Brushy Creek State Recreation Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brushy Creek State Recreation Area |
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 Brushy Creek State Recreation Area
Location in Iowa
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| Location | Webster, Iowa, United States |
| Area | 6,500 acres (26 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,050 ft (320 m) |
| Governing body | Iowa Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Brushy Creek State Recreational Area |
Brushy Creek State Recreation Area is a large state park located in Webster County, Iowa, in the United States. It covers more than 6,000 acres (24 km2), making it one of Iowa's biggest public outdoor places for fun and relaxation.
This recreation area is fairly new. Back in 1967, there was a big discussion about whether to flood Brushy Creek's forest. Many people disagreed with this idea. After about 20 years of talks, a compromise was reached. It was decided that a special 260-acre (1.1 km2) area would be protected. A smaller lake of 690 acres (2.8 km2) would be built, and more land would be bought for horse riding trails.
Contents
Where is Brushy Creek State Recreation Area?
Brushy Creek State Recreation Area is easy to find!
- Lehigh is about 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest on County Road D45.
- Duncombe is about 5 miles (8.0 km) north on County Road P73.
- Fort Dodge is around 15 miles (24 km) northwest, off Highway 20.
- Webster City is about 25 miles (40 km) northeast, also off Highway 20.
Picnics and Shelters
You can enjoy a picnic almost anywhere in Brushy Creek. There are tables and fire grills available. If you want to plan a bigger gathering, two open shelters can be reserved online.
Camping with Horses
If you love horses, Brushy Creek has two modern campgrounds just for you and your horse!
- The northern campground has showers and restrooms. It offers 125 campsites, with 50 of them having electricity. There's also a horse wash area, plenty of shade, and a strong hitch rail at every site for your horse. You'll also find a large arena, water, picnic tables, grills, and a playground.
- The south campground also has showers and restrooms. It has 62 electric sites, 22 non-electric sites, and 8 sites with full water and sewer hookups. It offers the same great features as the northern campground.
You can reserve half of the campsites online. The other half are available first-come, first-served.
Camping Without Horses
There's also a campground for those who aren't bringing horses. It has 47 sites, including 39 with electricity and 8 with full water and sewer hookups. This campground is close to the boat ramp and beach, and you can also have picnics here. Like the equestrian sites, half of these can be reserved online, and the rest are first-come, first-served.
Horse Day Use Area
Near both horse campgrounds, there's a special area for day visitors with horses. You can use it for free during the day. It has restrooms that are open during certain seasons. More areas like this are being built in the southern part of the park.
Fun on the Lake
The 690-acre (2.8 km2) lake at Brushy Creek is a great place for activities.
- Fishing: Many people enjoy fishing here. You can catch smallmouth bass and panfish in the creek and the Des Moines River. There are several boat ramps and fishing spots around the lake. A fishing pier is located on the west side, north of the beach. Fishing tournaments happen almost every weekend!
- Swimming: You can swim at the large sandy beach on the west side of the lake. Just make sure to stay in the marked swimming area.
Trails for Adventure
Brushy Creek has about 45 miles (72 km) of trails for many different activities.
- You can go horseback riding, hiking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and mountain biking.
- Mountain biking is allowed on all multi-use trails.
- Maps of these trails are posted at information spots in the horse campgrounds.
Hunting Opportunities
Hunting is another popular activity at Brushy Creek. Hunters can look for many different animals. These include pheasants, quail, rabbits, squirrels, white-tailed deer, and wild turkeys. There are special parking areas throughout the park to make it easy for hunters to access different spots.
Shooting Ranges
Brushy Creek State Recreation Area has two shooting ranges.
- One range is south of the park office, about half a mile north of County Road D-46.
- The other is a trap range, located in the northern part of the park.
