Admittedly, I am a city girl. I’ll go camping, and I’ve been on many nature hikes, but now that I live in an industrial world I have almost forgotten about the rugged wilderness. Until today!
Admittedly, I am a city girl. I’ll go camping, and I’ve been on many nature hikes, but now that I live in an industrial world I have almost forgotten about the rugged wilderness. Until today! Out of all the parks we’ll be visiting this series, Stone State Park is the most protected.
I didn’t even wear the right shoes!
Familiar with paved trails, I was not prepared for this intense trek we were about to embark on. Being a state (or even national) park, most of the land is undeveloped, preserved and left to be discovered by the many visitors who travel here every year.
Creating a protected sanctuary for hundreds of species of animals and plants to inhabit helps promote and grow various ecosystems. In turn, this often aids in restoring rare, sometimes endangered, animal and plant populations.
Loess Hills
But plant and animals are not all that Stone State Park is known for preserving, ever heard of the Loess Hills? Situated within the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, Stone State Park features a snapshot of what Loess Hills looked like before farmlands, irrigation, and cities and towns took over.
Extending 200 miles from Akron, Iowa down to St. Joseph, Missouri, the Loess Hills constitute about 640,000 acres of land. Made up almost entirely of windblown soils, the Loess Hills are a unique land formation, only found one other place in the world, Shaanxi, China. In fact, during the last ice age, glacial movement ground up the soil fine as flour, then the winds carried this soil, depositing it in 60 to 200 feet high hills, or mounds.
There was a Zoo?
Years later as pioneers and settlers moving westward sought to purchase land in Iowa after its statehood in 1846, the Loess Hills became very popular because of their scenic landscape. Included in the many land purchases was this park, and after changing hands several times, the land eventually fell under ownership of former bank president Thomas Jefferson Stone, who later passed it down to his children.
In turn, his children turned this area into a private park for friends and family, and finally in 1912 after being unable to maintain the park on their own they donated it to the city of Sioux City. Roads were paved for easy access for visitors, and even a zoo was established! From 1918 to 1940 the Stone City Park and Zoo drew sightseers from all over. Animals such as buffalo, ostriches, and even wild cats were all featured at the zoo.
Cabins, camping and shelters
Today, over eighty years later, you can still find the concrete slabs where cages once stood. I have yet to find where the original zoo was located within the park. Guess I’ll have to leave that to another day of exploration. On previous visits to the park I have, however, visited one of the many shelters situated throughout the park. And while planning my wedding last year, I even familiarized myself with the process of renting one of their cabins for a family reunion. Unfortunately, since my wedding was so close to the Fourth of July, all had been booked months in advance.
Cost to rent a shelter or cabin in the park depends on which one you choose, the capacity of guests you expect, and the time of year you are planning your event. So, make sure you contact the park with your questions and requests! For those day hikers and weekend camping enthusiasts, Stone State Park welcomes you! Overnight camping would just need to be pre-approved by park rangers.
Plan your visit
In conclusion, now that you’ve had your history lesson for the day, make sure to plan your visit at this beloved state park right in the middle of Sioux City, Iowa. You can also read more information on the park via the Iowa Department of Natural Resources website: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks/Iowa-State-Parks/ParkDetails/ParkID/610117
712-255-4698
5001 Talbot Rd
Sioux City, Iowa 51103
Hours of Operation:
Mon – Sun: 4am to 10:30pm
