Fayette County Parks

The Fayette County Conservation Board Program consists of three areas: the county park system, wildlife management and an educational program, which involves the maintenance, management, and development of the parks.

Echo Valley State Park  Echo Valley is a one hundred acre natural area which was built by the civilian conservation corps in the 1930's. The park contains many hand-built historical structures such as a dam, keystone archway, lime kiln and a shelter house. A beautiful and easy access trail leads through this historical park. The area is located two miles east of West Union north off of State Highway 56. The park also provides visitors with camping, picnicking, and trout fishing in two separate streams.

Goeken Park This park is located five miles north of West Union on US Highway 150. It is a roadside park on six and one-half acres of highway right-of-way. The attractive feature of this park is the beautiful panoramic view of many miles of the Turkey River Valley. Four towns, in addition to the picturesque view of the village of Eldorado can be seen from this point. This area contains four electrical hook-up camping areas and many non-electrical hook-up camping areas, two shelter houses, a playground, pit toilets and water.

Gilbertson Conservation Education Area Gilbertson Conservation Education Area is a 327 acre park located along the banks of the Turkey River on the east side of Elgin. This beautiful area is lined with streams and bottom lands surrounded by the palisading lime stone bluffs for which Northeast Iowa is so famous for. This unique area offers something for everyone with canoe access, paved one-fourth mile trail that is wheel chair accessible, fully modern camp ground with a dump station, visitors center, five miles of multi-use trails and a petting zoo open mid-May until Labor Day. For more information call Dawn Amundson at 563.426.5740

Gouldsburg Park This park is located five miles north of Hawkeye or three miles north of the intersection of US highway 18 and county road W14. The park consists of 64 acres at the confluence of the Little Turkey River and Crane Creek. The topography is rolling to hilly with desirable picnicking and a modern camping facility.

Wildwood Nature Center

Wildwood Nature Center is located north of Fayette. To get to it, take state highway 150, then proceed one mile east on county road C14. Follow signs to the Prairie View Care Facility. Wildwood Nature Center is the main office of the Fayette County Conservation Board.

Twin Bridges Park

Consisting of seventeen and one half acres, Twin Bridges Park is located on paved county road W25 three miles north of Maynard at the confluence of the south and west branches of the Volga River. This area contains camping facilities.

Dutton's Cave Park

Dutton's Cave Park is located two and one-half miles northeast of West Union on US Highway 18 and one-half mile north on an improved local road. It contains forty-six acres and has a heavily timbered, deep ravine ending in a fifty foot vertical limestone wall directly above the cave opening. The cave was discovered in 1848 by Lorenzo Dutton. The park contains modern camping facilities as well as two electrical hook-up sites, a shelter house, a hiking trail, water and pit toilets. It is an excellent place to see spring wild flowers.

Downing Park

Downing Park is located two miles north of State Highway 3 on county road V68. This quite picnic area consists of approximately 80% virgin bur oak timber. The park also offers a shelter house, playground, pit toilets and water.

Langerman's Ford River Access

Located one half mile east of Fayette along the Volga River, this access contains six and one-half acres and provides good fishing and canoeing.

The Fayette County Conservation Board invites all questions, comments, and urges everyone to visit the facilities.

The Conservation Board meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm at Wildlife Nature Center. For more information please call or write to:

The Conservation Board
18673 Lane Road
Fayette, IA 52142

563.425.3613