Travel Historic Hills

Appanoose

Name: Sharon Bluffs State Park

Location: 25069 520th Street, East of Centerville, IA on Highway 2

Description: Located east of Centerville, Sharon Bluffs Park is comprised of 144 acres of diverse terrain, woodland plants, and wildlife. Contact: 641-856-8528

Web site: http://www.kmgo.com/get/appacoubocon/page5.asp

Davis

Name: Lake Wapello State Park

Location: 15248 Campground Road, Drakesville, IA 52552

Description: A 1,168-acre park with a 289-acre lake. Swimming beach; fishing; boating (ramp). Hiking trails. Snowmobiling. Picnicking. Camping (electricity, dump station), cabins. Standard hours and fees.

Contact: (641) 722-3371

Decatur

Lucas

Name: Red Haw State Park

Location: One mile east of Chariton, IA on US Hwy 34

Description: Red Haw State Park takes its name from the Hawthorn tree, which produces red berries in the fall, but it is the Redbud trees for which the park is famous. Each spring, the delicate pink blossoms of the Red Bud trees create a pastel haze and set the stage for the popular Red Bud Festival, a time of ceremonial tree plantings, art fairs and other events at the park, which features a 72-acre lake, 80 campsites and four miles of hiking trails set among gently-rolling hills.

Contact: Park Ranger at (641)774-5632

Web site: www.charitonchamber.com/tourism/tourism.redhaw.htm

Monroe

Van Buren

Name: Lacey/Keosauqua State Park

Location:

Description: Bordering the great "horseshoe bend" of the Des Moines River lies the quiet beauty of the flowers, shrubs and timber within Lacey Keosauqua State Park . . . one of the largest and most picturesque of Iowa's state parks and recreation areas. The park's 1,653 acres of hills, bluffs and valleys wind along the Des Moines River in Van Buren County.

Contact: Ph. (319) 293-3502

Web site: http://showcase.netins.net/web/villages/lacey.htm

Wapello

Wayne

Name: Bob White Park

Location: Two miles west of Allerton on Hwy J46

Description: Camping with electricity, fishing, electric motors on boats, picnic area, and boat ramp.

The many hours spent planting Redbud trees in the Historic Hills Corridor becomes more evident as their blossoms continue to emerge. With the trees expected to soon reach their peak color, a Historic Hills Corridor Redbud route and map highlight areas with the most color concentration.

The effort to increase the number of Redbud trees in the corridor has been underway the last several years as part of a Historic Hills Corridor marketing strategy. The tree planting strategy is just one aspect of the regional tourism effort aimed at promoting southern Iowa as a destination area.

Before the tree planting program began, higher Redbud tree concentrations existed in some Historic Hills Corridor counties, which includes Appanoose, Clarke, Davis, Decatur, Lee, Lucas, Monroe, Van Buren, Wapello, and Wayne. However, each county is in the process of implementing their own tree planting plan to increase the number of redbud trees within their counties.

Redbud tree color concentrations are as follows:

Davis County - Lake Wapello State Park
Red Haw State Park in Lucas County is located on Highway 34 east of the Chariton city limits.
Sharon Bluffs State Park, located in Appanoose County can be found five miles east of Centerville on Highway 2. Directional signage will direct travelers into park area.
Van Buren County – Lacey State Park
Wayne County – Bob White Park

For more information or to become involved in the tree planting efforts, contact Chariton Valley Planning and Development at 641.437.4359.