Thanks to Sioux City area landowners who wanted to preserve their land’s natural features, Stone State Park is expanding to include more of Iowa’s scenic Loess Hills region. 

A dedication ceremony on Sunday, June 8 will officially add three parcels, totaling almost 200 acres, to the park. The ceremony especially honors Alfred Thurow, Carolyn and Norman Sloan, and Shelley Sweeney, who each chose to add their land to the park through the non-profit Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF). Their lands were transferred this year to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which manages Stone State Park. Longtime Sioux City resident Millie Acklin will also be specially remembered, as her bequest to INHF made part of this protection possible.

The public is invited to help celebrate the newly protected land at a dedication ceremony, hosted by Friends of Stone State Park and INHF. It will take place at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center (4500 Sioux River Road) at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 8.

“We encourage everyone to come and personally thank the former landowners who chose to protect these important lands for all our benefit,” said Kevin Pape, Stone State Park Ranger. “Their unselfish actions truly are leaving a legacy for all Iowans that will last for generations – where people will always be able to enjoy the scenic views of natural prairie and woodlands.”

After the ceremony, attendees will have the rare opportunity to go on a guided hike to view the three additions and learn about their diverse wildlife and natural features. The hike will last about an hour and a half and will cover rough terrain. Hikers should wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather.

The three park additions will permanently protect Loess Hills prairie remnants, oak woodlands and vital wildlife corridors. The Sloan addition provides access to expansive scenic views of the Big Sioux River valley. The Thurow land expands on the Jim and Herta Schenck property that was added to the park in 2005. The Sweeney addition includes Acklin Ridge, named in honor of Millie Acklin, who left her estate to INHF when she passed away last fall. The gift helped INHF purchase the Sweeney land and add it to the park.

Located in the northwest corner of Sioux City, Stone State Park is nationally recognized as an Urban Wildlife Sanctuary. Its prairie ridges and oak savanna are home to rare butterfly species, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, coyotes and red foxes.

In recent years, new housing and other development has surrounded the park, limiting opportunities for expansion. The addition of these formerly private properties guarantees that more habitats will remain wild. The additions will also benefit Siouxland residents with extended trails for hiking and wildlife viewing.

“The people of Siouxland are blessed to have such a beautiful state park in their metro area, and to have such committed and generous people who care about the land and community,” said Anita O’Gara, spokesperson for INHF. “I’ll be there on June 8 to honor the incredible people we’ve come to know who love this park and the land. Rarely do we have the opportunity to expand any of Iowa’s state parks, and it’s especially rare to expand an urban park. To celebrate three additions at once will be a truly exceptional treat.”

Other INHF projects in Woodbury and Plymouth counties include Oak Ridge Conservation Area additions, Owego Wetland Complex, the Big Sioux River Corridor and Wetland Complex, and several conservation easements.