Effigy Mounds National Monument preserves more than 200 prehistoric mounds built by pre-ColumbianBefore you head to Harpers Ferry, plan trip itinerary details with our user-friendly Harpers Ferry trip planner, to make sure you see all that Harpers Ferry has to offer, including Effigy Mounds National Monument.
Mound Builder cultures, mostly in the first millennium AD, during the later part of the Woodland period of pre-Columbian North America.
Numerous effigy mounds are shaped like animals, including bears and birds.
The monument is located primarily in Allamakee County, Iowa, with a small part in Clayton County, Iowa, in the midwestern United States. The park's visitor center is located in Harpers Ferry, Iowa, just north of Marquette.
In 2017, the Effigy Mounds were featured in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program.
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Effigy Mounds National Monument reviews
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I visited with my three little girls, and we had a great time. The visitor center is informative. The rangers were nice. The hike up onto the bluffs to see the mounds was not too challenging, and..... more
I visited with my three little girls, and we had a great time. The visitor center is informative. The rangers were nice. The hike up onto the bluffs to see the mounds was not too challenging, and..... more »
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Smaller NPS site but one you shouldn’t miss. Small visitor center but helpful staff gave great recommendations based on how long you had to visit. There is a steep trail to the top of the bluff but.... more
Smaller NPS site but one you shouldn’t miss. Small visitor center but helpful staff gave great recommendations based on how long you had to visit. There is a steep trail to the top of the bluff but.... more »
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Wonderful visitor center, and very friendly park ranger. The hike to the top is a little bit strenuous but fun. There are benches on the trail to rest and catch your breath. This is a sacred ground, so please be respectful and stay on the trails! The trail is filled with wood chips, so that should help during wet conditions. Beautiful lookout points and animal shaped mounds once you reach the top, and of-course you have earned yourself an easy hike down :-) Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
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This is great place for hiking. If you love hiking, this is a fun place to explore. Hiking is not my favorite and I wasn't fully prepared for the huge uphill trek at the beginning. I appreciated the benches to take a rest. I almost gave up and went back the other direction but my husband encouraged me to keep going. I so glad I did because I really started to have fun once we made it up to the top. The sights are beautiful and the mounds are very interesting to see.
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