Pilot Knob St Park Park Portal Area East.JPG
Northeast entrance portal (Area 5b)

There are two sets of entrance portals that flank entrance-ways on the north side of the park. They are both composed of two random rubble limestone pillars that differ somewhat in shape. The portals at the main entrance (Area 5a) on the northwest side of the park includes two rectangular pillars, one 10 feet (3.0 m) high and the other 16 feet (4.9 m) high. [7] The second pillar has two lower, flanking wings. At one time the second pillar carried a wood sign that was suspended from a rounded timber bracing. The sign is now located in front of the pillar. The northeast entrance (Area 5b) likewise has two pillars of differing heights. These pillars are 11 feet (3.4 m) and 18 feet (5.5 m) high. [8] The second pillar has side wings, and it retains its suspended sign. Both entrances have two rounded timber gates that close the entrance.

Trail Area

Trail Area with a culvert in the center Pilot Knob St Park Trail Area.JPG
Trail Area with a culvert in the center

The original trail features three random rubble limestone culverts that cross gullies. They measure from 8 feet (2.4 m) to 15.5 feet (4.7 m) in length and 3 feet (0.91 m) in width. [9] The trails and culverts form a historic district.

Land use

The 700-acre (280 ha) park includes 15-acre (6.1 ha) Pilot Knob Lake, a man-made lake for boating, fishing, and ice skating in the winter. It also includes 4-acre (1.6 ha) Dead Man's Lake, a floating sphagnum bog. It is the only one of its kind in Iowa. [3] The bog area is home to a variety of flora and waterfowl. The park also features trails for hiking and horseback riding, camping, picnic areas and shelters. There is a warming house with electricity and heat for winter sports enthusiasts. The Pilot Knob Recreation Area is located north of the park and its activities include hunting, hiking, and snowmobiling.

Related Research Articles

Maquoketa Caves State Park

Maquoketa Caves State Park is a state park of Iowa, United States, located in Jackson County. It stands northwest of the city of Maquoketa. In 1991 111 acres (45 ha) on the east side of the park were listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

Blue Knob State Park

Blue Knob State Park is a 6,128-acre (2,480 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Kimmel, Lincoln, and Pavia townships in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The average annual snowfall at the park is about 12 feet (370 cm). The park is named for Blue Knob, the second highest mountain in Pennsylvania at 3,146 feet (959 m). It is the location of Blue Knob All Seasons Resort, the ski slope in Pennsylvania with the highest elevation. Blue Knob State Park is just off Interstate 99 on Pennsylvania Route 869 west of Pavia.

Bewabic State Park Park in Michigan, USA

Bewabic State Park is a public recreation area covering 315 acres (127 ha) on the shore of Fortune Lake, four miles (6.4 km) west of Crystal Falls in Iron County, Michigan. The state park's rich Civilian Conservation Corps history is evidenced by the CCC structures still in use. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its CCC-related architecture in 2016.

Winterset City Park City park in Winterset, Iowa

Winterset City Park is a public, city-owned park in Winterset, Iowa, United States. The first acres of land was bought on May 21, 1869, for cattle to graze on. In the 1950s, the land was converted into a city park. On March 10, 2021, Winterset City Park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places after it was nominated in 2020.

Paintsville Lake State Park

Paintsville Lake State Park is a park located just west of Paintsville, Kentucky in Johnson County. The park itself encompasses 242 acres (98 ha), while Paintsville Lake, its major feature, covers approximately 1,139 acres (461 ha) extending into parts of Morgan County.

Lake Keomah State Park

Lake Keomah State Park is a state park of Iowa, USA. It is in Mahaska County. To the park's immediate east is Keomah Village and the park is approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Oskaloosa.

Backbone State Park State park in Iowa

Backbone State Park is Iowa's oldest state park, dedicated in 1919. Located in the valley of the Maquoketa River, it is approximately three miles (5 km) south of Strawberry Point in Delaware County. It is named for a narrow and steep ridge of bedrock carved by a loop of the Maquoketa River originally known as the Devil's Backbone. The initial 1,200 acres (490 ha) were donated by E.M. Carr of Lamont, Iowa. Backbone Lake Dam, a relatively low dam built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, created Backbone Lake. The CCC constructed a majority of trails and buildings which make up the park.

Black Hawk State Park

Black Hawk State Park is a state park of Iowa, USA, in the town of Lake View. The park includes land, campgrounds, trails, game preserves, historic structures, and the waters of Black Hawk Lake. Also it is home to the Lake View Water Carnival. This event is held the third full weekend in July every year, and includes many family-friendly activities including a Water Parade. Three sections of the park were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

Fort Davidson Historic site in Missouri

Fort Davidson, a fortification near the town of Pilot Knob, Missouri, was the site of the Battle of Fort Davidson during the American Civil War. Built by Union Army soldiers during the American Civil War, the fort repulsed Confederate attacks during the Battle of Fort Davidson on September 27, 1864, during Price's Raid. That night, the Union garrison blew up the fort's magazine and abandoned the site. A mass grave was constructed on the site to bury battlefield dead. After the war, the area was used by a mining company, before passing into private hands and eventually the administration of the United States Forest Service. In 1968, the Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site was created as a Missouri State Park. The fort itself was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. As of 2020, a visitors center containing a museum is located within the park. The museum contains a fiber optic display, as well as artifacts including Brigadier General Thomas Ewing Jr.'s sword. The fort's walls are still visible, as is the crater created when the magazine was detonated. A monument marks the location of the mass grave.

Springbrook State Park

Springbrook State Park is a state park of Iowa, USA, located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) west of the city of Yale. The park contains a 17-acre (6.9 ha) spring-fed lake and timber-covered rolling hills along the Middle Raccoon River.

Gull Point State Park

Gull Point State Park is a state park of Iowa, United States, located on West Okoboji Lake in the city of Wahpeton. It is the primary state park unit in the Iowa Great Lakes region. Two areas of the park were listed as nationally recognized historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Lake Ahquabi State Park State park in Warren County, Iowa

Lake Ahquabi State Park is a state park of Iowa, US, featuring a 115-acre (47 ha) reservoir. Ahquabi means "resting place" in the Fox language. The park is 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Indianola and 22 miles (35 km) south of Des Moines. Three sections of the park were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

The Central Design Office, Ames was a design office at Iowa State, in Ames, Iowa that designed public works, many built under the Civilian Conservation Corps program. It designed many that are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Squirrel Hollow Park United States historic place

Squirrel Hollow County Park is located along the North Raccoon River southeast of Jefferson, Iowa, United States. It was established in 1934, and it is the second oldest county park in the state of Iowa. The 60-acre (24 ha) park is bordered on two sides by a 147-acre (59 ha) wildlife management area. Both are managed by the Greene County Conservation Board. They are open from April 1 to November 1 and feature facilities for camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, picnicking, and equestrian camping and trails. The park was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

Beeds Lake State Park

Beeds Lake State Park is located northwest of Hampton, Iowa, United States. It was listed has a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places as Beeds Lake State Park, Civilian Conservation Corps Area in 1990. At the time of its nomination it contained 21 resources, which included one contributing building, 15 contributing structures, and five non-contributing structures. The 319-acre (129 ha) park surrounds a 99-acre (40 ha) reservoir. It features hiking trails, boating, fishing, swimming, camping, picnic areas and shelters, lodges and concessions.

Lacey-Keosauqua State Park State park in Iowa

Lacey-Keosauqua State Park is located southwest of Keosauqua, Iowa, United States. The park is located along the Des Moines River in Van Buren County. First dedicated in 1921, it is the largest state park in size in Iowa. In 1990, three areas were named nationally recognized historic districts and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Pikes Point State Park

Pikes Point State Park is located southwest of Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States. It is a small park on a point of land that projects into West Okoboji Lake. It provides space for picnicking, including a shelter listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a playground, a swimming beach, boating and fishing on the lake.

Trappers Bay State Park State park in Iowa

Trapper's Bay State Park is located on the west side of Lake Park, Iowa, United States. The 57.5-acre (23.3 ha) park is along the north shore of Silver Lake. It provides space for picnicking, including a shelter listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and boating and fishing on the lake.

Mini-Wakan State Park

Mini-Wakan State Park is located north of Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States. The 20-acre (8.1 ha) park is along the north shore of Big Spirit Lake. It provides space for picnicking, hiking, biking, swimming, boating and fishing on the lake. The park is connected to the Dickinson County trail system in Iowa and the Jackson County trail system in Minnesota. It was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

Wanata State Park Picnic Shelter United States historic place

Wanata State Park Picnic Shelter is a historic building located south of Peterson, Iowa, United States. Dr. E.W. Spaulding from Peterson was instrumental in acquiring the property for the park, which was dedicated in 1934. Civilian Conservation Corps Company 778 built the shelter on the slope of a hill that descends to the Little Sioux River. The rear and side walls are composed of random rubble stone. There are four stone pillars across the front, and four vertical timbers attached to them that support the eaves of the gable roof. Each side wall has a doorway and window opening. A fireplace and chimney are centered on the rear wall. There is a small stone basement in the northwest corner, and cemented stone covers the floor of the shelter. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

References

  1. "Pilot Knob". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey. 1979-04-30. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  2. 1 2 3 Joyce McKay. "Pilot Knob State Park, Observation Tower (Area 2)". National Park Service . Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  3. 1 2 "Pilot Knob State Park". Iowa Department of Natural Resources . Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  5. Joyce McKay. "Pilot Knob State Park, Picnic Shelter (Area 3)". National Park Service . Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  6. Joyce McKay. "Pilot Knob State Park, Amphitheater (Area 4)". National Park Service . Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  7. Joyce McKay. "Pilot Knob State Park, Portals (Area 5a)". National Park Service . Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  8. Joyce McKay. "Pilot Knob State Park: Portals in Area 5b". National Park Service . Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  9. Joyce McKay. "Pilot Knob State Park, Trail Area (Area 6a-6c)". National Park Service . Retrieved 2016-05-06.