| Preparation Canyon State Park | |
|---|---|
  Preparation Canyon State Park Location in Iowa Show map of Iowa Preparation Canyon State Park Location in United States Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Monona County, Iowa, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°53′34″N95°54′20″W / 41.89278°N 95.90556°W /41.89278; -95.90556 |
| Area | 344 acres (139 ha) |
| Elevation | 1,306 ft (398 m) |
| Established | 1934 |
| Administered by | Iowa Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Official website |
Preparation Canyon State Park is located north ofPisgah, Iowa, United States. Located in theLoess Hills, the 344-acre (139 ha) park is a relatively undisturbed and undeveloped place. It provides space for picnicking, hiking, and camping in ten hike-in camp sites.[1] Dramatic ridges are located on the north, south and west sides of the park, which is located on the north end of the Loess Hills State Forest.
The park is named after the former settlement ofPreparation, Iowa, that was located here. It was established in the 1850s byCharles B. Thompson and his followers. They wereMormons who had left the wagon trains heading west toUtah. They believed that their existence in this life was preparation for the world to come, therefore they named their community "Preparation."[2] A property dispute between Thompson and his followers, who were instructed to call him "Father Ephraim" after the Biblical figure of thesame name, had to be settled by theIowa Supreme Court and Thompson fled the state.[3] At one time the town had 67 houses, a post office, skating rink, and blacksmith shop, but by the turn of the 20th century the town had been deserted except for the stockyard, which closed in 1946. Walter and Martha Perrin, who were descended from the original Mormons, sold the first 82 acres (33 ha) for the park to the state of Iowa in 1934. Martha sold a further 157 acres (64 ha) to the state in 1969, and eventually the family farmstead.
