It’s easy to work up a hunger exploring a state park. Refuel for your next adventure at these nearby eateries. Illustrations by Ethan Edvenson Palisades State Park 700 Kepler Dr, Mt. Vernon Palisades-Kepler State Park is located just outside Mt. Vernon, making it readily accessible for folks in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. It’s also […]
Lake Macbride
No swimming at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area ‘until water quality improves’
There will be no swimming permitted at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, “due to the level of E. Coli detected in Sand Lake,” the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department announced on Thursday afternoon. Sand Lake isn’t the only local swimming spot currently having this problem. Last Friday, Lake Macbride was one of seven eastern Iowa […]
Dating, hiking and falling in love with snow at Iowa state parks
Since moving to Iowa City from Athens, Georgia last August, I’ve spent my free time relaxing in Johnson County’s parks and greenspaces, and my weekends hiking state parks and trails. Here’s a tentative ranking of the five state parks I’ve explored throughout the state so far, plus an honorable Wisconsin mention. Lake Macbride State Park, […]
Your Village: Is it Lake Macbride or McBride?
According to the maps I find online, the lake in Lake Macbride State Park is Lake McBride. Are they named after the same person? Or did Macbride get the park and Macbride Hall at UI named after him, and McBride basically didn’t get anything other than me, years later, doubting his existence? —Matt, Iowa City
Keep cool at local pools, but beware E. coli and algae
Johnson County beach bums and pool-goers hoping to beat the heat in the last days of summer should be wary of the microscopic company they keep. “August is the peak month for the blue-green algae blooms that are an increasingly common threat to Iowa Lakes during the summer,” The Press-Citizen reports. Caused in part by […]
Field Trip: Experience the trails, camping, canoeing and more at Lake Macbride
Lake Macbride State Park and the Macbride Nature Recreation Area (MRNA) cover nearly 2,700 acres north of Iowa City, offering endless opportunities…
This Saturday, get a taste of the wild during Backyard Abundance’s food foraging class
Backyard Abundance will host a free food foraging event for area residents looking to enhance their knowledge on how to locate and identify wild, edible plants…

