![]() ![]() ![]() Windows at the beach lodge and boathouse were restored and new concrete footings were poured at several buildings, the DNR reported. Helmsley, the New York hoteliers.Ĭrews cleaned, tuckpointed and replaced capstones, as well as replaced rotten wood doors and re-roofed the beach lodge, boathouse and west shelter. The park's iconic structures got a major face-lift last year in preparation for Backbone's 100th birthday, aided by a $650,000 grant from the trust of Leona M. The park has a 50-acre man-made lake, a campground, cabins, 21 miles of hiking and biking trails, natural climbing wall and a trout stream. The 2,001-acre park 60 miles north of Cedar Rapids is heavily wooded with oak, maple and other tree species, but is best known for the narrow ridge of limestone - called the Devil's Backbone - cut by a loop of the Maquoketa River. 'Who knows what this area may look like in 100 years,” he said. It was a smaller party than the DNR had planned before COVID-19 made large gatherings unsafe, but still made Roger Helmrichs, a member of the Backbone State Park Friends Group, choke up when he talked about preserving the beloved spot for future generations. Kim Reynolds, Iowa Department of Natural Resources staff, Backbone supporters and park users. 'I can still personally hear shrieks from girls in the dressing room as low-flying planes flew over.”īackbone celebrated its centennial Friday with a gathering of about 50 elected officials, including Gov. 'The CCC boys, when they constructed this, didn't put any roofs on the dressing rooms,” said Mike Carr, in his 70s, of Manchester. One of his favorite stories involves the beach lodge, one of many stone structures at the park built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |