Bear Effigy Mounds with visitor walking nearby.
Marching Bear Mound Group in summer. NPS Photo

Effigy Mounds National Monument

National Monument · Iowa · National Park Service

The mounds preserved here are considered sacred by many Americans, especially the Monument's 20 culturally associated American Indian tribes. A visit offers opportunities to contemplate the meanings of the mounds and the people who built them. The 200 plus American Indian mounds are located in one of the most picturesque sections of the Upper Mississippi River Valley.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Phone
5638733491
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: Archeology · Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite · Native American Heritage · Animals · Birds · Fire · Forests and Woodlands · Deciduous Forests · Geology · Grasslands · Prairies · Scenic Views · Wetlands

Activities & features: Guided Tours · Hiking · Front-Country Hiking · Junior Ranger Program · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Museum Exhibits · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • Circular mounds in a single line.
    NPS Photo/ Eaton Cote'
  • View from the air of a mound covered in short green vegetation with forest behind.
    NPS / Eaton Cote'

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Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12