swiss valley park

I recently took a trip to Swiss Valley Park and Nature Center near Peosta, IA. The park itself doesn't have much to offer this time of year besides hiking but I can see why people camp here. The campsite has a great restroom and shower facility and the sites have easy access. Also the trout stream is great for exploring kids. The Nature Center on the other hand offers year round opportunities. The trails are very well maintained and marked and I saw a wide variety of wildlife. I could definitely see myself not only hiking the trails but also cross country skiing. Inside the nature center there is a variety of educational material on Iowa wildlife and habitats. The staff was very friendly and was very good at answering my questions.

Great place to spend hours. The Nature Center has displays about the local animals, local plants, etc. The area has creeks to fish , flatlands and hilly areas. Actually the flat area is surrounded by beautiful hills. All areas have maintained/natural trails for a nice trek.

Located on the outskirts of Dubuque, Iowa, this is a nice natural area for hiking and some fishing. We visited on 7/19, and the newer Nature Center there is very nice. They have quite a few nice indoor display and exploration areas and a very nice library, so you can sit inside if you want, and view their feeding station, or just enjoy the exhibits. As far as I can see, the trails are for hiking only. The park itself is very nice, well maintained, with picnic and camping areas as well.

This place was great. We spent an hour or so hiking and walking around. It was beautiful and peaceful. Loved the scenery, didn't enjoy the gnats. You could probably spend a good portion of the day here if you wanted to. Definitely bring water and a camera.

So glad the desk clerk at our hotel recommended we take a ride out to Swiss Valley. Not for from town the scenery is breathtaking. Would like to try camping there sometime.

not a bad place, but they are strict on quiet time...which means no talking or playing your radio past 10pm even if it is low.

Go there with our kids all the time! The kdis enjoy playing in catfish creek and at the different parks located there.

Had a company picnic there. Was very nice and clean.

This park is a treasure, and the nature center worth visiting, however, it is recovering from the flooding caused be a freak storm.