Kilen Woods State Park

Location

50200 860th Street
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Policies

Max stay

14 nights

About

For a quiet, relaxing time, hike the cool woodland trail which meanders along the tranquil Des Moines River, or enjoy the view of the river valley from Dinosaur Ridge Overlook. You'll find pleasant surprises as you explore small creeks, prairie grasslands, and oak savannas. Visitors enjoy camping, canoeing, fishing, picnicking and hiking. Landscape At Kilen Woods State Park, trails wind through the park's oak forest, sunny river bottom meadows, flood plain forest, oak savanna and prairie. Oak trees grow on the steep river valley slopes. Scattered bur oak trees, wild plums and hawthorns occur among prairie grasses and wildflowers at the edge of the Des Moines River Valley. Look for big bluestem, Indian grass, blazing-star, and purple coneflowers along the grassy ravines. Seven-foot tall prairie grasses, butterfly milkweed, and grey-headed coneflowers dominate the late summer river bottom prairie. Wildlife The Des Moines River provides aquatic habitat for beaver and muskrat. Resourceful anglers catch walleyes, northerns, catfish, and bullheads from the river's pools and numerous snags. Woodducks nest in tree cavities along the river's edge while herons quietly stalk the shallows and back waters. Deer, squirrels and woodpeckers are abundant in the park. Red admiral butterflies are seen all summer long while the swallowtail butterflies are around during late summer. Naturalist The best way to learn more about Kilen Woods State Park is to stop in at the park office for a map and information about what to see in the park. Although the park does not have a naturalist on staff, activities are offered occasionally. History Kilen Woods State Park was established by the legislature in 1945. The first allocation of funds for its development didn't arrive until 1950. The park's name comes from two sources. First, the Kilen Hills, the local name for the area the park was established in. This name has ties to the family that owned the land before the state. The second source is the patch of woods surrounded by prairie that the park was established to preserve. Geology Many years ago glacial ice which was several thousand feet thick (known as the Des Moines Lobe) covered what is now southern Minnesota and Iowa. When the ice retreated, gently rolling hills, shallow prairie lakes, and countless wetlands remained. Many of the small lakes and wetlands have been drained for agricultural purposes. The Des Moines River begins at Lake Shetek in Murray County. It flows southeasterly through Minnesota and Iowa on its way to the Mississippi River. At Kilen Woods State Park, the river cuts through a hundred feet of rock, sand gravel known as glacial drift.