Nominated by locals

Effigy Mounds National Monument

A hidden gem in Iowa

Along the Mississippi in far-northeast Iowa, forested trails climb past ancient burial mounds shaped like bears and birds, some over 2,000 years old, with bluff-top river views.

Build a trip around hidden gems like this.

Save catalog-backed stops to My Trips on the web now. The iOS beta is testing the on-road companion: verified check-ins, badges, shared trips, and your growing map of America.

No spam. Just beta timing and launch notes.

More Iowa gems

More to explore in Iowa

See everything in Iowa