Walnut Woods State Park | |
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Location | Polk County, Iowa, United States |
Coordinates | 41°32′31″N93°44′34″W / 41.54194°N 93.74278°W |
Area | 260 acres (110 ha) |
Elevation | 820 ft (250 m) [1] |
Governing body | Iowa Department of Natural Resources |
Website | Walnut Woods State Park |
Walnut Woods State Park is a state park in Polk County, Iowa, United States, located in suburban West Des Moines. Within the Des Moines metropolitan area, the park preserves a bottomland hardwood forest featuring the largest natural stand of black walnut trees in North America. [2] The Raccoon River meanders through the 260-acre (110 ha) park, providing fishing and canoeing opportunities. The park also provides picnic areas, a limestone lodge built in the 1930s, and a small campground with 22 sites. More than 90 bird species have been seen in the park. [3]
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in Iowa, United States. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is located on, and named after, the Des Moines River, which likely was adapted from the early French name, Rivière des Moines, meaning "River of the Monks". The city's population was 214,133 as of the 2020 census. The six-county metropolitan area is ranked 83rd in terms of population in the United States, with 699,292 residents according to the 2019 estimate by the United States Census Bureau, and is the largest metropolitan area fully located within the state.
Jackson County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,989. Its county seat is Jackson.
Polk County is located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 492,401. It is Iowa's most populous county, and home to over 15% of the state's residents. The county seat is Des Moines, which is also the capital city of Iowa. Polk County is included in the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,597. The county seat is Dakota City. The county was created in 1857 and named in honor of Alexander von Humboldt.
West Des Moines is a city in Polk, Dallas, Warren, and Madison counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. A majority of the city is located in Polk County, a minority of the city is located in Dallas County, and small portions extend into Warren and Madison counties.
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The Raccoon River is a 30.8-mile-long (49.6 km) tributary of the Des Moines River in central Iowa in the United States. As measured using the longest of its three forks, its length increases to 226 miles (364 km). Via the Des Moines River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. The river runs through an intensely cultivated area of croplands and livestock farming, receiving Tile drainage from slow-draining rich natural bottomland.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is a department/agency of the U.S. state of Iowa formed in 1986, charged with maintaining state parks and forests, protecting the environment of Iowa, and managing energy, fish, wildlife, land resources, and water resources of Iowa.
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Elaine Eisfelder Szymoniak was a State Senator from the U.S. state of Iowa, a former City Council Member representing the city of Des Moines, Iowa and a retired hearing and speech specialist, counselor, and administrator for the Iowa Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.
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Iowa is a state in the upper Midwestern region of the 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 and southeast, Missouri to the south, Nebraska to the west, South Dakota to the northwest, and Minnesota to the north.
The environment of Iowa has been heavily affected by agricultural production since it became a U.S. state in 1846. However, there remain natural areas in Iowa that reflect a wide varieties of environmental niches.
Ambrose A. Call State Park is a state park in Kossuth County, Iowa, United States, that commemorates the first European settler in Kossuth County. The park preserves rugged hills of old-growth forest on the East Fork of the Des Moines River.
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 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 United States Courthouse, located in Des Moines, Iowa, is the headquarters for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. It is part of the Civic Center Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Walnut Creek is a stream in Polk and Dallas counties, in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is a tributary of the Raccoon River.