Lake of Three Fires
Why is this state park named Lake of Three Fires?
Lake of Three Fires refers to when the Pottawattamie tribe lived in this area. It is now a state park and a great place to explore for hiking or biking!
Transcript
[Abby Brown] There are so many beautiful state parks in Iowa where people love to go on adventures and here a lot of people like to ride horses and even hike. But I'm going to explore on my bike.
(Map marking Taylor County in southwest Iowa.)
This is Lake of Three Fires State Park near Bedford, Iowa. It's well known for horseback riding trails, but the pathways here are good for biking, too. Although you do have to watch out for some mud here and there.
You might be wondering why it's called Lake of Three Fires. It's named after the Potawatomi tribe who lived in this area a long time ago.
Legend says that two other tribes joined the Potawatomi to provide a stronger, protective front against invading tribes. They kept three fires burning on the highest hilltops to signify that three tribes were here together. Lake of Three Fires was the chosen name to honor that Native American history.
The lake is also a park with different recreational areas, so the biking trail mainly follows the outer edge of the park. But every now and then, there's an offshoot path that allows you to explore someplace new.
(A young deer runs down the path in front of Abby’s bicycle.)
You'll see several different habitats on your ride, like woodlands, wetlands, and even prairie remnants.
(Tall, green leafy trees line the path.)
(A green, marshy pond is seen through the tall grass along the path.)
(A patch of short green grass surrounded by tall prairie grasses waving in the breeze.)
Your reward for getting some exercise in your bike is making it down the trail, far enough to cross one more bridge before landing here on the banks of Lake of Three Fires.
(A large body of rippling water surrounded by tall leafy trees interspersed with pine trees.)
People come here to fish, camp, picnic and just enjoy the scenery.
Every county in Iowa has nature and history to explore. Why not saddle up for yourself and go exploring like I did in Taylor County?
Funding for FIND Iowa has been provided by The Coons Foundation, Pella and the Gilchrist Foundation.