Effigy Mounds National Monument

The Effigy Mounds National Monument is located in Iowa on limestone bluffs of the Mississippi River. This was my first stop on my trip and the first time I saw the mighty Mississippi River. The monument consists of land along the Mississippi River were Native American mounds are located. These mounds are formed in many different shapes such as circular, hawk, and bear shaped mounds. The mounds' shapes aren't truly visible from ground level. An aerial view is needed to see the forms at their best. It is believed that Effigy mounds were found throughout the Mid-West but were destroyed due to the development of cities and the creation of farmsteads. Many different hypotheses have been made about who made them, when, and why. Due to archeological studies it is now known that they aren't all burial mounds, and other hypotheses arouse of the other mounds used for ceremonies to gods.

The park site not only holds cultural resources, but natural ones as well. The Mississippi supports many different species of wildlife. As I reached one of the park trail's overlooks of the Mississippi, I saw a Bald Eagle soaring boldly overhead in the strong wind gusts. While hiking along the wooded portion of the trail I heard and saw many different species of birds like Black capped Chickadees, woodpeckers, and Nuthatches.

I arrived at the park when the weather was beautiful and sunny, and of course when I left the park visitor center a storm front was moving over the Mississippi. Due to the weather the pictures aren't the greatest, but common it’s the Mississippi, just to see it is all there is to me!