Visit all the National Park Service sites in Iowa

Iowa has 5 sites in the national park system, including 1 National Monument. The state also has 1 National Heritage area which is featured below:

Effigy Mounds National Monument
NPS Website
Located along the Mississippi River in Iowa’s Eastern border, Effigy Mounds is home to more than 200 American Indian burial mound sites. The 2500 acre park has a visitor’s center with a collection of American Indian artifacts, hiking trails through the sacred burial sites, and some of the best vistas of the upper Mississippi River Valley in the area.

Passport Cancellation Information:
Located in the bookstore of the Visitor’s Center
151 Hwy 76
Harpers Ferry, Iowa 52146

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
NPS Website
You can find the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site just off I-80 in the heart of central Iowa. The buildings commemorating Hoover’s birthplace in tiny West Branch include the Birthplace Cottage, the schoolhouse, and the Gravesites of President Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover. Adjacent to the Historic Site you will find the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, and although not connected with the NPS site, is a great addition to any visit.

Passport Cancellation Information:
Located in the lobby of the Visitor’s Center
110 Parkside Drive
West Branch, Iowa 52358

Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
NPS Website
While the Lewis and Clark NHT has stops all through the western United States, there five total stops in Iowa to commemorate the time these famous explorers spent in the state. One recommendation is the check out the Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs, IA as a good overview of the Lewis and Clark and the other historic pioneer trails through the state.

Passport Cancellation Information:
Located at the desk in the Visitor’s Center
Western Historic Trails Center
3434 Richard Downing Ave.
Council Bluffs, IA 51501
Phone: (712) 366-4900

Western Historic Trails Center
NPS Website
Operated jointly with the State Historical Society of Iowa, the Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa represents the connection point of many of America’s most famous pioneer trails. A visit to this site is actually a visit to the Oregon NHT, the Pioneer Mormon Pioneer NHT, the Lewis and Clark NHT, and the California NHT. The Visitor’s Center contains a detailed timeline of pioneer life on the trail as well as artifacts and information about Iowa state history.

Passport Cancellation Information:
Western Historic Trails Center
3434 Richard Downing Ave.
Council Bluffs, IA 51501
Phone: (712) 366-4900

Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area
NPS Website
With 37 different counties in Iowa participating in the program, Silos and Smokestacks is one of the largest National Heritage Areas in the upper Midwest. Visitors can take in classic farms and wineries or visit one of the many museums and districts commemorating the culture and history of Iowa.

Passport Cancellation Information:
Stamps are available at 16 different sites in the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area. See this website for links to the stamp locations:
http://www.silosandsmokestacks.org/explore/passport-program/