Bellevue State Park
Managed by Iowa Department of Natural Resources
28 acres0.1 mi of trail
Quarry Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Lock and Dam No. 12 Historic District · Photo: US Army Corps of Engineers, photographer unknown · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Bellevue
17% of Bellevue’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 17% of Bellevue’s land is conserved, about 163 acres. 83 acres are parks and preserves, 37 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
163 acres · of 1.5 sq mi of land
Trails
0.6 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
83 ac
37 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.2 mi
3.6 mi paths
Highest peak
856 ft
North Bluff
Lakes & rivers
4
2 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Bellevue?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bellevue have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bellevue is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bellevue’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical IA town 3% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (1 mi) · IA 0.3 · U.S. 0.4BPark land37 acres of park per 1,000 residents (83 acres) · IA 19 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · IA 91% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Bellevue State Park, with 0.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Felderman Park
Managed by City of Bellevue
13 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bellevue Public Area
Managed by Iowa Department of Natural Resources
8 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 10 parks & preserves
Bellevue State Park28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Iowa Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsFelderman Park13 acres · City of Bellevue
DirectionsRiverview Park12 acres · City of Bellevue
DirectionsBellevue Public Area8 acres · Iowa Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsCole Park8 acres · City of Bellevue
DirectionsDavid Ensign Memorial Ballpark3 acres · City of Bellevue
DirectionsJ.J.'s Memorial Park1 acres · City of Bellevue
DirectionsIce Harvest Park1 acres · City of Bellevue
DirectionsLock & Dam 12 Recreation Area1 acres · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsSarge O'Neil Park1 acres · City of Bellevue
DirectionsWho protects it
163 conserved acres
17% of Bellevue’s land. Who manages Bellevue’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources103 ac
Town or city37 ac
Army Corps of Engineers29 ac
County10 ac
State Other or Unknown · 76 acLocal Park · 47 acRecreation Management Area · 29 acState Park · 27 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 76 | Open |
| Ms Rv Pools 11-22 Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 29 | Open |
| Bellevue State Park State Park | State natural resources | 27 | Open |
| Riverview Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Felderman Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Mill Creek Park Local Park | County | 10 | Open |
| Cole Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Sarge O'Neil Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
26 places to go in Bellevue
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Bellevue
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Bellevue
Bellevue Municipal Swimming PoolIn Cole Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Bellevue
Cole Park PlaygroundIn Cole Park
DirectionsSaint Joseph's Daycare
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Bellevue
Bellevue Municipal Boat LandingIn Riverview Park
DirectionsRiver Bottom Landing
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Bellevue
7 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Bellevue
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Bellevue
North Bluff856 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bellevue
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Quarry Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.6 mi
off-road bike paths
2.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
11Basketball
5Baseball
4Tracks
2Football
2Pickleball
1Softball
1Soccer
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Jackson County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1981
About itPotter's, E. G., Jasper Flour MillBuilding · listed 1984
About itDyas Hexagonal BarnBuilding · listed 1986
About itSpring SideBuilding · listed 1990
About itBellevue Herald BuildingBuilding · listed 1991
About itBuilding at 101 North Riverview StreetBuilding · listed 1991
About itBuilding at 126 South Riverview StreetBuilding · listed 1991
About itBuilding at 130-132 North Riverview StreetBuilding · listed 1991
About itBuilding at 306 South Second StreetBuilding · listed 1991
About itGeorge Dyas HouseBuilding · listed 1991
About itHouse at 505 Court StreetBuilding · listed 1991
About itKucheman BuildingBuilding · listed 1991
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bellevue: April and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 34 | 46 | 60 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 47 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.8 |
January is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Bellevue →
Next door
Bellevue and its neighbors
Bellevue has the second most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue | 17% | 0.4 | 37 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bellevue
Where can I hike in Bellevue?
The longest trail networks: Bellevue State Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bellevue is conserved land?
17% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Iowa town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bellevue’s trails?
Bellevue State Park and Felderman Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bellevue?
6.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.6 of off-road paths and 2.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Bellevue?
13,760 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bellevue or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 171 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Bellevue have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bellevue neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →