We’ve been to historic Nauvoo, the site run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints several times, and we love the exhibits, homes, and presentation. However, on a recent trip to Nauvoo, we looked for something that gave us a little different feel for the area. We found Nauvoo State Park to be a good place to do this. It is free, located just across the street from the LDS site, and worth the hour it takes to do a short hike called Lake View Trail.
Nauvoo State Park has one historic museum, but it was not open the last time we visited. It is open during the summer months. However, we did walk the Lake View Trail that goes around the lake. As we walked, we got a good idea of what an early pioneer might find when they first arrived in the area. We thought about, and talked to our children about how much work it would be to clear the land, put in crops, and find materials to build a home. This gave us an opportunity to tell the story as we walked, or our ancestor, Edward Ockey, who arrived by riverboat in Nauvoo and purchased a property in the area.
The Lake View Trail in Nauvoo is beautiful and gave us a good way to stretch our legs. It had some short up and down sections as it circled the small lake, but we were excited because there were a lot of birds in the area. We saw a dozen bright red cardinals, geese, ducks, and three types of woodpeckers (pileated, hairy, and red-bellied). For us, used to the desert, the shady green hike was beautiful enough without the history or the birds.
Lake View Trail Directions
The hike at Nauvoo State Park runs about 1.2 miles around the lake and is relatively easy to follow. The trailhead is located at a sign at the first curve as you enter the park. From there, a short up and down brings the reservoir into view. Hike clockwise around the lake. The trail does draw near a few houses, so stay on the trail to avoid private property. There is one tricky turn halfway around the lake that doesn’t have a sign. A short spur trail turns down to the shore, and it seems like you should go that way, but turn left and the trail stays up away from the water. Then it loops around and exits into the campground higher up. You’ll need to walk the road back to the trailhead, or you could have someone drive up and pick you up.
We found this a great way to spend an evening or morning in Nauvoo after other exhibits are closed. There are restrooms and a playground at Nauvoo State Park, as well as plenty of picnic tables and shady areas to enjoy lunch. For other ideas of things to do in Nauvoo, check out our list of things in the area here: Things to do Around Nauvoo.
