Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance Newsletter

An event of this scale takes community collaboration, and the businesses and organizations of the Fort Dodge region have a long history of doing just that. Supports of the Frontier Days celebration include:  Midwest Fence and Gate  Iowa Central Community College’s Rugby Team  Pepsi  R&J Handling Materials  Iowa Central Community College  Woodruff Construction  Electronic Engineers  Modern Sound and Engineering

Member News

The Golden Day Adult Day Program was recently awarded a $1,500 grant from the GreenState Foundation. Golden Day Adult Day’s mission is to provide safe and caring adult services that will offer meaningful programs to enhance the dignity, independence, and quality of life of older persons and individuals with disabilities. They currently meet every other Monday from 1:00—4:00 p.m. at Citizens Central, located at 617 Central Avenue in Fort Dodge.

tRIBBON

Congratulations to Emily and Denny Stucky, new owners of the Community Orchard! A ribbon cutting was held to celebrate the occasion. Thank you for celebrating with the Growth Alliance Ambassadors!

County Connect Webster

Webster County Conservation Offers Something for Everyone

Webster County Conservation boasts over 2,000 acres of public parks, wildlife management areas, trails, water trails, Off-Highway Vehicle trails, nature preserves and historic sites. They offer reservations on yurts, cabins, camping sites and the tiny homes located at the OHV park. To access the availability calendar and make reservations, you can visit MyCountyParks.com.

There is no shortage of programming and activities to stay busy in 2022. You can find all the details in the newest Webster County Conservation Program Guide, available online and in print.

Programs:

Programming at Kennedy Park includes:

Kayaking Beginners Class

Full Moon Paddle

Stand Up Paddle Boarding

Free Fishing Weekend Fishing Clinic

Nature Day Camps

Nature Camp Kits

Things to Do:

StoryWalk Trail – Located in the Children’s Forest, this is an interactive experience with a story broken down into parts that encourages fun outdoor play and learning.

Tree Carvings – Instead of removing trees due to emerald ash borer in the Children’s Forest, Webster County Conservation wanted to turn the stumps into art. They have been transformed into characters from The Lorax. Challenge Course located in the woodlands at Camp WaNoki – Hikers, campers, or other groups can challenge themselves with activities like a giant seesaw, spider web maze, balance beam, and log jam. All activities encourage cooperation, communication, and teamwork.

Camp WaNoki programming includes:

Fireside Chat Series

Ladies Night in the Outdoors

Wilderness Skills Series

Summer WILD Camp

Toddler Time Outdoor Series

Photographer J. Chansler. Photo provided by the Fort Dodge Convention and Visitors Bureau

Geocaching is a great way to mix technology and the outdoors. This “treasure hunt” will provide the opportunities to explore new areas and see how many caches you are able to find. There are over 50 caches in the Fort Dodge Area alone! The process is simple…create an account at geocache.com and start exploring! a parking area and self-guided interpretive trail. The area is a preserve.

Woodman Hollow State Preserve - The preserve is a satellite area of Dolliver Memorial State Park, located 2 miles to the south. The original intent of the area was for it to be devel-

oped as a state park, and in the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed an access road, two latrines, some trails, and the foundations for a trail bridge. The State of Iowa later decided to discontinue development of the area and to leave it in its natural condition. The land was officially designated as a biological, geological, and archaeological state preserve on August 12, 1970.

Lizard Creek is a designated water trail, offering a 14-mile scenic paddle for experienced paddlers. With four public access points, paddlers can design their own adventure that can last a few hours or all day. Check the river gauge before you go to avoid paddling when the creek is too high or too low.

Thanks to a dedicated group of hardworking volunteers, Fort Dodge is becoming a growing mountain bike destination. The small, but mighty group of single-track enthusiasts have constructed over seven miles of “sweet”, single-track trail near the City’s Lizard Creek Access and Phinney Park. The trails include directional signage with difficulty ratings.

If hiking soft trails and scenic destinations is more your speed, check out these hiking destinations for a good workout with incredible views.

Camp Wa-No-ki – the camp’s recently completed hiking trail network provides an opportunity to explore the former Campfire Camp. The trails will guide you through the Des Moines River Valley as you travel through woodland, prairie, and riparian habitats.

Skillet Creek Indian Mounds - This is the site of a prehistoric Native American ceremonial ground. Five conical burial mounds and one linear ceremonial mound lie on the heavily timbered limestone bluff overlooking the Des Moines and Skillet Creek Valleys. The mounds were likely built 1,500 to 2,000 years ago by an extinct culture of Woodland Indians. Found in the bottomland of this area is the old mining town of Hard Scrabble. Once a thriving town in the late 1890’s there are few remains left to indicate such a life existed. There is The Gypsum City OHV Park is located in the southeast corner of Fort Dodge and boasts 800 acres with 60 miles of trails for ATVs, side-by-sides, and off-road vehicles. Gypsum City also includes a 1.5 mil motocross track, a quarter mile kids’ track, and a beginner circle track. Camping is available onsite, including the addition of rentable tiny homes.

In 2022, Webster County is ready to see residents and visitors alike enjoy all the amenities and activities it has to offer.