State: Iowa
Address 1: 700 Kepler Drive
City: Mount Vernon
Zip: 52314
Phone: 319-895-6039
Open: Open all year
Open all Year: Yes
Number of Sites: 44
Electric: 26
Camp URL: http://www.iowadnr.gov/parks/state_park_list/palisades.html
Full Hook: Yes
Palisades-Kepler State Park is a beautiful place for a family cookout. Picnickers can enjoy themselves, while at the same time, enjoying views of the beautiful Cedar River and the tree-lined bluffs along it. An open picnic shelter is available and may be reserved online through the park reservation system.
The lodge at Palisades-Kepler is a beautiful stone structure built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It makes a fine setting for group events such as wedding receptions and family reunions.
The campground at Palisades-Kepler is a fine place for a weekend outing or a two-week vacation. It has 44 campsites, 26 with electrical hookups. Modern shower and restroom facilities are available, as well as a trailer dump station. Advance campsite reservations can be booked through the park reservation system . Half of the campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Palisades-Kepler has four family cabins available for weekly rentals. The cabins, which can accommodate up to four persons, feature a shower, restroom, stovetop and refrigerator. Cabin users must provide their own bedding, towels and other camping items. The cabins can be reserved online through the park reservation system. The cabins are a great place for an economical family vacation.
Palisades-Kepler is a wonderful place to hike. On the six miles of trails, walkers can often see a variety of wildlife, including white-tailed deer and wild turkeys. Many species of trees, shrubs and flowers are also present along with innumerable species of songbirds.
The Cedar River offers some excellent fishing for a variety of species, including channel catfish, bass and bluegills. Anglers often try their luck by boat or along the shore above and below the old dam on the Cedar River. A modern boat-launching ramp provides convenient river access.
Palisades-Kepler State Park lies along the beautiful Cedar River in Linn County. The 840-acre park has dramatic river bluffs, deep ravines, majestic hardwood trees, a large variety of wildflowers and an abundance of wildlife. Palisades-Kepler State Park is also important for its prehistoric past. A molar tooth of a mammoth was once found here and the exposed rocks along the Cedar River are laden with fossils of millions of years of history. The presence of Indian mounds reminds us that this was a favorite haunt of Native Americans hundreds of years ago.