Very peaceful place to visit. The wildlife there was probably the highlight.there weren't as many trails as I would've liked. A little over three miles we hiked today, some hills, I would say easy to moderate hiking.very beautiful views of the cedar river and bluffs along the side by the damn area

Very picturesque park with well-maintained trails. There are several restrooms and benches spread throughout. It's on the smaller side for a state park and can pretty easily be done in a day or weekend. Well worth a visit!

Beautiful park with short trails. Easy accessibility from CR/Mt Vernon area. Roads could be marked better. Trails could use some more cleanup, but they are good to hike. Cedar Cliff Trail, listed on the map as ‘hard’ has a couple of stretches of uphill/downhill, including one long staircase. Some stairs are angled and slick.

This state park is a treasure. Especially if you are an avid bird watcher. Each morning there was a symphony of birds songs, so many birds! We had campsite 29 and it was shaded by 2 giant oak trees pretty much all day. Nice hiking opportunities. Wonderful park!

This Park is beautiful. Surrounded by thick timber. Road down to the cedar river where there are several picnic areas with tables & grills. Across the river is a beautiful stone cabin way up on the top of the bluff. The bluffs & rock formations are beautiful & have small caves in the bluff walls. It's so quiet & relaxing to watch the river twinkle in the sunlight. There's also some trails that go throughout the park. Up front is lodge that can be rented out for wedding, family reunions. Very nice place.

We absolutely enjoyed our time at this park. The trails can be a little challenging but otherwise they have great views!

Camping stay review. Worst camping experience we have had. Not big camper friendly. We have a 43' fifth wheel. Online reservation says we can fit. We had a very hard time backing into the site. The roads are narrow. The site sign is less than a foot off the road so easy to fit.(If you hit one it's a citation of at least $135) We can in when it was raining and moved some road and grass because it was wet. We were told we had to fix the gravel and grass. The park gave us shovels and rakes to fix the camp site. The dump station is so small campers can't turn into the dump station so you have to run your sewer hose across the street to the dump station. The bath house had graffiti all over the walls. Mostly bad language so I wasn't able to take many photos of it. The showers were mostly clean but the shower curtains were ripped off. You can see in photos. Maintenance guys drive really fast in there UTV's all day. DNR drives around in a truck fast too so watch your children if they are outside. They are ready to write tickets or arrest. They stopped and talked to me and other campers and they were bragging about arresting people. My family won't be coming back here. Disappointing as state parks are usually nice. I read other reviews and they are good but camping here is a different experience. Trail reviews are highly rated on Google but in trail apps the reviews are poor. We didn't get a chance to hike any trails.

Whenever we visit my parents in Cedar Falls, finding a restaurant that feels truly special can be a challenge. While Des Moines and even Ames boast impressive dining scenes, Northeast Iowa often falls short. On a recent search for something new, I stumbled upon Lincoln Winebar in Mount Vernon and decided to make a reservation. It was absolutely worth the 80-mile drive from Cedar Falls. The rotating specials and wine list immediately showed that they care deeply about the food and experience they offer. The centerpiece of the restaurant—a stunning Italian wood-fired pizza oven—sets the tone for what’s clearly a labor of love. The pizza (incredible flavor and balance) is crafted with real attention to detail, and the service was impeccable throughout our meal. There’s genuine passion here for doing pizza the right way. Do yourself a favor—make a reservation and enjoy.

need to call to make a reservation before hand! best pizza I’ve had in Iowa, definitely lives up to the hype! service was a little slow, but just because it was full—wait staff was very kind and attentive.

Best wood fire pizza ever. Inventive flavor combinations and quality ingredients. Love the cozy atmosphere and being able to watch our food be made. Such a fun place to kick back with friends and enjoy a great meal.

Absolutely amazing!! This will seem like a fake review lol. One of the best pizzas I've had!! Great atmosphere, welcomed without a reservation, but they asked if we had one, so best to make one! Had a semi sweet cherry cider to accompany the 2 pizza specials that were cooked to perfection, great combination, quantity, and quality of ingredients. Definitely recommend!!! Had to edit the review. super clean bathrooms with quality soap that smells great!!

Great food and drinks! Cozy, low lighting restaurant tucked away on Mt Vernon. They have an imported brick oven and create some really unique and fun pizzas. Definitely make a reservation before you go

Lincoln Wine Bar is mind-blowing good. We went on a Friday night and sat at the bar. The service was wonderful, and the food and drinks were incredible. The owner is also really kind, and goes above and beyond to help! We ordered the burrata with pistachio pesto for an app which was delicious, and then the special pizza which was peaches, ham, balsamic, and Gorgonzola (we subbed the Gorgonzola for goat cheese) - and it was insanely good. I’ll be craving this one for a long time!! Hands down one of the best pizzas we have ever had. Bonus: It tastes just as good warmed up at home as leftovers!!! For dessert, we had the tiramisu which was delicious. Try the Sonorosa sweet red wine - it was so good we took a bottle home! Lincoln Wine Bar should definitely be on your list of go-to restaurants!

Went tonight when they opened at 4 pm for a quick bit only to be told they are booked solid at 5 pm . Asked to go to bar have a drink and order a pizza which the young lady immediately said NO. There was only one table w people at it. They told us we needed a reservation as well as the couple in front of us. We ALL left . I called them when we got back to Cedar Rapids and the young lady said, a big party canceled last minute and we they had an opening for us. We did not go back. Don’t open at 4 pm if you don’t serve customers until 5 pm.

I took my daughter here as part of a Girl Scout outing and it was some of the most fun ever. We were lucky and it was a nice clear night, got to see some stripes on Jupiter , an awesome view of the Moon and my daughter got an opportunity to learn a whole bunch about astronomy. This place is a lot of fun.

Beautiful area and park surrounding the observatory. The volunteers are very kind people who were happy to answer our questions. It was neat seeing the different types of telescopes on the property and that people bring. We had a lovely time and can't wait for another event!

Your local gateway to the cosmos. Home to the Cedar Amateur Astronomers, the Eastern Iowa Education and Learning Center includes a 5,000 square foot lecture facility with hands on exhibits for all ages. On clear nights the three domes and large roll-off roof sport a 24-inch Boller and Chivens Cassegrain telescope, 16-inch Celestron C16 Schmidt Cassegrain telescope, 4-inch refractor telescope, and more. Several electrified pads are also available for hosting member's telescopes, as well. Be sure to check them out on a public night (typically on Saturday) as there are guest speakers in addition to viewing the night sky through some of the best scopes the area has to offer.

Pretty amazing to find out we had a place like this so close to home. The volunteer staff really made it a special experience for my son's boy scout troop.

Fantastic Amateur Observatory and Astronomy Club. Great place to take the family and stare at the sky or sit in on one of many educational opportunities.

A very pleasant way to spend an evening.

Just an out of the way place to hike. No trails or bathroom facilities. Not for the novice hiker

You can just enter the driveway and park to see the barn. It's really beautiful. Easy to get to.

Very cool old farm house with barn and Windmill. Yard is clean and easy to walk. Highly recommend for photo ops. Free and just drive up the park. You can walk the barn and yard around the house. No cost.

This was a very quick stop for us. There was no one there, just the farmhouse and barn. The barn is painted nicely woth the iconic image of the paintings, but otherwise it was just a quick photo opportunity.

Beautiful but on private property so just be aware you cannot walk up to the barn. Still very cool to see!

This is AWESOME! Quite an amazing artistic sight. Please be mindful this is private property. Be respectful and courteous.

Super cool large format painting on a roadside barn!

Pretty cool to see. No parking and is on a 4 lane hwy so I didn’t get to go up to the barn.

Great selection of clothing and accessories, as well as housewares and other unique items. If you need an ugly Christmas sweater or a Hawaiian shirt, this is the shop for you!

I love yarn and I love books. Wren & Purl has both—along with sudsy soaps, lit candles, teas that leaf you feeling toasty, and puzzles that piece away the chilly days—it's a snug little wonderland. ❄️✨. And the magical makers of this cozy kingdom? Cindy, Gretchen, and Wendy—the knit-wits behind the bliss! 🧙‍♀️💛.

I really enjoyed visiting this shop. I had a hard time not wanting to pick up yarn to take home, and I’m not even a crafter. I did however grab the first book of a new to me series, so I’m very excited for that. Thank you for being on the Indie Book Tour so that I knew to come visit!

Wren & Purl has a cozy feel and an intriguing combination of yarn and books. The selection isn't huge but it doesn't need to be. Definitely enjoyed this stop on the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour!

A store with embroidery, yarn and books?! Three of my favorite things. I had to pinch myself to make sure it was true! Stopped in here because of the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour. Lovely store, well worth the drive.

Such a lovely crafter shop with an expanding selection of books. The staff were pleasant and assisted without hesitation. The atmosphere was so calming and cheerful.

Truly lovely small business. Nice variety of yarn and things. Even a great little "free" shelf where people can take, donate or trade.

Love this place! Great atmosphere, wonderful layout, and so much to offer. Definitely recommend!!

Very peaceful place to visit. The wildlife there was probably the highlight.there weren't as many trails as I would've liked. A little over three miles we hiked today, some hills, I would say easy to moderate hiking.very beautiful views of the cedar river and bluffs along the side by the damn area

Very picturesque park with well-maintained trails. There are several restrooms and benches spread throughout. It's on the smaller side for a state park and can pretty easily be done in a day or weekend. Well worth a visit!

Beautiful park with short trails. Easy accessibility from CR/Mt Vernon area. Roads could be marked better. Trails could use some more cleanup, but they are good to hike. Cedar Cliff Trail, listed on the map as ‘hard’ has a couple of stretches of uphill/downhill, including one long staircase. Some stairs are angled and slick.

This state park is a treasure. Especially if you are an avid bird watcher. Each morning there was a symphony of birds songs, so many birds! We had campsite 29 and it was shaded by 2 giant oak trees pretty much all day. Nice hiking opportunities. Wonderful park!

This Park is beautiful. Surrounded by thick timber. Road down to the cedar river where there are several picnic areas with tables & grills. Across the river is a beautiful stone cabin way up on the top of the bluff. The bluffs & rock formations are beautiful & have small caves in the bluff walls. It's so quiet & relaxing to watch the river twinkle in the sunlight. There's also some trails that go throughout the park. Up front is lodge that can be rented out for wedding, family reunions. Very nice place.

We absolutely enjoyed our time at this park. The trails can be a little challenging but otherwise they have great views!

Camping stay review. Worst camping experience we have had. Not big camper friendly. We have a 43' fifth wheel. Online reservation says we can fit. We had a very hard time backing into the site. The roads are narrow. The site sign is less than a foot off the road so easy to fit.(If you hit one it's a citation of at least $135) We can in when it was raining and moved some road and grass because it was wet. We were told we had to fix the gravel and grass. The park gave us shovels and rakes to fix the camp site. The dump station is so small campers can't turn into the dump station so you have to run your sewer hose across the street to the dump station. The bath house had graffiti all over the walls. Mostly bad language so I wasn't able to take many photos of it. The showers were mostly clean but the shower curtains were ripped off. You can see in photos. Maintenance guys drive really fast in there UTV's all day. DNR drives around in a truck fast too so watch your children if they are outside. They are ready to write tickets or arrest. They stopped and talked to me and other campers and they were bragging about arresting people. My family won't be coming back here. Disappointing as state parks are usually nice. I read other reviews and they are good but camping here is a different experience. Trail reviews are highly rated on Google but in trail apps the reviews are poor. We didn't get a chance to hike any trails.

Loving such a wonderful close place to be able to get shots of the beautiful fall mushrooms Oh hey hi!

7/17/02 Lovely, secluded, and the downed tree was not difficult to climb over, BUT the trail by the river was surrounded on both sides by poison ivy plants so tall that they looked like bushes and were impossible to avoid. Unfortunately, we were wearing shorts and had two dogs. Everyone and all shoes, etc had to be scrubbed when we got home. Waiting now to learn whether we can avoid the reaction🤞🏽

It was great! Its a secluded preserve with a trail loop thats about 1.5 miles long. I couldnt find any maps, but I started my fitbit a little late, so trail distance is a guess. There are a bunch of trees still down, but you can get around them. The view of the river is gorgeous!

It's nature...that's for sure. No trail markings. No map. No indication of even were the trail starts. Lots of poison ivy and oak along the trails. Very narrow down by the river.

Beautiful sunrises from here

Good .6 mile loop for hiking along the river.

Great for a very quick hike

New owners are AMAZING! Great and comfortable seating. Loved the drink and snack selection. Great pricing too! We will definitely be coming back!!!!

So clean, we could see the movie from any seat and the Popcorn Is Amazing!! Great value for movies and concessions.

One of my favorite small town movie theaters. I always enjoy bringing my kids here. Staff are very cool.

Great updates! We had a great experience watching Moana 2 today. Cash, check or Venmo only.

Small, friendly, clean seats and a wonderful movie screen!

Love a small town community theater. So much nostalgia.

We rented the theater last weekend for my daughter’s birthday party! Loved it! We had the best time. The pricing it very reasonable! $125 for movie, popcorn, and sodas for 35 people! Will do it again! Stephanie the manager is fabulous! Such a fun lady!

I had an AWESOME time shopping here. The woman who helped.me was a gem of a human! I got the perfect fabric to go with the quilt project I'm starting. She knew exactly what to grab, exactly where it was, and it was EXACTLY what I needed! They have lots of fabric that I could've gone broke buying (and will likely return to buy or buy online!) because they have a lot of sale fabrics that caught my eye! ❤️ Just... Go look! They ARE all cotton there so don't expect fleece/flannel/etc but they have a wonderful selection of cotton!!! I'm excited to go back soon!

I always have a great experience every time I visit Helios! They always have fantastic fabric choices and tons of knowledge about all things sewing! Leland has a special gift when it comes to matching colors, and he's always willing to help. Kevin is always willing to help in any way he can, including assisting my mom back to her car! I love everything about shopping here and will always return for more fabric, especially for their wonderfully helpful 5-yard packs that I can never get enough of 😉 Keep up the amazing works, guys! I will be seeing you again very soon!

Love this little shop in an old school building. Great wall of blenders. The gentlemen here helped me find just the right color for a sampler I'm making. I didn't see an exterior business sign. From the parking lot, the store is inside the side entrance.

I have always ordered online. Every fabric I ordered was above my expectations. Quality and super fast delivery. Absolutely can't wait to come over from Wisconsin in a road trip.... Love 💘 this place.

Here is a fantastic shop with thousands of bolts of high quality quilting fabrics from top designers. Rapid turnover keeps selection ALWAYS NEW!! Sale fabrics move quickly, so don't hesitate when you see "that" perfect fabric. Great samples for inspiration. Helpful, professional, friendly, knowledgeable owners. Kits, panels, patterns, easy to grab and go! Highly recommended!

Love the variety of fabric and the great sales. The owners, Kevin and Leland, always make you feel welcome!! It's definitely my favorite quilt store!

We were so excited to finally get to visit this shop. It did not disappoint! Beautiful shop with lots of fun fabric and great customer service. Thank you so much! We loved every minute of our shopping experience! We will be back!