Lake Darling State Park

About Lake Darling State Park

On September 17, 1950, Lake Darling State Park was inaugurated as the first national park in the United States with a total area of 1.5 million square feet.

The park was named after J.N. "Ding" Darling, and his efforts helped advance the conservation movement in Iowa. Ding Darling was a member of the Iowa State Board of Parks and Recreation and a former state representative. In recognition of his merits, the Lake Darling State Park was named in his honor. After the ceremony, the guests of honour set up the gates, closed the valves to the overflow basin and completed the confiscation process.

Lake Darling State Park covers 1,417 acres, including 302 acres with nearly 18 miles of coastline. Lake Darling has large, well-equipped campsites and offers something for recreational enthusiasts young and old. There are 118 campsites, 81 of which have electricity, and there are a large number of picnic areas as well as a small campsite with a picnic area.

Each campsite has a conveniently located trailer dump, a picnic area and access to a large number of picnic areas and picnic tables.

There are play areas on the campground and half of the campgrounds are still open to the public, according to the motto "first come, first served." Reservations for each campsite can be made online at the Lake Darlings State Park website or by calling (888) 753-5555.

Concessions offer boat rentals and Lake Darling is a popular destination for kayaking and canoeing, hiking, fishing, camping and other activities.

Lake Darling is a fishing boat and motors of all sizes can be operated at watch speed on Lake Darling, as well as kayaking, canoeing, hiking and other activities.

Catfish and crabs are probably the most common catch for most anglers, but other fish species such as bluefish, whale-eye, blue crab and redfish are also common.

Lake Darling State Park is a great place for a family getaway, and a number of picturesque picnic spots overlook the lake.

Hikers will find plenty of opportunities in Lake Darling State Park and will see a variety of plant, animal and bird species. Open picnic huts are available and can be reserved by the park manager for a fee. There are also several hiking trails in the densely forested forests of the national park and on the lakeside. One path leads through the newly built prairie, while another connects to the main path.