Green Valley State Park
Highlights –
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Swimming Beach
- Camping
- 3 Cabins
- Bird watching
- Boating
- Playground
- Modern Restrooms with Shower Amenities
- Picnicking
- 2 Open Shelters
What We Liked About It –
This park is located in Southwest Iowa in Creston, Iowa. We visited on a winter day and we were able to see a magnificent shimmering view of the lake that was partially frozen.
Our kids were fascinated by trying to skip rocks on the frozen section of the lake. The park has almost ten miles of hiking trails. We walked around the lake and up through the woodland area that led to a prairie area. We enjoyed the snow covered views.
The playground is on the older side and includes a old style merry go round, geo dome climber, and swing set.
Before you leave, don’t miss out on a photo opportunity at the giant green Iowa State Parks chair located in the camping section of the park.
If you enjoy fishing and boating, there are four lakes in the region within ten miles of each other (Three Mile Lake, Twelve Mile Lake, Summit Lake and of course Green Valley Lake).
After a cold day of hiking, we ended our visit with a final view of the lake while sipping hot cocoa. This was definitely another highlight of our visit to this state park.
Historical sites to check out nearby this state park include:
- Creston’s Restored Depot – Tours of this train depot, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are available.
- Frank Phillip’s Visitor Center – Frank Phillips, the founder of the Phillip’s Corporation began his career as a barber in Creston, Iowa. This renovated gas station was one of the first operating Phillip’s gas stations in Iowa. The visitor center is open from May through mid October. Be sure to check out Union County Freedom Rock which is located right next to the station.
- Mt. Pisgah National Monument – This monument is dedicated to the 300 Mormons who did not survive the first winter here on there trek from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah. You can tour a reproduction of a cabin that was typical of the shelters used between 1846 and 1852.
- Union County Historical Village – there are fifteen buildings to walk through that depict a rural community in the 1800’s. It is open on Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Check out our reel on Instagram or on YouTube to see a glimpse of our day at the Green Valley State Park.
Check out other Iowa State Parks I have visited here.
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