Backbone State Park — Attraction in Manchester

I have very fond memories of the State of Iowa's oldest state park, growing up in that region of Iowa in the late 1960s, 70s, and early 1980s. However, every year for the past 8 years I have brought my family down from Minnesota to experience the beauty of the park and the thrill of Trout fishing in what was once, in my opinion, the most beautiful park ànd pristine trout stream in the midwest; and the main attraction of the park. However, year after year, this park continues to degrade and become an eyesore for all to behold. Those memories will just have to be mine and never my children's. I am ashamed to bring them to the trout stream. Each year, it seems to decline in its beauty, and after this year, I doubt I will bring them back. There are no longer walkable trails along most of the stream due to extreme overgrowth of weeds and scrubrush. The stream is mainly silt filled and clogged with logs, and there are more Sucker fish than Trout, despite being a stocked stream. What was once a beautiful old hatchery is now just abandoned pond ruins that are an eyesore filled with scum, and they are potentially a hazard to people and wildlife if they fall into them.

While the campgrounds are very well maintained and wonderful to camp in. They don't make up for the degradation of the trout stream area. I don't blame the Rangers and the Biologists that try to do the best with the meager resources the State of Iowa provides.

It is my hope that the beraucrats in Des Moines, visit this park and see the atrocity they have created by not adequately funding this once beautiful park and maintaining it to be the gem it once was. If you're having problems raising the funding for the park, please reinstate the park permit fee that helped to maintain them. I remember having to pay the fee when I lived in Iowa, and as a current resident in Minnesota, I am used to buying an annual permit each year. It is what helps to keep the State Parks...

We stayed in the cabins for the weekend. It was a lot of fun, and neighbors were friendly. There is very limited upkeep during the winter time, so you have to be prepared for that if you plan to go exploring.

The inside of the cabin was nice, and had all of the necessities. It was very nice that they had heated floors, but these needed to be instructions for how to operate the thermostat. It didn't seem to stay at the temperature that we kept adjusting it to, but I suppose this was so it could reset once someone leaves and a new person arrives.

The cabins were much closer together than expected, but there wasn't much activity due to the time of year that we went. Make sure to bring a very bright flash or spot light as there isn't much outside if you arrive late at night. You might also bring salt for the ground because the paths were paved as well. They put in some effort, but it froze overnight and we almost slipped several times. The shovels are flimsy, so that didn't help much on solid ice, but we had our own anyway.

Don't be alarmed if you miss the check-in time, it's electronic keyless entry (this needs to be updated on their website). They usually call to verify the pin with you beforehand, about a week or so in advance.

There were a few cosmetic things that were out of order that were only concerning because of the deposit, but this didn't seem to be an issue. Mainly the blinds needed to be replaced, as anyone passing by could look in, so we had to put a blanket over them.

The trails were clear at all (we went in March), and were extremely dangerous. It's go at your own risk, but the park should be closed with those kind of conditions, or at least certain parts should be blocked off.

Overall, it was very nice, and the upside was that we got most of the parks to ourselves. I would recommend going when there isn't snow out, but it is...

This is definitely one of the better parks in the state. There are some great trails and the water is nice. There are newer modern bathrooms at the campgrounds with showers and running water, which is a treat. Tent camping spaces are fairly generous in size, though some have slopes you have to contend with. The northern part of the park is not well connected to the southern part... Not a big problem but something to be aware of. If you're camping in the southern campgrounds, make sure you make the trip up to the northern part where there is much more 'nature features' to enjoy. There are several great trout fishing spots on the river in the north side of the park, as well as a cave and nice walking trails. The real treat of this park is the staff. The DNR working this park is top notch. They are very friendly and helpful to the visitors. There is a park store in the park supplying essentials and even treats for the kids near the beach area. They sell firewood at the store for $1 more than some local sellers and the money goes to the parks to keep up the great service they are providing. The campgrounds have camp hosts happy to help out. There were staff on site working around the park to keep it in good shape during our weekend visit. That's definitely encouraging! There's several playground for the kiddies to enjoy (though they're a bit dated). Several trails connect right up to the campground areas for quick, easy access. We didn't make it on to the lake but it looks easy to enjoy with kayaks or a canoe. Be aware there is a dam you probably want to steer clear of. I can't say enough about how friendly, helpful, and welcoming the people staffing the park were. Between them and the beautiful nature, we'll definitely enjoy this park again...