State park centennial kicks off with a First Day Hike – Excursion to the past at Cedar Rock State Park

Independence – To kick off the 100th anniversary of the Iowa state park system in 2020, join the park staff, Friends of Cedar Rock and the Iowa State Geologist for a free, guided hike on New Year’s Day. Hikers can meet at 1:00pm at the Park Visitor Center in the park for a 1.5-mile hike led by Dr. Keith Schilling of the Iowa Geological Survey.

“First Day Hikes are the inaugural events of the centennial celebration, and we are so excited to spend this time outdoors with our visitors,” said Todd Coffelt, Parks, Forests and Preserves bureau chief at the DNR. “Even if you have never been on a winter hike or visited a state park, we invite you to join us for this special opportunity to exercise, enjoy nature, and welcome the New Year with friends and family.”

This is the 9th year for First Day Hikes in Iowa state parks. Last year, more than 1,400 people participated across Iowa, hiking more than 1,100 total miles at dozens of state parks.

Join Dr. Keith Schilling at Cedar Rock for an excursion into the past, about 385 million years ago! That is when the bedrock formations seen at Cedar Rock were formed. Back then, Iowa was located near the Earth’s equator and was covered by a warm, shallow, tropical sea. The rocks have undergone some changes since then and so has the landscape. Learn how glaciers, erosion, and mankind have sculpted the land to what we see today.

Cedar Rock State Park is located at 2611 Quasqueton Diagonal Blvd. Independence, IA 50644. For details about First Day Hikes in Iowa’s State Parks, visit www.iowadnr.gov/firstdayhikes.