One of the best parks I have ever been to. It was a perfect and quick stop on our 8 hour road trip. We stopped here on our return leg and had limited time to spend because we needed to get home. I’m glad the other reviews said it was a smaller park so that heavily influenced our choice and it wasn’t too far off I-80. We drove around it before stopping at a parking area that had two trailhead sign, one of which was to the Punch Bowl. It was highly recommended by other reviewers so we hopped on that one. The scenery was breathtaking and the trails were easy to follow. Going down was little effort however there were some stairs so coming up required a moderate amount of effort that was perfect for stretching our legs. I am normally a mosquito buffet but didn’t get but once but we did stay in motion most of the time. It was such a lucky stop and totally exceeded expectations. We are already planning a camping trip back so we can explore more than what we could.

Great place for several short hikes. There are picnic tables available. Much of the trail was accessible with a stroller and some muscle.

Very good state park. The trail maps can be confusing. Not many signs to help you on the trails. Well covered park with sufficient shade. Not crowded. The 100year old mill make a great must see.

It was amazing! The running grist mill was also super neat! I can't wait to go back and see the beautiful colors in the Fall

Really nice park area with varied terrain. You can make a 4 mile or shorter hike with enough hills to get you breathing heavily. Some of the views on the trail would definitely be better with leaf off seasons

Definitely a worthwhile place to hike. It's easy enough for the average person and for the avid hiker there's plenty of challenging rock formations to climb off the beaten path. Scenic for sure. You'll probably see some deer. Park maps are available; I got one from the Mill Trail signpost, east of the Pine Creek Overlook, and also there's a parking area there.

On a summer day we took a hike almost entirely in the shade! Beautiful forest and rock formations. Good picnic areas too

Wildcats den is a nice place to go and visit during the summer. They have primitive camping and outdoor toilets no showers. Great place to have a picnic and do some hiking. There is a lot of rock formations

Beautiful park! Lots of different things to do- an old church, schoolhouse, and mill are located within the park. There are also a handful of BEAUTIFUL forested trails of various lengths & difficulty. Many are very short so you can see a lot within a few hours, or you can have enough to do for days. There are some gravel roads within & near the park but they are the easiest I've ever driven on!

Short trail system but surprisingly scenic. The lower loop (#2) and mill trails were definitely the best sections. A short 2-4 mile hike can easily be planned for a brief 1-2 hr visit.

It's a nice looking park. The trail we walked today, had a little wildlife ... mostly woodpeckers and cicadas; noisy but better than silence. Will be going back to check out the punchbowl and perhaps a little camping.

The family and I love hiking here in the fall. It's so beautiful and offers easy and more challenging hikes.

I love it here...! It's a nice place to do some peaceful walking & hiking with all the various trails.. incline & decline trails along with hills in some places & steps in others depending on which trail you venture along.? And the scenery is just beautiful..!

Well marked and maintained trails. Some trails were fun and challenging, while others were a nice walk through woodlands. I highly recommend this park for hiking!

Pretty park, reminded me a lot of the rolling hills and bluffs of the Ozarks which I love. We went during the Buckskin Rendezvous and it was a really fun event that felt like a step back in time.

Great for hiking. The trails are well-marked and there are maps to guide you. Nice combination of easy and rugged trails with nice rock formations. Bathroom at trailhead is also nice.

There are lots of nice hiking trails. Picnic areas, bathrooms, and camping are also available. The 1850 grist mill is the coolest thing about this park. The mill is still in working order.

Not many benches for resting. Nice tourist museum in an old mill. Trails are hard to find and not well groomed.

Great Iowa state park. We hiked for about five miles on a cloudy Sunday. The mill is neat and has clean modern restrooms. Trails are typically for Iowa but offer a few hills.

Grist mill is fascinating. Schoolhouse is quaint. Unable to tour the stone church. Nye family cemetery of great historical importance to the area.

Such a gorgeous hiking spot. Our family loved it

The trails in the valley were awesome with the huge rocks and scenery. Got a great workout with some of the climbs. Chez

We toured the Grist Mill. Very interesting piece of local history. Well curated exhibits. Make sure to go the park as well and explore the sandstone.

Very nice State Park with some nice trails going into the Wildcat Den area and to the grist mill.

Great park, really stunning. Pleasantly surprised.

The park is a great place to hike. They have a real working grist mill. You're able to tour all 3 levels and very little is off access. They'll even turn it on for you! Awesome park.