Description

Recreation:

Trails
The park has several miles of hiking trails that spur off from the two and one half mile paved multi-purpose trails, ranging from flat and easy to steep and rough. These hiking trails will take you through a variety of habitats, from wetland areas around the fringes of the lakes and Iowa River, through successional woodlands and remnants of native prairie. The keen observed will likely see some of the wide variety of wildlife species that reside in these various habitats. The trails are a combination of grass and crushed rock. Some sections of the trail use existing roadways to make the trail complete.

There are more than ten miles of well developed trails around the beautiful lake. Walk under 250 year old white pine trees on the southern shore of Lower Pine Lake. A self-guided nature trail starts in the Hogsback Picnic Area and ends near the beach. Trails are marked with points of interest that correspond with trail brochures available at trail heads, the campground and the park office.

The Lake-to-State Park Bike Route is a fifty mile route connecting Pine lake State Park and George Wyth Memorial State Park primarily utilizing county highways and established bike routes and paths once inside Cedar Falls/Waterloo.

Lake and River Activities
A beach is located on the lower lake which provides unsupervised swimming and sunbathing for all ages. Pine Lake has a number of fishing jetties on both Upper Pine Lake and Lower Pine Lake that provide great shoreline access. Both Lakes, according to local anglers, are full of bass, crappie, northern and catfish. Each lake has a boat ramp for convenient lake access. Each lake shoreline has a designated segment for 24-hour fishing access.

The Iowa River also borders a portion of the park and is noted for its fine angling for channel catfish and smallmouth bass. Fishing anywhere at Pine Lake will provide an enjoyable experience. Only electric trolling motors are allowed on the lake.

Facilities:

Picnicking/Shelters/Lodge
Pine Lake Offers five beautiful picnic areas. One is a quiet river setting near Pine Creek on the eastern side of the Iowa River. The Hogsback Bluffs Picnic Area overlooks the lower lake. Others are located on the Upper Lake Boat Ramp, Circle Point and Horseshoe. The Horseshoe Picnic Area is accessible to the mobility-impaired. All picnic areas have tables and restroom facilities. Open picnic shelters located at Circle Point, Upper Lake Boat Ramp, Hogsback and the Beach Shelter may be reserved online.

A charming stone and timber lodge is located high on a ridge overlooking Lower Pine Lake. Constructed in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Pine Lodge is available to rent for weddings, family reunions and other gatherings or special events.

Camping
The Pine Lake campground is one of the finest in the state. There are electric and non-electric sites, modern showers and restroom facilities, as well as a trailer dump station. Two camp pads are accessible to the mobility-impaired but the shower building is not, at this time.

Cabins
Stone and timber cabins are nestled along the Iowa River. Built by the CCC and the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s, these cabins have heat and air condition and fireplaces to take the chill off a cool fall day. The cabins include an oven/stove, microwave and refrigerator. Pine Creek and Bittersweet cabins accommodate up to six people, Goldfinch and Sandstone up to four people. Pine Creek is accessible to the mobility-impaired.

Nearby Attractions:

Bring your clubs and enjoy a round of golf at Pine Lake Golf & Country Club, less than a mile away. Rock-n-Row Adventures coordinates tubing trips on the Iowa River. Visit the Hardin County Farm Museum in Eldora.

Nearby Towns
The city of Eldora lies one mile west of the park and Steamboat Rock lies two miles to the north. Iowa Falls is twenty miles to the northwest and Marshalltown about forty miles southeast.