Physical Location
Location Address
1215 220th Street
Gladbrook, IA 50635
Areas Served
Phone(s)
Park Alerts & Notices
For current closures or important information please visit, Park Alerts and Notices.
About the Park
Union Grove State Park, established in 1938, is a picturesque outdoor destination in Tama County. The 110-acre Union Grove Lake is a focal point of the park, along with an often-photographed waterfall and dam nestled in the woods.
Anglers enjoy fishing for crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, largemouth bass and walleyes, and visitors can hike, birdwatch or camp while enjoying the park.
Plan Your Visit
- Hike three miles of scenic trails, winding through diverse plant and wildlife habitats. Deer, turkey, songbirds and waterfowl are often spotted, and a beautiful re-established prairie and pine plantation can be found in the northeast corner of the park. Snowmobiling is a popular trail activity in the winter.
- Boat in the waters of Union Grove Lake or swim at the unsupervised swimming beach. Two boat ramps, one near the beach and the other on the west side of the lake provide lake access; boats can be operated at “no wake” speeds. Anglers of all ages and experience will find abundant bluegill, bass, crappie and catfish. 24 hour fishing access is available from the inlet stream to the west shelter and along the face of the earthen dam.
- Stay overnight in one of two modern family cabins or at the park’s modern campground. Both cabins are ADA accessible, and the campground contains full hookup sites, electric sites, modern restrooms and showers, and a dump station. One-fourth of the campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and advance reservations can be made through the online reservation system for Union Grove State Park.
- Reserve an open picnic shelter for an outdoor gathering during your visit. Numerous shaded picnic areas near the lake are available at Union Grove, and the shelter can be reserved through the online reservation system for Union Grove State Park.
After Hours Fishing
Open to fishing activity between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 4 a.m. in addition to normal park hours. All fishing must be done from the bank in the areas designated for each lake or river. Vessels are not permitted on the lakes after 10:30 p.m. Parking is allowed in specially marked lots only.
The dam embankment from the spillway to the west end of the parking lot adjacent to the dam; the area of state park that parallels BB Avenue, from the causeway on the north end of the lake southerly to a point approximately one-tenth of a mile southwest of the boat ramp.
Amenities at a Glance
- Hiking trails
- Boat ramps (2)
- Modern restrooms
- Showers
- Shelters ; ADA accessible
- Modern family cabins ; ADA accessible
- Full hook-up campsites
- Buddy campsites
- Dump station