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Eighty years ago, a group of citizens in Southeast Iowa had a vision of turning the rolling hills in Southeast Iowa into a lake and recreation area for all to enjoy. The group worked tirelessly for fourteen years to complete what we now know as Geode State Park, named after the quartz crystal filled rock found in creeks and streams in the area...

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Eighty years later, the park has gone through many changes and improvements, most recently, the scheduled renovation of the lake and campground which is to be completed in 2019. The lake renovation is aimed at improving the water quality to bring Lake Geode and the beach back to the way we all remember it. 

In 2016, Dave Smith, grandson of development chairman E.N.Smith, took over the responsibility of heading up a new friends group to work with the Park Manager Ulf Konig and the DNR on creating community involvement and help re-energize the park. With the lake and campground renovation, this is a golden opportunity to make improvements in the park, most notably, the unused concession building at the beach. The concession building was scheduled to be torn down until the friends group stepped forward to help renovate and once again offer food, drink, non-motorized watercraft rentals to beachgoers and park visitors as well as camping supplies and Friends merchandise.

Your contribution to the Friends of Geode State Park can help:

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• Preserve and protect the natural beauty and history of Geode State Park.

• Promote and support educational projects within the Park.

• Increase public awareness of Geode State Park.

• Fund projects like renovation of the former concession building, wildlife viewing blinds, trail updates and improvements, educational programs and much, much more.

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