This Historic Park Is One Of Iowa's Best Kept Secrets
By Kim Magaraci|Published September 05, 2018
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Kim Magaraci
Author
Kim Magaraci graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Geography and has spent the last seven years as a freelance travel writer. Contact: kmagaraci@onlyinyourstate.com
Iowa is full of stunning natural beauty despite the rest of the country thinking we’re just a flyover state. If you’re looking for a great place to explore near the roaring Mississippi River, check out the Mines of Spain Recreation Area near the city of Dubuque.
When Julien Dubuque arrived in Iowa in the late 1780s, he wanted to create a mine along the Mississippi River. He received permission from the Maskwaki Indian Tribe, and the Spanish gave him an official land grant in 1796.
Today, the area where Julien Dubuque first set foot on Iowan soil, becoming the first European to do so, has been turned into a beautiful historic park, called the Mines of Spain Recreation Area.
Inside the museum itself, you can find artifacts left behind, and learn the story of hw Julien Dubuque became a part of the Native American community in the area, befriending a Chief and marrrying his daughter.
Julien Dubuque himself is buried along with his wife ina crypt at the top of a cliffside, near a large stone tower. He has a stunning view of the Mississippi River for the rest of time.
Throughout the park, you'll find endless overlooks and placards that show off what the area was like two hundred years ago, before the idea of Iowa had even been born.
Enjoy hiking through the scenic meadows full of wildflowers and keep an eye out for wildlife, too. Hiking around Mines of Spain is a great day trip for an adventure lover.
Perhaps nothing is more amazing than the views of the Mighty Mississippi River, which made the settlement of Dubuque and all of its prosperity possible.
Even in the winter, the stunning scene of a fresh blanket of snow turns the cliffs of the Mines of Spain into a wonderland - it's worth stopping by this historic park in any season.
