RECREATION
Just across the Des Moines River from Keosauqua is Lacey-Keosauqua State Park. First dedicated in 1921, Lacey-Keosauqua State Park boasts some 1,653 acres of rolling hills, valleys and bluffs along the Des Moines River. The park is popular for fishing, hunting and hiking, and provides a swimming beach for visitors to enjoy the water.
For weekend or overnight stays, Lacey-Keosauqua State Park offers six family cabins with modern facilities that can be rented and 113 campsites with access to modern restrooms, showers and a trailer dump station. 45 of the campsites are equipped with electrical hookups.
For additional fun on the water, 574-acre Lake Sugema offers opportunities for boating, fishing, picnicking and camping just 3 miles southwest of Keosauqua.
For world class hiking and whitetail hunting head to nearby Shimek State Forest with over 9,000 acres of woods, extensive recreational facilities, campgrounds, fishing and miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding. And if your idea of hunting leans is more the mushroom variety, both Lacey-Keosauqua State Park and Shimek State Forest are known for their delectable morels.
AMENITIES
Students in Keosauqua are served by Van Buren Community Schools, a district with its headquarters in Keosauqua. Those seeking higher education can enroll at Indian Hills Community College to work towards earning an Associate’s Degree, diploma or certificate in a variety of different programs.
Healthcare needs for residents of Keosauqua are provided by Van Buren County Hospital. The hospital is affiliated with University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, and offers a full suite of first-rate healthcare services.
CLIMATE
Keosauqua experiences a seasonal climate with summertime highs in the 80s and winter lows below freezing. Average annual rainfall is just less than 40 inches, and snowfall of around 20 inches can be expected each winter.
HISTORY
Keosauqua was first laid out in 1839, and takes its name from the Meskwaki and Sauk tribal word for the Des Moines River, “Ke-o-saw-qua”, which literally translates to “Bend in the River”. Numerous historic landmarks have been preserved from Keosauqua’s past including The Hotel Manning, the 1847 Pearson House which was a stop on the Underground Railroad, and the Van Buren County Courthouse, which is the second-oldest courthouse in continuous use in the United States.