Hanging Rock Park
469 acres along the Middle Raccoon River at the south edge of town, anchored by a sandstone outcrop that's been a local landmark since the wagon-train era.
Hanging Rock is Redfield's front-yard park, owned and maintained by Dallas County Conservation. It runs from the south edge of town down along the Middle Raccoon River, anchored by the sandstone outcrop that gives the park its name. Just downstream, the Middle and South Raccoon rivers meet, and the area between served as a wagon ford for settlers heading west in the mid-1800s.
Come in the summer for a picnic under the shelter, a walk down to the river, or a fishing trip. In the winter, bald eagles work the open water and roost in the trees along the bluffs.
The Tile Barn
The barn near the shelter isn't built from wood. It's fired clay brick, sourced from the Redfield Brick and Tile Works about a mile north of town when the property was still a working farm. Local farmers used the same bricks and clay tile pipes to build weather-tight structures and drain wetlands into cropland. When Dallas County Conservation took over the land, they saved the barn and the equipment shed instead of tearing them down. Today the Tile Barn is an interpretive center for local history, and the restored shed is the picnic shelter you can rent.
What's here
- Sandstone outcrop and rock formations
- The Tile Barn interpretive center
- Open picnic shelter (the restored equipment shed)
- Raccoon River access point at the south end of the park
- Walking and bike trail connecting to downtown
- Native grasses and wildflowers
- Prime morel mushroom hunting in spring
- Bald eagle viewing in winter
Hours
Summer (May 1 – Oct 31): 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily. Restrooms open.
Winter (Nov 1 – Apr 30): 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily, weather permitting. Restrooms closed and winterized.
Shelter reservations
The open shelter rents for $35/day during the summer season. Reserve through Dallas County Conservation at conservation@dallascountyiowa.gov.
In winter, the shelter is first-come, first-served with no reservations taken.
Getting there
By car
From 1st Street and Thomas Street, head west on Thomas Street for two blocks, then turn south on 3rd Street. The park entrance is just ahead.
On foot or bike
Head west on Jefferson Street. A trail off Jefferson leads straight into the park.
Around the park
