Facilities and Activities

Picnicking/Shelters/Lodge
Beed's Lake State Park is a beautiful place for a family picnic or cookout. Its grassy shaded picnic areas provide many opportunities for relaxation. Several open shelters may be reserved online through the park reservation system.

The stone and timber beach building built by the Civilian Conservation Corps has been converted to a rental lodge. The lodge is complete with dining areas, a kitchen and rest rooms and may be reserved for a fee. The lodge may be reserved online through the park reservation system . The park concessionaire manages the lodge operation. Contact the park office at 641-456-2047 if you have any questions.

Camping
Beed's Lake has a very popular campground. A total of 99 of the 144 sites have electrical hookups. Modern restroom and shower facilities are available, as is a sanitary dump station. Advance campsite reservations can be booked through the park reservation system. Half of the campsites are still available for self-registration on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Trails
A two-mile trail provides a unique hiking experience for visitors as it follows the shoreline around Beed's Lake. At the spillway, visitors can hike to the base of the dam and experience a cool refreshing mist as water rolls down the beautiful limestone face. This trail may be utilized by hikers, bicyclists, cross-country skiers and joggers.

Lake Activities (swimming, boating, fishing)
The sandy beach for swimming is located on the south side of the lake, near the lodge and causeway. It is a great place to enjoy the water on a hot summer day.

The beautiful lake, fed by Spring Creek, is a popular destination for anglers, year-round. Bass, catfish, and panfish are available to challenge anglers. Several fishing jetties and docks are located on the south shore of the lake and are accessible to mobility impaired visitors.

Beed's Lake is a popular boating spot due to its scenic beauty. Motors of any size may be used at "no wake" speeds on the lake. A modern boat ramp is located on the southern shore of the lake.

Beed's Lake State Park has provided visitors with a variety of recreational opportunities since 1934. One unique feature of the park is the causeway that crosses the lake near the lodge. It provides more than one-third of a mile of great shoreline fishing as well as a convenient pathway for hikers and joggers. Another focal point of the park is the unusual 170 foot-long spillway with horizontal layers of limestone dropping abruptly 40 feet. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.

In 1857, T.K. Hansbury built the first dam to supply water for the operation of a sawmill. Two years later, water power was used to operate a flour mill. William Beed put in the long causeway when he bought the property in 1864. He operated the mill until 1903.

Nearby Towns
The City of Hampton is located three miles from Beed's Lake.

Contact Information
Beed's Lake State Park
1422 165th Street
Hampton, IA 50441
ph. 641/456-2047

E-mail Address: Beeds_Lake@dnr.iowa.gov

www.friendsofbeedslake.hamptoniowa.org