lake hendricks

I was really surprised and impressed by this small county park. It has a nice little lake where you can swim, fish, or canoe. A decent sized sand beach with a beach volleyball net. A play area for kids, a few docks, hiking trails, and a little wooden bridge over the creek. The bathrooms were relatively clean for a county park, and have running water and flush toilets. My kids and their Grandpa went fishing, and had good luck. My son caught five fish, my daughter three. The park has several jetties you can fish from. Quite a few people were fishing, but there's enough space for everyone that it didn't feel crowded.The highlight of the park is the Wapsi/Great Western biking and hiking trail. It goes right through Lake Hendricks park, and then goes further beyond the boundaries of the park. Much of the trail outside the park is along the old railroad line. The trail is paved, and very well maintained. I only walked two miles or so on it, but was suitably impressed. North Iowa has a reputation for being not very scenic, but this trail was beautiful. The part that goes through the park is very wooded. I saw a deer right next to the trail, and several different species of birds.