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Pilot Knob State Park, Forest City, IA

Photo: Ann Sullivan-Larson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & Outdoors

Pilot Knob State Park

An early Iowa state park in Hancock and Winnebago counties, known for its CCC-built lookout tower, a rare floating bog, and trails.

2148 340th Street, Forest City, IA 50436 · Forest City, IA

About Pilot Knob State Park

Pilot Knob State Park in northern Iowa was set aside in the 1920s and is among the state's oldest parks. Its best-known feature is a lookout tower built during the Civilian Conservation Corps era, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers wide views of the surrounding land. Visitors can hike several trails, including a loop set aside for horseback riders. The park also holds a small floating sphagnum bog called Deadman's Lake, which is considered the only bog of its kind in Iowa. Anglers can fish the park's lake, and winter brings snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and ice fishing. A campground, picnic shelters, and an amphitheater are available for reservation.

  • #state park
  • #lookout tower
  • #CCC history
  • #bog
  • #hiking

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