Attractions

Buena Vista County Conservation Board Parks & Watchable Wildlife
For more information, visit the Conservation Board Web Site

Brooke Wildlife Area
Located 5 miles west of Linn Grove on (440th Street)
Approximately 60 acres
Maintained as wildlife area, rough terrain, access at the east end of the property only.
Hunting (upland and forest) and trapping allowed, rules apply according to Iowa DNR laws.

Buena Vista County Conservation Park
Headquarters for Conservation Board
Located 5 miles west of Linn Grove on C-13 (440th Street)
Approximately 308 acres
Two enclosed heated shelter houses-electrical outlets and refrigerator. User fee: $25 per day per reservation first day. $10 for second day when used by the same party. Call 712-295-7985 for reservations

Metal picnic shelters, fire rings and grills
Pit toilets
Drinking water
Playground equipment
Two one-goal basketball courts
Lighted horseshoe court
Nature trails for hiking
12 acres seeded prairie grasses and wildflowers - Arboretum
Handicap facility

Camping:
Modern campground (open mid-April to mid-October, weather permitting):
-$12 Per Night
-18 electrical hookups
-shaded
-flush toilets and hot shower
-firerings
-sewage dump
Primitive camping allowed in areas around small metal picnic shelters, firerings and grills (not part of modern campground) $6.00 per night.

Winter activities:
Cross Country skiing (skis available for rent - contact naturalist at 712-749-2563)
Snowmobiling allowed if conditions are suitable in areas designated by Conservation Board Director
Tubing Hill (Unsupervised), inflatable devices only.

Buena Vista County Swan Restoration Refuge
Located 6 miles north and 2 miles east of Storm Lake
(located on Hwy 71 near 550th Street)
10.88 acres
Formerly DOT borrow pit area
Pond and Area is used for a local swan restoration project

Bur Oak Wildlife Area
Located 2 miles south of Peterson
(intersection of 30th Avenue and 430th Street)
40 acres
Maintained as wildlife area
Hunting (upland and forest) allowed. Rules apply according to DNR laws.

Elk Wildlife Area
Located 8 miles north of Alta
(intersection of 510th Street and 60th Avenue)
65.08 Acres
Maintained as wildlife area
Hunting (upland) and trapping allowed, rules apply according to Iowa DNR laws.

Gabrielson Park-Gustafson Lake
Located on south edge of Sioux Rapids on Highway 71
Approximately 36 acres - including a 7 ½ acre man-made lake
Fishing, swimming beach, picnicking, boating (canoes and electric motors)
No camping allowed
Enclosed, heated shelter house, electrical outlets and refrigerator. Use by reservation only. User fee: $25 per day per reservation first day. $10 for second day when used by same party. Call 712-295-7985 for reservation.

Flush and pit toilets - drinking water
Open picnic shelter
Playground equipment
Approximately 7 acres seeded to native prairie grasses and wildflowers
Handicap facility

Linn Grove Dam Area
Located in Linn Grove on the Little Sioux River.
12 acres
Primitive camping allowed. $6.00 per night
Metal picnic shelters, firerings, water, pit toilets
Two boat ramps - downstream (county owned) and upstream (state owned) of the dam. Ramps included in Inkpaduta Canoe Trail
Fishing, boating, (canoe and motor) camping, picnicking
Playground equipment
Handicap facility

Linn Grove Wildlife Area
Located on southeast edge of Linn Grove
9½ acres
Wildlife refuge - no hunting allowed

Newell Catholic Prairie Cemetery
1 mile west of Newell (intersection of 190th Ave and 630th St.)
3 acres
Maintained as a prairie cemetery with many native grasses and wildflowers
One of the oldest cemeteries in Buena Vista County, established in 1893
Donated to the Conservation Board by St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Storm Lake

Pheasant Ridge Wildlife Area
Located 3 miles south of Newell on 660th Street near 210th Avenue
6 acres of wooded fenceline
Maintained as wildlife area
Hunting (upland ) allowed. Rules apply according to Iowa DNR laws.

Raccoon River Heritage Wildlife Corridor
Begins 2 miles west of Newell and continues south 4 miles intermittently (begins at 620th Street) along the Raccoon River, contact the Conservation Board office for the exact legal descriptions.
330 acres
Maintained as wildlife area
Boating (canoe and motor).
Hunting (uplands and wetlands), trapping and fishing allowed, rules apply according to Iowa DNR laws.

South Cove Park
Located on south edge of Storm Lake
3 acres
Open picnic shelter - pit toilet - grills - playground equipment
Fishing (3000 acre Lake) - Boating (canoe, motor) (no boat ramp)
No camping allowed
Handicap facility

Sturchler Pit Area
One mile north and west of Newell
(190th Avenue and 620th Street)
120 acres
5 acre gravel pit - parcel's west boundary, Raccoon River
Fishing, boating (canoes and electric motors)
Open picnic shelter- grills - pit toilet - playground equipment
Areas seeded to prairie grasses
Handicap facility

Three Waters Wildlife Area
5 miles northwest of Newell
(intersection of 600th Street and 180th Avenue)
85 acres - 14 acres seeded to prairie grasses
Contains three bodies of water: creek, Raccoon River and small lake
Maintained as wildlife area
Boating (canoe and electric motor)
Hunting (upland and wetland), trapping and fishing allowed. Rules apply according to Iowa DNR laws.

Wildlife Display
Located in the lobby of the Buena Vista County Courthouse at 215 east 4th in Storm Lake, Iowa

The display was constructed in 1998 by Lance Christensen of Spencer Iowa and Steve Brauhn of Sioux Rapids, Iowa. The glass enclosed display consists of (2) 20' long sections, 10' high. The display is apanoramic wildlife scene. A detailed painted mural by artist Steve Brauhn depicts the fall season of a prairie merging into wetlands that merge into an upland/forest area. Animal mounts and those included in the mural are native to Northwest Iowa.

Lance Christensen, taxidermist completed mounts including a full size deer, squirrel, chipmunk, bald eagle, bager,fox,pheasant, hawk, raccoon, mink, muskrat, wood duck and song birds.

In 2004, a wild turkey and river otter were added to the display by Storm Lake taxidermist, Todd Felton. Todd will be completing a coyote also.

The wildlife display is an important teaching tool that allows school students and the public to see and learn firsthand about many of the animals that live in the area.

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