Effigy Mounds National Monument

Elkader: Keystone double arch bridge
1889 - on National Register
of Historic Places

Our next stay was in Elkader, Iowa which is a nice little historic town in northeast Iowa. The afternoon that we arrived gave us a break from the rain so we walked from our RV park to town on the river walk and then walked around town to see some of the historic buildings. It was a nice little walk. 

Elkader: County Courthouse - half
built 1868, second half completed 1878

Elkader: 1891 Hardware Store on left
owned and operated by same family;
Opera House 1903 on right with
tiny City Hall between

The next day we waited for the morning storms to subside and then headed to Effigy Mounds National Monument about 30 miles away. This monument protects earthen mounds built between 2,500 and 850 years ago. Dome-shaped conical mounds began to be built 2,500 years ago by people now known as Woodland Indians. They were usually burial mounds. By 1,400 years ago area Indians began to build effigy mounds in the shapes of animals. These were possibly religious sites or clan symbols used in seasonal ceremonies.  

Effigy Mounds - aerial
light and radar photo

Most mounds are only 3-4 feet high and it is hard to identify the shapes standing at ground level, much less get a good picture. They do mow around the effigy mounts to make it easier to make them out but with all of the rain this hadn’t been done for a long time so we didn’t get that benefit.

Linear mound

Great Bear mound

Little Bear mound

Series of conical mounds

Large burial mounds