Iowa's State Park System: Iowa Time Machine April 12, 1917

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 12, 1917, Iowa’s 37th General Assembly approved a bill establishing a state park system for Iowa. Iowa’s 72+ state parks, preserves, and other public lands offer unique insights into the state's natural history.

Coming only a year after the creation of the United States National Parks system in 1916, the Iowa legislature sought to enhance outdoor opportunities for Iowans. Where the state held only 10 total acres of publicly accessible woods, lakes, and rivers in 1917, the creation of the Iowa Conservation Commission and the park system helped advance the creation of public lands in Iowa. Louis Pammel, Iowa State botanist, helped to lead the charge through leadership of the Iowa Conservation Commission during the agency’s early years. Pammel spent years traveling the state to work with local communities to identify, set aside, preserve, and develop parks.

The state began acquiring land, and Backbone State Park officially became Iowa’s first state park in 1920. Ledges State Park and Dolliver Memorial State Park quickly followed as the next two, and a period of expansion paired local fundraising efforts with park creation to radically reshape the outdoor recreation opportunities available to Iowans during the 1920s.

Development ramped up with New Deal programs, including the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration, during the 1930s, and Iowa’s state park system continued to expand. Periods of growth also occurred during the 1960s and 1970s, as the state focused on expanding access to artificial lakes for all Iowans. Today, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources oversees the state park system to ensure the continuation of Iowa’s public lands legacy. #Iowa #OTD #History #Parks