Effigy Mounds National Monument

"A perfect hike for the fall! We chose the 2 mile loop and it was just what our legs needed after a long car ride. The trails do go up for 1/3 of a mile so be prepared for a workout! As we walked along the well kept trails, we could feel the sacredness of our surroundings. Very peaceful. The fall colors were an extra bonus. I highly recommend!"

"A beautifully stunning, scenic space with a rich and vibrant history. I loved walking through the little museum and learning about how important and sacred this place was. And I was so happy we waited until fall to come up. Not only was the weather amazing, but the views were spectacular."

"Beautiful park. Online said it didn't open until 9 am but that is the visitors center. The park is open dawn to dusk so we were able to get in at 8:30. Park ranger was going to work and asked if we had any questions before she went inside. We took the first trail to Fire Point Outlook. It in a steep incline to start and I was thankful for resting spots. Trail is mulch and easy to walk on and know where you are going. Trail was 1.7 miles round trip. The leaves were gorgeous and the view of the Mississippi was bright due to sunrise. There was only one other couple there and they were far ahead of us. When we left we ran into others on their way up so we had good timing. It was super windy in the trees but not where we stood. The leaves (and acorns) were falling. It was so pretty! We only did the one trail and left as we were on to other places and only happened to drive past this due to where we ended up getting our hotel for the night."

"Nice park with some clean trails. Often see some trails that have trash scattered here and there but really didn't notice any at this park so they do a good job of keeping it clean. Park was open dawn/dusk but the office/building had specific hours so be sure to check before going. We went in late October to see colorful leaves and got there before the office was open. Was only a couple of other cars there but was lot when we left a little over an hour later. The trail is only challenging for the first part and the rest was easy. Can get some great views at 2 stops (Fire point and Twin Views) and still be under 2 miles round trip. I enjoyed it more than Pike’s Peak."

"Amazing hiking trails throughout. They were very well maintained and some good history lessons if you stop to read. Once you get to the top of the lookout the view is incredible. If you only have a couple hours then the fire lookout is a good one to do and if you follow the trail you'll see little bear and giant bear mounds which are pretty neat in itself. I can't wait to go back and explore more of the trails."