State Recreation Area · Iowa
Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area
- Location
- Linn County, Iowa
- Nearest town
- 3.7 miles north of Palo
- Type
- State Recreation Area
About Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area
Built in the 1960s to give eastern Iowa a large recreational lake, this recreation area centers on the 410-acre Pleasant Creek Lake, created alongside the surrounding park land at the same time. The property covers 1,927 acres in total, making the lake itself a fraction of the larger landholding. Both the water and the land were developed together as a single project rather than protected separately over time.
Hours, fees, camping, reservations and closures are set by the park and change often. Check the official park site before you go.
Getting there
Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area is in Linn County, Iowa, 3.7 miles north of Palo. The Directions button takes you to the park's mapped location; the entrance may be elsewhere, so check the official site for the address to use.
State parks near Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area
Within 60 miles, closest first, straight-line. All 50 in Iowa →
Cedar Rock State ParkState Park · Buchanan County, IA20 miN
Wapsipinicon State ParkState Park · Jones County, IA27 miE
Backbone State ParkState Park · Delaware County, IA38 miN- George Wyth Memorial State ParkState Park · Black Hawk County, IA42 miNW
- Union Grove State ParkState Park · Tama County, IA47 miW
Maquoketa Caves State ParkState Park · Jackson County, IA53 miE
Nelson Dewey State ParkState Park · Grant County, WI58 miNE
Rock Creek State ParkState Park · Jasper County, IA59 miSW- Roberts Creek State PreserveState Natural Area · Clayton County, IA59 miN
Towns near Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area
State parks near Cedar Rapids, State parks near Iowa City, State parks near Waterloo
Facts from Wikidata, checked September 25, 2026. Distances are straight-line.