Rock Rapids, Iowa — One of the area’s most unusual parks has been open for the season for several weeks, but its main iconic entrance is not.
Island Park in Rock Rapids is known for its river views, its campgrounds, its steep cobblestone entrance, and, unfortunately, for frequent flooding.
The park was one of the flooded areas in the northwest Iowa floods of 2024. Repair of the park and reclaiming of the area took a long time, but the park is open as usual — except for that steep cobblestone entrance.
We talked with Rock Rapids City Council Member Ed Reck recently about the entrance and he told us that the issue is that the flood took one of the railings on the bridge below the cobblestone hill, and it’s not safe to open the entrance with that railing missing. A compounding issue is that the roughly 125-year-old closed-spandrel arch bridge is set for replacement in 2026 (if things go according to plan). Bridge inspectors have been telling the Rock Rapids City Council that the bridge needs to be replaced for over ten years. Reck says federal grants to replace the bridge have been approved.
Reck tells us if they were to replace the railing, it would just get thrown away when the bridge is replaced next summer. He says council members are aware of the historical significance and the public’s feelings about the entrance being open, but he says you can just come into the park on the other side at North Fourth Avenue and North Boone Street, loop around, and exit at the same place.
Reck says that included in this project is also the replacement of the wall on the south side of the main cobblestone entrance.
