Yellow Banks Park

Modern and primitive campgrounds, picnic shelters, fishing, ball fields, playgrounds, hiking, boat ramp, access to the Des Moines River. Resting on high bluffs overlooking the Des Moines River, Yellow Banks Park offers some of the most outstanding scenery in central Iowa. This 598-acre park features a 60-unit campground, three picnic shelters, 5-acre pond, and a boat ramp on the Des Moines River. Summer hours are from 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.; winter hours are from sunrise to sunset. Reservations for shelters and some campsites can be made online at www.mycountyparks.com. The online reservation rate for electric is $25, non-electric is $20, and youth group sites are $25. Online reservations are available for camping between April 15 and October 15. Hiking trails within the park lead to overlooks of the river valley, an oak savanna, a Native American burial mound, and a unique backpacking camping area. This is a prime area for viewing migrating raptors in spring and fall. The park, acquired by the Conservation Board in 1980, is located southeast of Pleasant Hill off SE Vandalia Road.