Visit One Of The First Settled Places In Iowa At Ambrose A. Call State Park
By Kim Magaraci|Published March 14, 2020
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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 becoming more and more urban with every year, and it can get a little stressful navigating crowds and traffic. Make time to find your own quiet slice of heaven where you can get away from it all, whether that’s for a camping trip or an easy day hike. You’ll find Ambrose A Call State Park tucked away in the wooded hills of the East Fork of the Des Moines River, and it’s the perfect destination for history buffs and nature lovers.
Ambrose A Call State Park is a preserved part of Iowa history where you can learn about the very first European settlement in Kossuth County.
Ambrose and Asa Call claimed this site on July 9, 1854, and built a cabin on their new property. After decades in the family, the plot was donated to the state for a park in 1925.
Call built a log cabin here and used it as his primitive home. While the original is no longer standing, a similar cabin from another neighborhood homestead was moved to the site to preserve history.
If you want to celebrate an event at Ambrose A. Call State Park, you're in luck. The park is home to a log cabin lodge that was built in 1928 and it's available to rent!
A.A. Call State Park is also home to 16 campsites (most with electric hookups) as well as more than two miles of trails that wind their way through the fields and woods.
You can find trail maps on AllTrails, here! Plan a trip to Ambrose A Call State Park and enjoy a little slice of Iowa history tucked into a gorgeous old-growth forest.