Effigy Mounds National Monument

A visitor walks past the Marching Bear Mound Group, the largest preserved group of effigy mounds on public lands in the country.

An aerial view of the Marching Bear group of mounds.

Effigy Mounds National Monument contains one of the largest concentrations of Native American mounds, including some of the finest and best-preserved examples of rare effigy mounds (animal-shaped mounds) in their original forms.

These earthworks provide a glimpse into the social, spiritual and ceremonial life of prehistoric mound-building cultures.

The monument preserves 206 prehistoric burial and ceremonial mounds, including 31 rare effigy mounds, built over a 2,000-year span that ended about 1250 AD. Nearly 90 percent of effigy mounds and other mound types from this woodland culture have been destroyed since Europeans settled in this region.

Situated within the forested river bluffs of northeast Iowa, the monument covers 2,526 acres and contains over 14 miles of hiking trails. Visitors hike past ancient mounds to numerous bluff tops offering spectacular vistas 400 feet above the Mississippi and Yellow River valleys.

Wildlife is abundant in the park and it is common to see white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and bald eagles throughout the different park habitats including forests, prairies, and wetlands.

Ranger-led hikes covering up to two miles and talks begin at the Visitor Center during the summer months. Self-guided tours are available year round.

The visitor center, museum, and a one-mile elevated boardwalk trail connected to the visitor center are wheelchair-accessible.