Get Outdoors and Enjoy Carroll County This Summer

Get Outdoors and Enjoy Carroll County This Summer

Carroll County has so many beautiful outdoor spaces where residents can go for a walk, ride their bike, have a picnic or throw the ball around with their kids. These parks, trails and meetings spots have a special place in our history and in the memories of those who call our area home. Our outdoor spaces and community events are just a few of the reasons people love living in Carroll County. With a family-friendly environment, low cost of living and easy access for businesses – Carroll County truly is an amazing place to live. If you haven’t visited our County yet, grab your hat and come spend time outdoors with us this weekend

Types of Outdoor Activities Available in Carroll County

Visitors to Carroll County can enjoy:

• Camping & Camping Cabins
• Biking the Sauk Rail Trail
• Fishing & Hunting opportunities
• Horseback riding
• Picnicking
• Birdwatching & Wildlife viewing
• Kayaking & Canoeing at Swan Lake State Park or on the Raccoon River
• Hiking
• Educational Programs
• Disc Golf at Swan Lake State Park

Learn more about our local parks and activities by clicking here.

Upcoming Events You Don’t Want to Miss

• Color Fun Run/Walk 5K 2019 Held on June 8th, the Carroll Chamber's Color Fun Run and Walk 5K is a great, family friendly event. With eight color powder stations setup throughout the route, the goal of this 5K is to run or walk and have fun while getting doused in vibrant color powder! Learn more here.
• Iowa's FREE Fishing Weekend! Held on June 7 – 9th, the free fishing weekend allows Iowa residents to fish without a fishing license for three days!
• Outdoor Journey for Girls July 10 – 12th, girls are invited to come and learn about nature and explore the outdoors.
• Carroll Sesquicentennial On July 19 – 21st, Carroll is turning 150! Come and celebrate with a BBQ contest and Johnny Holm Band on Friday, a day of family fun on Saturday with a Kiddie Parade and so much more. On Sunday, enjoy a Merchants game and spending time in Carroll. Learn more here.

Where to Go for Outdoor Fun in Carroll County

Here are just a few of the parks, trials, outdoor spaces and events to visit this summer:

• ARTS AND ANTIQUITIES TOUR – MANNING This tour is a self-guided tour of nineteen locations in Manning that offer a small glimpse into arts, culture, and antiques in Manning. Drive, walk, or bike to the different stops. Route lengths range from half a mile to nearly six miles. www.manningia.com BREDA
• MEMORIAL PARK (BASEBALL STADIUM) The wonderful former home stadium of the Breda Eagles, semi-pro team of the 1940’s and the 1975 St. Bernard High School State Baseball Champions, features one of the few remaining wooden covered grandstands in the Midwest. Built in 1947 (totally restored in 2001) for $15,000, it was described as “one of the best baseball parks in the state “with grandstand seating 600 and “lighting facilities equal to any in Iowa.”
• CARROLL COUNTY FREEDOM ROCK Located at Willow Creek Campsite along Hwy 141 East of Manning. Ray “Bubba” Sorensen painted the Carroll County Freedom Rock in June, 2014 as part of his 99-county Iowa Freedom Rock Tour. The rock features the Milwaukee railroad trestle, noting that during World War II, troop trains used these tracks.
• CARROLLTON HERITAGE PARK The former site of the Carrollton Store is now a serene roadside park with a picnic table and benches. It has a map of Carrollton the way the town appeared at different dates of history by color coding. Big and Little Blue Stem native grasses and Burr Oak trees that were native to Iowa are in the park. Other areas of interest include the Carrollton Cemetery which was the first cemetery of the county. It was established in 1854. Many pioneer families and Civil War Veterans are buried here. A memorial information sign helps with genealogy searches. It is located approximately 2½ miles south of the Park. The former Carrollton School site is under construction for a bell tower. It is located a quarter mile east of the Park. County signs mark the areas.
• CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD DEPOT & PARK - 407 W 5th St, Carroll The unique 1896 Chicago & Northwestern Railroad depot and American Express & baggage buildings designed by Charles Sumner Frost in his classic, Victorian Romanesque style have been totally renovated. The depot buildings and adjacent, historic, railroad park have returned to their place as a community green space and meeting area. It now houses the Carroll Chamber of Commerce.
• DICKSON TIMBER Two miles east and four and one-half miles north of Glidden 155-acre wooded area with hiking trails, registered primitive and electrical hook-up camping, enclosed stone shelter on site. Horse camping with six electric campsites and corrals available for the horses.
• FARMERS MARKET Nothing beats the taste or nutrition of fresh, Iowa grown fruits and vegetables. The place to find the freshest, tastiest produce is at the Depot Plaza in Carroll, Iowa. Other products include flowers, baked goods, honey & crafted items. May through October; Wed. 3:30 pm - 6 pm and Sat. 8:30 am - 11:30 am.
• JOHN 15 VINEYARD 343 180th St, Scranton, IA This is a vineyard and much more. Enjoy family celebrations in the conference/event center, stay in the vineyard lodging, camp in the tree house in the timber. While you’re there, relax in the outdoors at the vineyard pond and the scenic par 3 pitch & putt golf course. Grape products available include: jelly, jam, syrup, pie and much more. Open year round, Mon. - Fri.  9 am - 6 pm, and Sat. 10 am - 4 pm, tobacco and alcohol free.
• LAKERS BASKETBALL COURT AND HISTORICAL MARKER Veterans Memorial Park – Corner of Forest & 22nd St, Carroll A January blizzard in 1960 resulted in an emergency DC-3 airplane landing of the professional basketball team, Minneapolis Lakers (today’s LA Lakers), including NBA great, Elgin Baylor. A former Marine pilot successfully landed the converted World War II cargo airplane in a frozen cornfield just a few yards from the marker sign in the park and next to today’s Laker Court, a basketball court in Lakers colors built in 2010 and donated by the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. The marker contains a photo and description of the event. A bronze plaque is located next to Laker Court and thanks the Lakers for sponsoring the court on the historic event’s 50th anniversary.
• MERCHANTS PARK (CARROLL BASEBALL STADIUM) The historic 1949 Merchants Park built for Carroll’s semi-pro team (Merchants) is a unique site for some of the finest high school, college & semi pro baseball in Iowa. Plans are progressing for a full restoration of the ballpark.

Visit, Explore and Discover Why Carroll County is an Amazing Place to Live

For more information on Carroll County, or the amenities offered here, contact Shannon Landauer, Executive Director of Carroll Area Development Corporation, at s.landauer@carrolliowa.com.