Des Moines, IA, Oct 2025
The total drive is about 300 miles
Driving Directions
- (0.0 miles) Right on West F street, leaving campground
- (0.4 miles) Left on 13th Avenue
- (1.25 miles) left on Buckeye Court
- (2.0 miles) Right onto WI-21 West
- (6.3 miles) Left onto County Road A towards Fort McCoy Airport
- (8.9 miles) Right onto WI-16 West
- (10.8 miles) Left onto I-90 West
- (156.0 miles) Take Exit 159A, on the right, to I-35 South towards Albert Lea / Des Moines
- (290.0 miles) Take Exit 96, on right, to Northeast 126th Avenue
- (290.0 miles) Right on Northeast 126th Avenue
- (292.0 miles) Left on US-69 South
- (293.0 miles) Right on Northeast 118th Avenue (becomes Northwest 118th Avenue)
- (297.0 miles) Left on Northwest 44th Street
- (299.0 miles) Right on US-415 West / Northwest Polk City Drive
- (299.0 miles) Left on Northwest Lake Drive
- (297.0 miles) Right into park entrance
- (300.0 miles) Left on park road towards Coneflower Loop
Rest Stops
- 50.9 miles, Exit 267, Kwik Trip (few pull-thru, Hearty Platter)
- 82.8 miles, Exit 233, Loves Travel Stop, (near: McDonalds)
- 93.9 miles, Rest Area
- 136.0 miles, Exit 179, KwikTrip (few pull-thru)
- 145.0 miles, Rest Area
- 158.0 miles, Exit 11, Petro Travel Center (pull-thru, Skol Grill), Loves Travel Stop (Wendys), (near: Burger King)
- 173.0 miles, Exit 214, Iowa Rest Area
- 192.0 miles, Truck Parking (No Facilities)
- 194.0 miles, Exit 194, Pilot Travel Center (few pull-thru), (near: McDonalds)
- 228.0 miles, Exit 159, Rest Area
- 244.0 miles, Exit 144, Flying J Travel Center (few pull-thru)
- 254.0 miles, Exit 133, Loves Travel Stop (pull-thru), (near: Subway)
- 269.0 miles, Rest Area (Note: Truck Parking about a mile before this)
- 287.0 miles, Rest Area
General Notes
- Highway 21 has been repaved, so it is not nearly as bad
- Most of the roads on this route are decent, so 65 MPH is common
- With the short cut on Country Road A and less far from the interstate, this further south and no further distance than Brushey Creek State Park.