07/31/2026
Stop #211 on America 250 Stops in 250 Days along the Iowa Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway is Yellow Smoke Park in Denison, IA.
This 360-acre recreation area features a 40-acre lake, trails, camping, a beach, boating, fishing, historic bridges, and a Lincoln Highway Interpretive Sign! The park was named for Chief Yellow Smoke of the Omaha Tribe, who inhabited that area in the mid-19th century. The Neal Moeller Environmental Education Center houses exhibits and classrooms.
Bowstring Bridge: Originally placed over Paradise Creek, this Bowstring Bridge was designed and fabricated by Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel, started by two Iowa State Graduates, W. Jackson and B. Moss. The circa 1945 bridge was moved to Yellow Smoke circa 1986 and put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
See you on the byway! 🛺
America250 Yellow Smoke Iowa Department of Natural Resources Travel Iowa City of Denison, Iowa Crawford County Conservation