Attractions and Places To See around Decorah - Top 20

Pulpit Rock, a prominent limestone bluff in Decorah, Iowa, is a picturesque natural landmark in Will Baker Park. This striking geological formation, sculpted by centuries of erosion, offers dramatic views of the Upper Iowa River and the surrounding cityscape. A moderately challenging one-mile loop trail, featuring some steep sections and stone steps, leads hikers to the summit. From this vantage point, visitors are rewarded with panoramic vistas of the Decorah Community Prairie and the scenic rolling hills characteristic of Iowa's Driftless Area.

The Ten Mile Creek Bridge, now located on the Trout Run Trail, originally spanned Ten Mile Creek about five miles northwest of Decorah. It was dismantled and relocated to Trout Run Trail in the spring of 2011. The R.D. Wheaton Bridge Company of Chicago built the bridge around 1895. It features a kingpost pony truss design, one of the simplest types of trusses, dating back to the Middle Ages. Many kingpost bridges were constructed on Iowa’s early roads in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, initially using a combination of timber and iron and later in all-metal configurations. The kingpost design is generally limited to relatively short spans. On a personal note, I have hiked and fly-fished at the original site of the Ten Mile Creek bridge. All that remains now are the concrete abutments of the bridge, and Happy Hollow Road (yes, that's really its name) now dead-ends on both sides of the creek.

The water that feeds Dunning Spring comes from near the base of the Galena Aquifer. Beneath this aquifer is the much less permeable Decorah Shale, which acts as a "confining bed" or "floor" for the aquifer. When the Decorah Shale is exposed near the surface of the land, particularly on the sides of river valleys, it causes groundwater to discharge. This process creates beautiful waterfalls and springs, such as Dunning Spring.

About 465 to 470 million years ago, a meteorite struck near present-day Decorah, Iowa, creating a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) wide impact crater buried beneath the city's surface. Although this highlight is named “Decorah Impact Crater Marker”, at the time of my most recent hike to this highlight, on August 2, 2025, there was no marker or monument nearby. However, there is a large bronze medallion set in concrete marking the precise meteorite impact site located about 0.2 miles west-southwest of this highlight.. The marker can be found at GPS coordinates 43.31580, -91.77474. I have made this location a komoot highlight as well. The bottom of the impact crater now lies about 300 feet below the marker due to geological changes that have occurred over the millennia following the meteorite strike. The crater and its discovery are significant because it is one of fewer than 200 recognized impact structures on Earth. It has preserved a unique fossil record of ancient life, including the nearly 6-foot sea scorpion known as Pentecopterus decorahensis.

Beautiful park with lots of shade

Amenities & Points of Interest: fresh water spring, 8 acres tall prairie grass, trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing (this is a natural wildlife area which is not developed for picnicking and camping) https://parks.decorahia.org/decorah-parks

Park in the gravel area just south of the entrance to Dunning’s Spring Park. Walk to the waterfall and be sure to take time to walk across the stone bridge and climb the steps to view the source of Dunning’s Spring. To the right of the stone bridge is a steep trail leading up to a series of trails above Ice Cave Road. Dunning Springs is the site of a beautiful waterfall surrounded by limestone cliffs. The park features a walking path, scenic overlook, and bridge crafted by local stone mason, Ted Wilson. The trails throughout Dunning Springs and Ice Cave Park are numerous. Due to their complexity and technical difficulty, not all the trails are marked on printed maps. Talk to experts at the local bike shops about navigating this system. https://visitdecorah.com/trail/dunnings-spring-park/

Park anywhere along Twin Springs Road and follow the stream “up river” until the stream disappears into the ground—you have found the source of Twin Springs! Twin Springs park used to be the site of an Iowa DNR fish hatchery. It now is a City of Decorah Park, with benches, picnic tables, grills, a stocked trout stream, a children’s fishing pond, and trails for hiking. At the spring head, the 0.8-mile Odin’s Loop heads into the hills above the stream. https://visitdecorah.com/trail/twin-springs-park/