States with National Heritage Areas (Non-Units)


  Home    Travel    Main NPS

Alabama Alaska Arizona Colorado Georgia Illinois Iowa
Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi New Jersey New Mexico
New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee
Utah Virginia West Virginia Multi-State

Iowa National Heritage Areas (Non-Units)


Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area

9/16/2006 Headed down into Iowa on I35 then west to near Rockford to the Fossil and Prairie Park (in the NW corner of the Silos and Smokestacks NHA). Here there are trails around a prairie area, and also some quarry-like areas with pits lined with sand and stones. Fossils were plentiful; I found a bunch of shells in short order.

The park sign
NPS Image
A view of the area ...
NPS Image
... and details of the surface
NPS Image
Some of my finds
NPS Image

5/10/2011 After following the shorter southern LH segment heading into Cedar Rapids, we went south to the Indian River Nature Center, in the Silos and Smokestacks NHA. We checked out a renovated 1932 dairy barn visitor center, where maple syrup making, beekeeping, prairie restoration, and other programs are used to interpret the natural environment and the Iowa cultural and agricultural heritage.

The park sign and area
NPS Image
The old dairy barn
NPS Image
Me in the VC ...
NPS Image
... and being silly
NPS Image