Ida County

Moorehead Park

If you love natural areas, a visit to Moorehead Park is a must. This beautiful 258-acre park located on the northwest corner of Ida Grove will give you a first-hand view at what life was like in the earlier settlement days. Once the original site of Ida Grove, Moorehead Park is an area proud of its history. In the early 1850’s, the Moorehead family came to settle in what has now become the park. Ruts from the early stagecoach are still obvious near the old (now refurbished) stagecoach inn. The stagecoach barn still stands nearby. It’s hand-hewn and wood pegged timbers display what life was like so long ago. Learn More

Located one mile west of Ida Grove on Highways 59 and 175. This has primitive camping only. There are outhouses, picnic tables and grills. There are no showers, no dump station and no plumbing facilities. Camping fees are $8.00 per night, which is collected in the morning by the park attendant. Moorehead Park has a small lake for fishing, shelter houses, a large playground, and miles of hiking trails. On the lake you can see many kinds of birds, including several Trumpeter Swans, which are part of a Trumpeter Swan repopulation program. The paved Pleasant Valley Trail connects the park with the city of Ida Grove. This is an Ida County park, and a future plan is to install camping pads. Moorehead Park also has several historical places, including the Grant County Schoolhouse, a log cabin, and the Stagecoach Inn (the original house first built in Ida County).

Crawford Creek Recreational Area

Located seven miles south of Battle Creek (7 miles west of Ida Grove on Highway 175) on L51, a county blacktop road. The park is equipped with camper pads with electrical and water hookups. There are restrooms with indoor plumbing, showers, and changing rooms with hot and cold water. Picnic tables and grills are available. Crawford Creek has play equipment, a small pond for fishing and small boating, and a sand beach for swimming. Paddle boats are available for rent at $5.00 per hour. There is a dump station and play equipment. One of the hidden treasures of Crawford Creek are the log camper cabins, which will house six adults and contain heat, air conditioning, a microwave, a refrigerator, a table and bench, a fire pit and a picnic table. These cabins are located lakeside and share a private dock. The camping fee is $15.00 per night for pads and $6.00 per night for primitive camping, which is collected in the morning by the park attendant. the camper cabins range from $35.00 to $45.00 per night. Learn More

Grant Center School

This one-room schoolhouse was built in 1884. Local students spend one exciting day each year learning in the footsteps of their forbears. Learn More

Pleasant Valley Trail

The Pleasant Valley Trail is a walking/bicycling trail that surrounds the town with four miles of paved trail with many entrance points. The entire trail with going both ways in and out of the park is 6.2 miles… or a 10K for those runners out there. The trail passes through or near most parks in the area, and runs near the BCIG Elementary, BCIG High School, Ida Grove Community Rec Center, the nine-hole Ida Grove Golf and Country Club, and the outdoor swimming pool. Learn More