Fort Defiance State Park

State park in Emmet County, Iowa

This article is about the Iowa state park. For other uses, see Fort Defiance (disambiguation).

Fort Defiance State Park

Location of Fort Defiance State Park in Iowa

Location| Emmet County, Iowa, United States
Coordinates| 43°23′31″N 94°51′37″W﻿ / ﻿43.39194°N 94.86028°W﻿ / 43.39194; -94.86028
Area| 191 acres (77 ha)
Elevation| 1,453 ft (443 m)[1]
Established| 1930[2]
Named for| Dakota War of 1862 era Fort Defiance
Governing body| Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Website| Fort Defiance State Park

Fort Defiance State Park is a state park in Emmet County, Iowa, United States. The park is 191 acres (77 ha) and sits at an elevation of 1,453 feet (443 m).[1] The park, which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, was opened to the public in 1930.[2] Fort Defiance State Park is open for year-round recreation including picnicking, hiking, and camping.[3]

## History[edit]

Fort Defiance State Park is named for the former Fort Defiance which stood where an accounting office is now located at 103 S. Sixth St. in Estherville, Iowa. The fort was built to protect a gristmill and sawmill during the Dakota War of 1862.[4] In Iowa alarm over the attacks in Minnesota and the Dakotas led to the construction of a series of forts from Sioux City to Iowa Lake. The region had previously been militarized in the aftermath of the Spirit Lake Massacre in 1857. After the 1862 conflict began, the Iowa Legislature authorized “not less than 500 mounted men from the frontier counties at the earliest possible moment, and to be stationed where most needed”, this number was soon reduced. No fighting took place in Iowa, the Dakota uprising led to the rapid expulsion of the few unassimilated Native Americans left there.[5][6] Fort Defiance was built in 1862 at a time when 40% of the male population of Emmet County was away and fighting for the Union Army during the American Civil War.[7]

## Recreation[edit]

Fort Defiance State Park is open for year-round recreation. A lodge built to resemble a frontier army outpost is available to rent to large groups for meetings and reunions. There is a picnic pavilion that is open to all visitors on a first-come first-served basis. The park has a rustic camping area with sixteen camping sites. There are no flush toilets or showers available and just eight of the campsites are connected to electricity. The trails of the park are open to hiking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing.[3] Two of the trails, White Tail Ridge Trail and Spring Trail have recently undergone extensive improvements. The work, completed by students from the Iowa Lakes Community College environmental studies program included covering the trails with wood chips to make the trails "more hiker friendly." White Tail Ridge Trail passes through a wooded area where visitors may encounter some White-tail deer. The Spring Trails passes through a patch of prairie.[8]

## Friends of Fort Defiance State Park[edit]

The Friends of Fort Defiance State Park is a community organization founded in 2006 to improve the park.[9] The group has raised funds for trail construction and maintenance and worked to keep the grounds of the park clean. Additionally the friends worked to improve the electric hookups at the campsites from 20 amps to 50 amps.[10] Park use and visitation has increased since the Friends of Fort Defiance State Park began their campaign to improve the park. A local newspaper describes the level of use of the campground as being "constant" and has noted an increase in rentals of the lodge for large group functions.[11]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Fort Defiance State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. April 30, 1979. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
2. ^ a b Tidemann, Michael (2008-07-27). "Wittenben tells Kiwanians of Fort Defiance progress". Estherville Daily News. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
3. ^ a b "Fort Defiance State Park". The Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
4. ^ Tidemann, Michael (2008-12-30). "Friends of Fort Defiance recognized". Estherville Daily News. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
5. ^ Rogers, Leah D. (2009). "Fort Madison, 1808-1813". In William E. Whittaker (ed.). Frontier Forts of Iowa: Indians, Traders, and Soldiers, 1682–1862. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. pp. 193–206. ISBN 978-1-58729-831-8. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
6. ^ McKusick, Marshall B. (1975). The Iowa Northern Border Brigade. Iowa City, Iowa: Office of the State Archaeologist, The University of Iowa.
7. ^ Tidemann, Michael (2009-07-14). "Fort Defiance featured in book". Estherville Daily News. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
8. ^ "Daily News Editorial: So how are your kids spending the summer". Estherville Daily News. 2010-06-22. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
9. ^ Tidemann, Michael (2008-10-28). "Friends of Fort Defiance receive award". Estherville Daily News. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
10. ^ Tidemann, Michael (2009-04-29). "Fort Defiance State Park: Ready for visitors". Estherville Daily News. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
11. ^ "Daily News Editorial: Thanks, DNR". Estherville Daily News. 2008-10-31. Retrieved 2010-07-11.

## External links[edit]

* Fort Defiance State Park

* v
* t
* e

Protected areas of Iowa

Federal|

| National monument|

* Effigy Mounds

|

National Historic Site|

* Herbert Hoover

National Wildlife Refuges|

* DeSoto
* Driftless Area
* Neal Smith
* Northern Tallgrass Prairie
* Port Louisa
* Union Slough
* Upper Mississippi River

* Iowa portal

State|

| State Parks|

* Ambrose A. Call
* Backbone
* Badger Creek
* Banner Lakes at Summerset
* Beeds Lake
* Bellevue
* Big Creek
* Black Hawk
* Brushy Creek
* Cedar Rock
* Clear Lake
* Dolliver Memorial
* Elk Rock
* Elinor Bedell
* Emerson Bay
* Fairport
* Fort Defiance
* Geode
* George Wyth Memorial
* Green Valley
* Gull Point
* Honey Creek
* Lacey-Keosauqua
* Lake Ahquabi
* Lake Anita
* Lake Darling
* Lake Keomah
* Lake Macbride
* Lake Manawa
* Lake of Three Fires
* Lake Wapello
* Ledges
* Lewis and Clark
* Lower Gar
* Maquoketa Caves
* Marble Beach
* McIntosh Woods
* Mines of Spain & E.B. Lyons
* Mini-Wakan
* Nine Eagles
* Okamanpedan
* Palisades-Kepler
* Pikes Peak
* Pikes Point
* Pilot Knob
* Pillsbury Point
* Pine Lake
* Pleasant Creek
* Prairie Rose
* Preparation Canyon
* Red Haw
* Rice Lake
* Rock Creek
* Springbrook
* Stone
* Templar
* Trapper's Bay
* Twin Lakes
* Union Grove
* Viking Lake
* Volga River
* Walnut Woods
* Wapsipinicon
* Waubonsie
* Wildcat Den
* Wilson Island

|

State Forests|

* Backbone
* Barkley
* Gifford
* Holst
* Loess Hills
* Pilot Mound
* Shimek
* Stephens
* White Pine Hollow
* Yellow River

State Preserves|

* A.F. Miller
* Ames High Prairie
* Anderson Prairie
* Behrens Pond and Woodlands
* Berry Woods
* Bird Hill
* Bixby
* Bluffton Fir Stand
* Brush Creek Canyon
* Brushy Creek
* Cameron Woods
* Casey's Paha
* Catfish Creek
* Cayler Prairie
* Cedar Bluffs
* Cedar Hills Sand Prairie
* Cheever Lake
* Clay Prairie
* Claybanks Forest
* Cold Water Spring
* Crossman Prairie
* Decorah Ice Cave
* Dinesen Prairie
* Doolittle Prairie
* Fallen Rock
* Fish Farm Mounds
* Five Ridge Prairie
* Fleming Woods
* Fort Atkinson
* Freda Haffner Kettlehole
* Gitchie Manitou
* Hanging Bog
* Hardin City Woodland
* Hartley Fort
* Hayden Prairie
* Hoffman Prairie
* Indian Bluffs Primitive Area
* Indian Fish Trap
* Iowa's State Preserves System
* Kalsow
* Kish-Ke-Kosh Prairie
* Lamson Woods
* Liska-Stanek Prairie
* Little Maquoketa
* Malanaphy Springs
* Malchow Mounds
* Manikowski Prairie
* Mann Wilderness Area
* Marietta Sand Prairie
* Mericle Woods
* Merrill A. Stainbrook
* Merritt Forest
* Montauk
* Mossy Glen
* Mount Pisgah Cemetery
* Mount Talbot
* Nestor Stiles Prairie
* Ocheyedan Mound
* Old State Quarry
* Palisades-Downs
* Pecan Grove
* Pellett Woods
* Pilot Grove
* Pilot Knob
* Retz Woods
* Roberts Creek
* Rock Creek Island
* Rock Island
* Roggman Boreal Slopes
* Rolling Thunder Prairie
* Saint James Lutheran Church
* Savage Woods
* Searryl's Cave
* Sheeder Prairie
* Silver Lake Fen
* Silvers-Smith Woods
* Slinde Mounds
* Starr's Cave
* Steele Prairie
* Stinson Prairie
* Strasser Woods
* Sylvan Runkel
* Toolesboro Mounds
* Turin Loess Hills
* Turkey River Mounds
* White Pine Hollow
* Williams Prairie
* Wittrock Indian Village
* Woodland Mounds
* Woodman Hollow
* Woodthrush

County|

| State Parks
(Leased)|

* Bobwhite
* Cold Springs
* Crystal Lake
* Eagle Lake
* Echo Valley
* Frank A. Gotch
* Heery Woods
* Lake Cornelia
* Lake Icaria
* Kearny
* Margo Frankel
* Mill Creek
* Oak Grove
* Oakland Mills
* Pammel
* Sharon Bluffs
* Spring Lake
* Swan Lake
* Three Mile Lake

|

Iowa Department of Natural Resources
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template