Discover: the great outdoors
Burlington, Iowa
Crapo Park
This 85-acre park was established in 1895 through the efforts of Philip Crapo (pronounced Cray-poh), a local businessman and philanthropist.The roads and plantings were designed in 1896 for the Iowa semi-centennial by the landscape-engineering firm of Earnshaw and Punshon of Cincinnati, Ohio.
In addition to the four shelter houses and walking trails through the arboretum and a number of beautiful gardens, the park includes Lake Starker, the Pike Memorial, Foehlinger Fountain, and the Band Shell.
Dankwardt Park
These 72-acres were given to the city of Burlington in 1937 by Miss Lydia Dankwardt as a memorial to the members of her family. This park, which is directly adjacent to Crapo Park, includes frisbee golf, a dog park, skate and bicycle ramps, archery, sand volleyball, tennis courts, ball diamonds, and the municipal swimming pool.
Burlington Bees Baseball
Enjoy an afternoon ballgame at Community Field, home of the Burlington Bees. The Burlington Bees are a Class A minor league baseball team, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Bees 2012 affiliate was the Angels rival Oakland Athletics.The Bees play in the Midwest League. Their home is in Burlington, Iowa.
Address: 2712 Mt Pleasant St Burlington, Iowa Telephone: (319) 754-5705
Web: www.gobees.com
Big Hollow Recreation Area
Big Hollow is Des Moines County's premiere outdoor recreation destination. It is home to a 178-acre lake with a swimming beach and public boat ramp. It also has an observatory, 3-D archery course, model airplane field, shooting range, numerous small ponds, and pedestrian and equestrian trails.
Located 10 miles North of Burlington on Hwy 61, then 3 miles west on Pleasant Grove Rd., then 1/2 mile south on 152nd Ave.
Starr's Cave Park & Nature Center
The main cave within the park, Starr’s Cave, was formed naturally by water erosion and is approximately a football field in length. Rock formations along Flint Creek in Starr’s Cave Park & Preserve are found no where else in the world. The bluffs are composed of limestone and dolomite and contain hints of the area’s past, frozen in time as fossils. These fossils include brachiopods, crinoids, cup coral, and gastropods.
Starr’s Cave Park & Preserve is located off Irish Ridge Road about a mile outside of Burlington on Starr’s Cave Park Road.
Eagle Watching
Each year from December through February, thousands of bald eagles migrate south to winter along the Mississippi River near the lock and dams. Turbulence created below the dams provides open water and a smorgasbord of stunned fish for eagles to feast upon. In addition, the wooded bluffs that overlook the Mississippi are excellent habitat for roosting and an increasing numbers of eagles seen nesting. It’s not uncommon to see more than 10 eagles in one tree.
Bring your binoculars and take part in the many bald eagle watches in January and February that happen in the communities that line the banks of the Great River Road.
Boating on the Mississippi River
Burlington is a river city, and downtown sits right alongside the mighty Mississippi. At one time the waterfront was busy with the clamor of steamboats unloading and taking on passengers. Today, Burlington's Riverwalk Park provides opportunities for fishing, boating, strolling, or just watching barges churn past. Public docks are located along the Mississippi River just north of the Port of Burlington Welcome Center.
Mosquito Park
This park, which dates from the earliest days of the city, is located at the junction of North Third and Franklin Streets offering a spectacular view of the Mississippi River as it flows into the Burlington area. This is a popular spot for weddings and, in the winter months, for watching the eagles that soar overhead in search of their daily meals.