Effigy Mounds National Monument preserves an area of land along the Mississippi River once used for mound building by indigenous peoples of North America. Although dates vary according to scholars, the groups present in much of eastern North America about 1500 years ago to about 700 years ago built mounds. Mound sites abound along rivers as markers of these societies. Many of the mounds are geometric in shape, but some of the mounds in the upper Mississippi River region were built in the shapes of animals. Effigy Mounds National Monument commemorates the mounds present in eastern Iowa upon bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River.

We began our visit at the national park’s visitor center, where we spent some time in the small museum, which relates the history of the people who once inhabited the region. From the visitor center, visitors can hike either north or south along the river, taking in the different animal mounds, as well as vistas of the floodplain. We opted for an approximately 3 mile trail to the north. We ascended a steep bluff, after which we overlooked the Mississippi River and many tree-filled islands dotting its waters, along with the stone bluffs and floodplains below. We were able to catch a few more of these fabulous views.

We continued along the trail and saw several small geometrical mounds, but the highlight of the trail was two mound groups, the Little Bear Mound Group and Great Bear Mound Group. Each group featured several bear-shaped mounds aligned in a row. The bear mounds are not very high off the ground, so they can be a bit difficult to see since you view them from ground level. However, one can see a distinct bear shape when looking at the mounds. After seeing several of the fantastic bear mounds, we returned the way we had come.

Effigy Mounds is a hidden gem within the national park system. It features great examples of animal-shaped mounds, commemorates the indigenous people of this region, and features beautiful views of the upper Mississippi River and the surrounding topography.