Palisades-Kepler State Park

The palisades are limestone, a rock formed from the sediments and shells of an ancient sea that once covered this region. Over long ages the Cedar River cut down through the rock, exposing the layered walls that now rise steeply above the water and give the park its name.

Those cliffs and the woods above them create a landscape that stands out sharply from the surrounding farmland, which is exactly why it was preserved. The bluffs shelter cool, shaded ravines and support ferns, mosses, and woodland plants, a pocket of rugged terrain along the gentle river.

The park's trails are its main attraction, winding along the bluff rim with overlooks down to the Cedar River and through the hardwood forest that blankets the slopes. The bluff-edge paths reward hikers with the park's best views, and require care around the real drop-offs.

Above the river stands the park's stone lodge, built by Depression-era crews from native limestone and timber, a rustic and durable structure that has hosted gatherings for generations. Along with the trails and shelters they built, it gives the park much of its enduring character.

The Cedar River is the park's living centerpiece, a gentle river that draws paddlers, anglers, and floaters to the stretch beneath the palisades. Seeing the bluffs from the water, rising sheer above the current, is one of the finest ways to experience the park.

The river valley here is homeland to Native peoples of the region, including the Meskwaki and the Sauk, whose long presence along the Cedar runs deep. The Meskwaki, known as the Sac and Fox of the Mississippi in Iowa, remain in the state today near Tama, a living continuation of that history on this land.

The mix of river, bluff, and woods draws white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and a chorus of songbirds, with hawks and bald eagles working the river valley, especially in the colder months. Spring brings wildflowers to the forest floor and warblers to the timber.

Summer is green and busy, the shaded bluffs a cool retreat and the river alive with paddlers. Fall lights the hardwoods along the cliffs in brilliant color, the park's showpiece season. Winter strips the woods bare and reveals the rock, quiet and stark above the flowing river.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.