National Park and Recreation Month

July is the perfect time for outdoor exploration (well, if you can stand the heat!). Local and national recreation areas and parks are great places to start your summer of adventure. 

In 1985 the National Recreation and Park Association designated July as National Recreation and Parks Month. July is the best time for friends, family, or groups to rediscover their local parks or visit news ones. Monday was a beautiful (but hot) day, but that did not stop the Education staff at the Museum of Natural History from visiting the Devonian Fossil Gorge in Coralville. This trip was full of discovery and new adventures! For some people this was their first trip to the Devonian Fossil Gorge. If you haven’t visited the Gorge, I would highly recommend you take an afternoon adventure or a family outing to this wonderful area, especially if you like learning about Iowa’s past and finding fossils. 

This holiday isn’t only about outdoor exploration, but also about recognizing and acknowledging those who work in the parks. The men and women working or volunteering in the parks make our experience entertaining and memorable. Like any place whether it’s a museum or park, it takes a lot of care and effort to make it a beautiful and enjoyable place for families and friends to visit. 

 

Have you visited a park yet? If not, don’t worry there is still plenty of time before the summer is over! Iowa has tons of great parks and recreation areas to visit. Here is a list to get you started:

-          Hickey Hills Park, Iowa City

-          Lake Macbride State Park, Johnson County

-          F.W. Kent Park, Johnson County

-          Coralville Lake and Devonian Fossil Gorge, Coralville

-          Backbone State Park, near Dundee

-          Wildcat Den State Park, Muscatine

-          Waubonsie State Park, Sidney

-          Volga River State Recreation Area, Fayette

For more information about parks in Iowa visit the Iowa DNR website.

And don’t forget about your furry friends! They love outdoor exploration just as much as you do!

-Written by Assistant Education Coordinator Ashlee Gloede