Lewis & Clark State Park - Onawa, IA - Iowa State Parks

Picnicking/Shelters/Lodge
Lewis and Clark is a very popular area for family picnics. The park has more than 30 acres of picnic grounds with tables, fire grills, and drinking water. Two open picnic shelters are available for picnic use on a first come/first serve basis and may be rented through the park office. The lodge at Lewis and Clark is a fine place for group events such as wedding receptions and family reunions. The lodge was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The lodge may be reserved for a fee online through the park reservation system.

Camping
The Lewis and Clark campground is a great place to spend a leisurely vacation in the outdoors. The 110 campsites, with electrical hookups and full hook-ups, lie along the lakeshore. Modern rest rooms and showers are available, as is a trailer dump station. Advance campsite reservations can be booked through the park reservation system. One third of the campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Trails
Lewis and Clark State Park is a fine place for a leisurely hike. On the trails, park visitors can see a variety of trees, shrubs, and, often, wildlife including deer, rabbits and squirrels, as well as a wide variety of bird species.

Lake Activities (Swimming, boating, fishing)
The 250 acres of Blue Lake offer a variety of water-oriented recreational opportunities. The beach is a fine place for sunbathing and swimming. One double boat ramp is available for easy lake access. No restrictions are placed on motor size. The lake has been stocked with panfish, bass, channel catfish, and northern pike. There are high numbers of black bullhead and carp from the 2011 flood. Lake restoration is in progress and there are fish trap structures in place.

Keelboat Display
While visiting Lewis and Clark, please take the opportunity to view the full-sized reproduction of Lewis and Clark's keelboat/barge, "Best Friend," which was constructed by Butch Bouvier of L&C Replicas. The keelboat display room offers visitors the ability to see all of the boats that were utilized on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The replica boats on display are a keelboat, two pirogues, a dug-out canoe, The Iron Boat, and a bull boat. Also on display are many informative pieces from the expedition. Large groups may schedule an appointment to go on an exciting boat ride in a working keelboat. The keelboat display is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am to 4pm from April 15 - October 1. October 2 through April 14, you can visit by scheduling an appointment with park staff. Lewis and Clark State Park lies on the shores of Blue Lake, an "oxbow" formed by the meanderings of the picturesque Missouri River many years ago.