Effigy Mounds National Monument

Gorgeous well maintained trails with beautiful views. The initial hike is steep and definitely requires stamina but is doable in normal walking attire. The mounds are fascinating but we wish the visitor center would have been open so we could learn and appreciate them more.

A pretty area along the Mississippi River bluffs and the Yellow River. This is near the Wisconsin/ Iowa state border. Ancient Native American mounds can be found around the monument grounds. Some paths have an initial steep incline and take visitors on a path around multiple large mounds and along bluffs with vistas of the Mississippi River. This is still sacred land. Respect is expected. There's also a boardwalk trail which is all paved and/or a boardwalk. This trail is very nice for unsteady joints. The wooded trails are beautiful; but consist of small rocks, roots, and leaves which can be tricky footwork.

Highly recommend checking this place out while in the area to learn some history and get a nice walk in! Stop into the visitors center for the quick museum and grab a map before making your way on the trails. The beginning of the main walk is an upward hike but you have some nice views of the Mississippi and the mounds once you get to the top!

Beautiful, sacred place to visit. Wish I was in better shape to make it all the way up the bluff to see more. The welcome center was closed due to the government shutdown when we went, but didn't take away from our experience.

I have visited this National Monument multiple times the past couple of years, and the experience was amazing. It's a great scenic drive from the Twin Cities area, allowing stops at other points of interest in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Effigy Mounds has it all - great hiking trails, the awe-inspiring overlooks of the Mississippi valley (better in the northern area of the park, in my opinion), the ability to reflect on the mounds and their builders in solitude, and the great Visitor's Center with historic information and displays make this a must stop in the Upper Midwest. I had previously visited the northern trails, mounds, and overlooks. With this latest visit, I focused on hiking in the south unit to both Nezekaw overlook and the Marching Bears, since I had not yet been to this part of the park. The trail was quite steep when starting out from the day use parking area; however it was in great condition as of early September 2025. Started my hike at 9:30 on a Saturday morning and only saw 2 other groups on the 5 or so miles I completed. The southern area viewpoint wasn't as great as the northern ones are, so I would suggest if you are looking for some exercise and a grand view, start there (or if you just want the view, Pike's Peak State Park a few miles south is worth a mention and visit, regardless). I also thought the mounds in the north unit were easier to identify from ground level. Note that neither of these trails are accessible - there is only one accessible trail around the Visitor's Center, which I have not personally hiked yet...so probably another visit in the future! All in all, can't go wrong with a visit to this park, and definitely one of those underated hidden gems of the National Park Service!

It's definitely worth the visit if you're in eastern Iowa. The views from the top of the bluffs are magnificent as you enjoy the panoramas from the outlooks ... maybe get the pleasure of seeing eagles soar just above at Eagle Point. Drink in some history and learn about the mounds. They're the main attraction, but it's the views that make this worth your stop. There are 3 mounds immediately adjacent to the free visitor center (the whole visit is free). A moderate hike up to the top around the loop (about an hour) for views of the more beautiful mound areas. More trails beyond.

Great hiking, amazing views! I’m an advanced hiker. I hiked the whole north loop out 3.5 miles and back in Oct 2021 and due to time constraints, a bit less than two miles in July 2025.. With the various overlooks, there are built-in breaks. The most commonly hiked part of the trails (close to the visitor center) are wide and wood chipped. The rest are naturally occurring from foot traffic. The farther you go, the fewer people you’ll see. You could see bald or golden eagles at any of the overlooks. Enjoy.

Our daughter got her junior ranger badge and enjoyed learning the history of the area as well as information about local Flora and fauna. Very scenic location next to the Mississippi River. Trails of different lengths are available to see the mounds- some from the visitor center, and some from other access points. The visitor center museum was small but really nice, and the staff were all terrific. Outdoor spaces are available for picnics. The visitor center provides restrooms, a water fountain, and a place to refill water bottles. They also have some hands on activities for kids, including a touch table with title shells and other natural artifacts.

National Parks, Monuments, Historic Sites are usually a great stop on any roadtrip. Some are even better because of great Staff, or abundance of Wildlife, Views or the History of the site. This one had all of the above !!! Great Visitor center with plenty of parking, clean restrooms, and best of all- Super Friendly informative Ranger that broke out the extra/special cancelation stamps when I asked. She was also very knowledgeable about the area and explained a special event they were doing for the 75th Anniversary of the Park. You complete so many hikes you get parts of a bigger patch design. We completed a couple of the hikes and the views were awesome. We also got lucky with lots of birds including a Scarlet Tanager & lots of Red-Headed Woodpeckers. Loved our visit and our time spent hiking the trails throughout the Mounds.

This place is special and amazing. I love how we no longer excavate the mounds but use remote sensing technology like LIDAR and GIS to help interpret the data. I had been to some mounds in Whitewater, Wisconsin before but to see them clearly really requires arial view and careful clearing of trees and underbrush. We came across the monument quite on accident. It's definitely on our list to return to and see the area in a different season.

Highly recommend checking this place out while in the area to learn some history and get a nice walk in! Stop into the visitors center for the quick museum and grab a map before making your way on the trails. The beginning of the main walk is an upward hike but you have some nice views of the Mississippi and the mounds once you get to the top!

We were in nearby PdC and had some time so we popped across the border and did a nice hike in the National Monument. It was very informative and there are many miles of trails. They also have a small museum in the visitor center that explains some of the history of the people who lived here. We did one of the shorter hikes from the visitor center on what I think was the Fire trail. We saw a number of mounds and some great views of the Mississippi River and the Wisconsin landscape across from us. There is no admission charged. Definitely worth stopping.

This was a great 3 hour stop. We toured the museum and did 2 smaller trails. We saw wildlife as well including chipmunks and deer. I also got my NPS passport stamped while I was there. We did the south trail over the river with my parents as that is the easiest one and there is one set of mounds on that trail. Then my husband and I went as far as the Giant Bear Mount and came back. That was a little tough for us flat-landers but was worth it. Today was a great day for it too as it wasn't so hot when we started. The only disappointment is that they didn't have the intro video like most NPS has because it's outdated for the times. This is a great few hours to spend and see wildlife and history.

Lots of history at Effigy Mounds! The look out points and seeing the mounds were pretty cool. The hike up is really nice! I can imagine the warmer months brings a lot of beautiful foliage. We didn't explore as much as wanted because the weather wasn't cooperative. I would go back again to hike more trails in the North and South unit.

The views and hiking were just amazing. Everything was really well marked and there were plenty of benches along the route for those that needed the break.

Amazing National Monument of Native American effigy mounds. Great place to visit in Iowa, we made the short drive across the Mississippi River from Prairie du Chien, and loved everything about it- the mounds, the uphill hike, the great views at the top. I recommend a short stop into the parks building to grab a map, there are helpful rangers, bathrooms, a gift shop and books. I've definitely seen my share of effigy mounds growing up in Wisconsin, but never so many and with such variety all in one place. We did the hike north up the hill from the Visitor Center, past the Little Bear and Great Bear Mound groups.The Hanging Rock is great for pictures overlooking the Mississippi. I bet the hike south to include the Marching Bear Group would be nice, too. We'll be back for sure. https://www.nps.gov/efmo/learn/historyculture/index.htm

6-29-19 Really nice park. Friendly staff and great with kids getting their junior ranger badges. We hiked up to the top. Well maintained trails. Don't make same mistake we did~bring bug repellant. Ranger stopped and chatted with us on the way up. Answered all our questions about the park. Beautiful at the top! Nice view of Mississippi River. Seen a snake on the way down. Fun hike. Would be short enough for families with kiddos. Few benches on trail. Almost complete shade whole hike. Small gift shop.

A cool place to go for a hike. Rangers are very friendly. Trails are very well maintained. Great views. The initial part of trail is a bit steep so you get a bit of a workout. Nice junior ranger program. Worth checking out.

Very impressive Native American burial mounds above the Mississippi River in Iowa. Great place to respectfully hike.

This is one of the most beautiful places in the country, and I absolutely recommend visiting if in this part of Wisconsin or traveling the Mississippi River Road. This is a spiritual place on the old rock risen from the river valley millions of years ago, where people made burial mounds. It is a sanctuary even in these times. From the wikipedia entry on effigy mounds: "The Ho-Chunk suggest that effigy mounds were used as places of refuge as well as burial. Some archaeologists today believe that the mounds were built by particular clans or groups to honor their representative animal. Some believe that the animal shape is the clan or extended family of the person or person's buried in the mound." "They remain places First Peoples frequent to visit and speak with ancestors, to put down tobacco and to give thanks."

Most folks think that Iowa is flat and hence uninteresting. At least in the North East part of my Home State, the geography is hilly and the scenery is stunning. And it's home to Iowa's only National Park/Monument. Prehistoric mounds are common from the plains of the Midwest to the Atlantic seaboard, but only in this general area was there a culture that regularly constructed mounds in the shape of mammals, birds, or reptiles. The monument contains 2,526 acres with 206 mounds, of which 31 are effigies. The others are conical, linear and compound. Woodland period Indians built mounds from about 500 BC until the early European contact period. When the American prairies were plowed under by European settlers for agriculture, many mound sites were lost. Effigy Mounds National Monument is the largest known collection of mounds in the United States. The mounds themselves are a bit underwhelming and I needed help in knowing what I was seeing. The good folks here are ready to help and if anything, a good hike and the view of the Mighty Mississippi makes this visit most worthwhile.

Came here with my family and really loved it. Spiritual place. Awesome trail to walk. Beautiful views at the overlooks!

Awesome place to spend a day! Lots of fresh air and nature and wonders of the world!

Pretty interesting. Liked the museum. Walked about halfway to the top of bluff to see the mounds, realized I didn't have enough time. A lil steep going up. Nice views of either the yellow river or the Mississippi River...

Great little tourist distraction if you ask me! The hiking can be pretty intense if you are out of shape. You have to scale up those river bluffs along the Mississippi River which is no small feat. The forest which the park is in is gorgeous though! It is almost all a hardwood forest, very much unlike the forests where I am from which is all evergreen. That means in the fall the park is probably beautiful with fall colors when that time rolls around. Once you are up on the bluffs you can some totally awesome views! You can see the Mississippi at many different vantage points. Of course there are the mounds themselves. These mounds were made by Native Americans that once lived in the area. They are burial mounds but I am not sure if anyone is still buried there. There were excavations done here years ago and many of the people that were buried here were removed. The Effigy Mounds still play a huge roll to Native American tribes that once lived here and religious ceremonies are still performed here. The mounds themselves are going to be in two shapes. Either one as a bear or as birds. Unfortunately we did not have time to go see bird mounds but we did see a couple of bear mounds which once you reach a certain perspective these mounds really do look like bears! I would recommend this place to anyone that is geek to visiting National Parks and Monuments just take lots of water and take breaks if you need to during the hiking since the bluffs are very steep to hike on.

What an awesome place this was, so glad I spent a day there. The hiking can be as challenging as you want it to be - there are shorter hikes that take half a day or so, and longer ones that run the entire length of the park. There's also a day use section on the southern end of the park that I didn't have time for. At the beginning of the trails in the main section, there's a tough switchback, but after that they are mostly flat through the first half and take you through some beautiful woods and to some amazing vistas over the river. There's also a cool feature they're trying out involving a self-guided tour via cell phone, where you call a number at specified locations and get an explanation of what you're seeing. The park staff was very helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. I found everything about the mounds and their history utterly fascinating. As one reviewer said below, put it in context and don't expect Yellowstone, but it is really a great and recommended stop.

So glad we came to this park. It's very nice to learn about Iowa's lesser known history. We hiked about 3.5 miles round trip. The trail was steep at times but very do-able. Signs were clearly marked and the views of the Mississippi were great! The grounds and markers were well kept and there were plenty of recycling bins and trash cans along the way. This park can definitely keep you busy for the better part of a day. If you have kids or are pushing strollers, the paths are wide and I don't recall climbing stairs at all. Very well maintained trails!

The best! We took a trip from Oklahoma solely to visit the Effigy Mounds. The park host, the Effigy Mounds and the trails exceeded our expectations. Clean trails with clear trails marked very well and the views of the mounds and the Mississippi are stunning. The Mississippi river view is all over the place. We choose to hike to the Marching Bears and the view is higher than the bridge that crosses into Prairie Du Chen. Its a must. A Native American teaching.

When I was younger I had eagerly wanted to stop at Iowa's only National Park/Monument in Effigy Mounds. It's located in the most scenic part of the Hawkeye State. I think those years of anticipation had set me up for a let-down when I was finally able to visit this park a short time ago. The office facility was very nice and informative. They did a great job of helping to visualize this historic area. The park itself is very underwhelming from the ground level. And invigorating hike takes you to non-descript and unimpressive lumps of earth. The views of the river are breathtaking, but the historic mounds themselves are hard to conceptualize. Unless these mounds were pointed out to me, I would have walked right past them in the wilderness without a second thought. The greatest payoff of this visit were the artifacts in the office, and the brief movie before visiting the mounds themselves. Friendly staff and a good way to learn about Native American culture and to burn an hour if you are in the area. I would not plan a trip around this venue however.

Love! Overall one of the best trail systems I've seen. Well maintained and manicured. Many overlook opportunities, and the mounds are... Breath taking? Humbling? Something like that. The hikes are fun and safe for many levels. However, there's a lot of up and down hill. If you're not confident on gradient, you can do the north side and after the initial climb, it is relatively flat. Once you get to the sign that says not to pass after 5pm, it starts to have some big elevation changes. On the South side, the trail to marching bears is very hilly and gravely. Not for everyone, but worth it, if you can make it through.

This was a great hike!! The staff was wonderful and the trail was excellent. The trail was incredibly well marked and so clean. Often we will pick up trash or left behinds while on the trail. That was not the case here. There was nothing to pick up. It was great to see such a well taken care of trail. The markings were very clear and accurate. The trail itself was somewhat difficult at times, though doable. The use of switchbacks helped greatly. The views from the top was worth all the steps!!! Great view of rock formations, the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. Also, excellent flora and fauna. Throughly enjoyed this hike.

Very pretty and peaceful. The guide at the desk was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We enjoyed a short visit. Looking forward to going back again.

I give this contextually 5 stars -- it is not Yellowstone, for crying out loud. But the mounds are sacred places, and the forest and river are beautiful. The staff at the museum were very helpful and informative, and as of April, 2011 they are no longer charging fees for use of the trails or museum. Great place to visit and return to again and again.

Gorgeous scenery, and an interesting learning opportunity.

I LOVE going to Effigy Mounds. Its like a nature day-cation without all the hassle! The trails are beautiful (If you like hiking) and its amazing to actually see the historical mounds. Plus they are VERY good about informing you on the land so you know exactly what to look for. I live in the area so I've been to Effigy Mounds plenty of times and not once have I been unsatisfied. They are doing their part to conserve historic native burial grounds and I support that 100%. Just make sure its not mosquito season! Hehe :)

Lovely boardwalk short hike through yellow river and bird sanctuary. Don't miss it. It's flat and easy for all levels.