Effigy Mounds National Monument

General Management Plan Summary March 2014

Iowa

National Park Service • U.S. Department of the Interior
Monument Boundary

Towns

0 1 2 Miles North

Sny Magill Unit

Prairie 

du Chien

McGregor

Yellow RiverYellow River

I O W A

W I S C O N S I N

76

76 Marquette

Heritage 

Addition

Visitor Center and

Monument Headquarters

EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR / NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

DSC / Feb 2011 / 394 / 20,022B

South

Unit

North

Unit

X-56

MINNESOTA

WISCONSIN

ILLINOIS

IOWA

Effigy Mounds National Monument
Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

General Management Plan Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

The Selected Action: A Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Desired Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Resource, Visitor Use, and Monument Management . . . . . . . . . . 7

Resource Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Visitor Use Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Monument Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Mitigating Impacts to Protect Cultural and Natural Resources . . . . . . . 10

Management Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Heritage Addition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

North Unit (Not including the Visitor Center Area) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

North Unit Visitor Center Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

South Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Sny Magill Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Proposed Changes to Legislated Boundary (Non-NPS Land) . . . . . . . .22

User Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Tables

Table 1: Management Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Table 2: User Capacity Indicators and Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Figures

Figure 1: Known, Probable, and Possible Mound Locations 

 in Developed Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Figure 2: Management Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Figure 3: Recommended Boundary Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
2 | Effigy Mounds National Monument

Introduction

The February 2013 Final General Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement

(GMP/EIS) for Effigy Mounds National Monument is a large document, at 280 pages. 

General management plans are long-term documents that articulate a management 

philosophy and framework for decision making and problem solving in units of the 

national park system. As such, general management plans must meet a variety of important 

legal requirements and are usually very lengthy. Unfortunately, their sheer size can 

intimidate anyone who might be looking for a quick answer.

As a result, a shorter version of the original plan has been produced. This shorter version is 

100% consistent with the original. To reduce the document size, unnecessary introductory 

text, boilerplate language, alternatives discussed and analyzed but not chosen, explanatory 

language, and the environmental analysis were eliminated. The end result is a version of the 

plan that is far more manageable and easier to navigate.

Ultimately, this version of the plan is meant to supplement, rather than replace Effigy 

Mounds National Monument Final General Management Plan / Environmental Impact 

Statement. Although you may find quicker answers to some of your questions by reading 

this document first, you will have to consult the full-length version if you are looking for 

the rationale behind certain decisions. In short, you’ll find the what here, but not the why.

Ideally, readers should keep the two documents side by side.

General Management Plan Summary

Summary

During the development of the general management plan, the National Park Service closely 

examined past construction activities and practices in the park, particularly those with the 

potential to harm archeological resources, which the park was created to protect. To ensure 

the safety of these resources, the National Park Service spent a significant amount of time 

during the general management plan process reassessing the proper role, function, and 

form of development in a landscape dominated by the mounds. Additionally, management 

direction was needed for the newly added 1,045-acre Heritage Addition and for the Sny 

Magill unit.

The goals of this plan are to: 

•	 Provide enhanced natural and cultural resource protection.

•	 Provide opportunities for increased understanding of the monument.

•	 Expand opportunities for visitors to experience relative quiet and solitude.

Due to the sensitivity and irreplaceable nature of the mounds and cultural 

landscape, the National Park Service will accomplish these goals with the minimum 

amount of development.
General Management Plan Summary | 3

The Selected Action: A Summary

Under the selected action, allowing visitors to make personal connections to the 

monument’s tangible resources through understanding of the significance of the (preEuropean contact) American Indian moundbuilding story and its relationship to the 

heritage of the region will comprise the desired visitor experience.

The landscape and visitor facilities will support a contemplative atmosphere with 

opportunities for visitors to spend time reflecting on the lives and legacy of the 

moundbuilders and the sacred nature of the site today. Education and interpretation of the 

natural resources of the park will be expanded.

The natural setting created by preserving or restoring landscapes will provide a connection 

between the moundbuilding culture and the environment that shaped the lives and beliefs 

of the moundbuilders. This attribute will be especially enhanced through the extensive 

backcountry zone.

Visitor experience throughout the monument will be primarily self-guided on a variety of 

trails in a quiet, contemplative setting to maintain an atmosphere of respect for the sacred 

nature of the monument.

Consistent with the resource conditions and visitor experiences defined in the 

backcountry zone, visitors to some areas of the monument will be able to traverse 

marked walking trails through some of the natural, undeveloped landscapes and 

experience some mounds in a more natural state (with a minimum of woody materials 

removed for preservation purposes).

Providing access to mounds that are in varying conditions will provide an expansion 

of existing interpretive opportunities and a better understanding of the monument’s 

fundamental resources. A trail connecting the Yellow River Bridge and North unit trails 

to the South unit trails will be developed in consultation with the Iowa state historic 

preservation officer, Office of the State Archaeologist, and traditionally associated 

American Indian tribes.

A virtual research center will be developed to serve as an online portal for information 

exchange on mound research and management in the region. The virtual research center 

will be developed and managed by monument staff, in partnership with other land 

managers and academic institutions.
4 | Effigy Mounds National Monument

Desired Conditions

Archeological Resources

Archeological sites are identified and inventoried and their significance is determined and 

documented. Archeological sites are preserved and protected in an undisturbed condition 

unless it is determined through formal processes that disturbance or natural deterioration 

is unavoidable. When disturbance or deterioration is unavoidable, the site is professionally 

documented and excavated in consultation with the Iowa state historic preservation officer 

and traditionally associated tribes. Resulting artifacts, materials, and records are curated, 

conserved, and/or repatriated. Some archeological sites that can be adequately protected 

may be interpreted to the visitor.

Sample Actions:

•	 Complete archeological surveys of all units of the national monument. 

•	 If archeological resources are discovered, they will be treated as eligible for listing 

in the National Register of Historic Places (national register) pending a formal 

determination of their significance by the National Park Service, the Iowa state 

historic preservation officer, and traditionally associated American Indian tribes.

•	 Protect all archeological resources; if disturbance to such resources is unavoidable, 

conduct formal consultation with the Iowa state historic preservation officer, 

traditionally associated American Indian tribes, and as necessary, with the Advisory 

Council on Historic Preservation.

•	 When archeological resources are discovered, consult with traditionally associated 

American Indian tribes.

•	 In advance of any new development or modification of existing developments, 

consult with the Iowa state historic preservation officer and traditionally associated 

American Indian tribes.

Historic and Prehistoric Structures

Historic structures are inventoried and their significance and integrity are evaluated 

under national register criteria. The qualities that contribute to the listing or eligibility for 

listing of historic structures in the national register are protected in accordance with the 

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation

(unless it is determined through a formal process that disturbance or natural deterioration 

is unavoidable).

Sample Actions:

•	 Maintain and certify the List of Classified Structures—the NPS inventory 

of all historic and prehistoric structures that have historical, architectural, or 

engineering significance.

•	 Determine the appropriate level of preservation for each historic structure 

formally determined to be eligible for listing or already listed in the National 

Register of Historic Places.
General Management Plan Summary | 5

Cultural Landscapes

Cultural landscape inventories are conducted to identify landscapes potentially eligible 

for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and to assist in future management 

decisions for landscapes and associated resources, both cultural and natural.

A cultural landscape report clearly identifies the landscape characteristics and associated 

features, values, and associations that make a landscape historically and culturally 

significant. The content of a cultural landscape report provides the basis for making sound 

decisions about management, treatment, and use. 

The management of cultural landscapes focuses on preserving the landscape’s physical 

attributes, biotic systems, and use (when that use contributes to its historical significance).

Sample Actions:

•	 Maintain and certify the cultural landscapes inventory—an evaluated inventory of 

all landscapes having historical significance in which the National Park Service has 

acquired or plans to acquire legal interest.

•	 Update the current cultural landscapes inventory to determine whether an 

“ethnographic landscape” exists, to determine its boundaries, and to 

document any resources.

•	 Complete the cultural landscape report for the monument. 

•	 Maintain cultural landscapes according to the Secretary of the Interior’s 

Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for the 

Treatment of Cultural Landscapes.

Museum Collections

All museum collections (precontact and historic objects, artifacts, works of art, archival 

documents, and natural history specimens) are identified and inventoried, cataloged, 

documented, preserved, and protected; and provisions are made for access to and use of 

the collections for exhibits, research, and interpretation according to NPS standards.

The qualities that contribute to the significance of collections are protected in accordance 

with established standards.

Sample Actions: 

•	 Inventory and catalog all museum collections in accordance with 

standards in Director’s Order 24: Museum Collections Management and 

the NPS Museum Handbook.

•	 Develop and implement a collection management program according to NPS 

standards to guide the protection, conservation, and use of museum objects.
6 | Effigy Mounds National Monument

Visitor Use and Experience

Cultural and natural resources are conserved “unimpaired” for the enjoyment of future 

generations. Visitors have opportunities for forms of enjoyment that are uniquely suited 

and appropriate to the superlative natural and cultural resources found in the national 

monument. No activities occur that will cause derogation of the values and purposes for 

which the monument has been established.

Visitors will have opportunities to learn about and appreciate the significance of the 

national monument and its resources and to develop a personal stewardship ethic.

For all zones, units, or other logical management divisions in the monument, the types 

and levels of visitor use are consistent with the desired resource and visitor experience 

conditions prescribed for those areas.

To the extent feasible, programs, services, and facilities are accessible to and usable by all 

people, including those with disabilities.

Sample Actions:

•	 Give all visitors the opportunity to understand, appreciate, and enjoy the resources 

and values of the national monument.

•	 Continue to monitor visitor comments on issues such as crowding, access, and other 

experience-related topics. 

•	 Identify implementation commitments for user capacities for all areas of the national 

monument.
General Management Plan Summary | 7

Resource, Visitor Use, 

and Monument Management

Resource Management

•	 The mounds will be preserved in place.

•	 Archeological survey and evaluations and a cultural landscape report will be 

completed for the entire monument.

•	 National Register of Historic Places nomination forms will be updated to include 

descriptions of all eligible (contributing) resources not presently described and to 

incorporate new scientific information.

•	 When feasible, the resources of the monument will be managed for a landscape 

that emulates that which existed during the moundbuilding era and to be identified 

in the cultural landscape report. The sensitive cultural and natural resources will 

be preserved using the natural processes that sustained the moundbuilders and 

protected their heritage through time, combined with the appropriate management 

practices to conserve them for the future.

•	 Cooperative management strategies with stakeholders for resource protection and 

preservation will be developed.

•	 Archeological evaluations of sites could include noninvasive geophysical 

investigations of mounds and limited archeological testing of nonmound areas of 

cultural sites.

•	 While natural resources and processes will be preserved or restored to the extent 

possible, they could be managed, when necessary, to restore landscapes or preserve 

fundamental cultural resources.

•	 Ongoing ecosystem restoration efforts and nonnative species management will 

continue.

•	 The monument staff will complete a resource stewardship strategy that includes 

an ecosystem restoration strategy, nonnative species management, and a fire 

management plan.

•	 Riverbanks in the Sny Magill unit will be stabilized for erosion control and selected 

trees may be removed from the mound group and adjacent area.

Visitor Use Management

•	 Safety messages will be prominent in communications to the public.

•	 Interpretation will emphasize the sacred nature of the mounds and resources and 

will consider the cultural resources (mounds) as symbols of the values, beliefs, and 

accomplishments of the moundbuilders.

•	 The National Park Service will explore partnership possibilities with appropriate 

groups to offer interpretive canoe trips.

•	 Frequent special events will take place in developed areas.

•	 Wetland habitat interpretive programs will be offered as accessible opportunities for 

all visitors.
8 | Effigy Mounds National Monument

Monument Management

•	 An approved boundary survey will be completed to resolve land issues.

•	 Treatment of unused logging roads will be dictated by the completed cultural 

landscape report.

•	 Maintenance facilities and functions will stay where they are while actively adapting 

to the changing needs of resource and facility requirements.

•	 Radon, which has been found in the basement of the headquarters building, 

will be mitigated.

•	 The recently remodeled former park housing units will continue to be used as office 

space for park employees.

•	 If new information reveals that repairing or replacing existing infrastructure in the 

headquarters area will cause harm to archeological resources, the National Park 

Service will investigate ways to repair or replace that infrastructure in a nonintrusive 

manner or will consider relocating facilities (figure 1).
FILE: efmo/ProjectFolders/2012/MndsDevelopedArea

June 2012 Produced by Midwest Archeological Center, National Park Service

National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior

Known, probable, and possible mound locations in developed area

Effigy Mounds National MonumentIowa

± 0 25 50Meters

Ñ Fire hydrant

!( Flag pole

" Sign

£ Well house

Utilities from 1992 mapUtilities from 1988 mapUtilities from 1964 mapUtilities from 1963 mapUtilities from 1951 map

Linear Features from Geophysics

Buried utility lineFenceGravel road

XYXYXYXY Leach field

Old roadReinforced concrete sidewalkExisting Trail (2001 GPS)

Extant and Possible MoundsSource

Historic AerialField Observation 2008ExtantLewis RADAR AerialRADARField Observation 2010Magnetometer or Resistance

VC

Figure 1: Known, Probable, and Possible Mound Locations in Developed Area
10 | Effigy Mounds National Monument

Mitigating Impacts to Protect Cultural 

and Natural Resources

To ensure activities stay within the parameters of the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) and National Historic Preservation Act compliance documents; U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers section 404 permits; and other applicable law, policy, and regulation, Effigy 

Mounds National Monument will:

Cultural Resources

•	 Continue to develop inventories and oversee research on cultural resources.

•	 Subject projects to site-specific planning and compliance.

•	 Inventory all unsurveyed areas of the park.

•	 Document and identify treatments for cultural and ethnographic landscapes.

•	 Conduct archeological site monitoring and routine protection.

•	 Avoid, if not possible mitigate, impacts on ethnographic resources.

•	 Continue ongoing consultations with traditionally associated American Indian tribes.

•	 Design facilities to avoid known or suspected archeological resources.

•	 If previously unknown cultural resources are discovered during project work, all 

work in the area will cease until the site can be evaluated by a qualified person and 

appropriate action can be implemented.

•	 Encourage visitors through the park’s interpretive programs to respect and leave 

undisturbed any inadvertently encountered archeological resources and any 

offerings placed by American Indians.

•	 Strictly adhere to NPS museum collections standards and guidelines on the display 

and care of artifacts.
General Management Plan Summary | 11

Natural Resources

•	 Implement a dust abatement program.

•	 Build new facilities on soils suitable for development.

•	 Conduct surveys for rare, threatened, and endangered species.

•	 Locate and design facilities to avoid adverse effects on rare, threatened, and 

endangered species.

•	 Implement measures to reduce adverse effects of nonnative plants and wildlife on 

rare, threatened, and endangered species.

•	 Monitor areas used by visitors for signs of native vegetation disturbance.

•	 Develop revegetation plans for disturbed areas and use native species.

•	 Prevent water pollution during construction by using best management practices 

such as erosion control measures.

•	 Build a runoff filtration system to minimize water pollution from larger parking areas.

•	 Employ techniques where necessary to reduce impacts on wildlife, including visitor 

education programs and restrictions on visitor and park management activities.

•	 Implement a natural resource preservation program.

•	 Delineate and clearly mark wetlands by qualified NPS staff or certified wetlands 

specialists before construction work begins.

•	 Minimize noise impacts from construction by monitoring noise levels of equipment 

and using noise-reduction technologies.

•	 Where appropriate, use facilities such as trails and fences to route visitors away 

from sensitive natural and cultural resources, while still permitting access to 

important viewpoints.

•	 Design, site, and construct facilities to avoid or minimize adverse effects on natural 

and cultural resources and visual intrusion into the natural and cultural landscape.

•	 Provide vegetation screening where appropriate to conceal intrusive equipment and 

structures into natural areas.
12 | Effigy Mounds National Monument
General Management Plan Summary | 13

Management Zones

The primary building blocks for creating a framework for consistent and defensible 

management for a national park system unit are the management zones (figure 2 

and table 1).

Management zones define specific resource conditions and visitor experience to be 

achieved and maintained in each particular area of Effigy Mounds National Monument. 

Each zone description includes the types of activities and facilities appropriate to support 

the desired conditions.

The majority of the monument will be in the backcountry zone. The area around the visitor 

center will be zoned as development, and the most heavily used trails and mound groups 

will be in the discovery zone.

In the backcountry zone, the emphasis will be on the protection of resources in a 

natural setting. There will be minimal development and visitor experience will be one of 

quiet and solitude. 

The emphasis of the development zone will be to provide the facilities and amenities 

necessary for visitor services and monument operations.

In the discovery zone, the emphasis will be on enhancing visitor access and experience of 

the mounds, while maintaining a natural setting.
HERITAGE ADDITION

Founders 

Pond

Ye l l o

w

R i v e r

NOTES: 

*The location of trails in the Heritage 

Addition will be determined in a future

public access and trail development plan.

*The park is in the process of completing a 

boundary survey. The boundary shown on

this map is for illustrative purposes only.

Co u n ty

Road (Restricted Use)

Dousman Creek

76

Proposed future 

visitor contact 

station should 

property become 

available for 

acquisition.

Improve Trail

Entrance Road

S n y Magill Creek

Johnsons Slough

X56

SNY MAGILL UNIT

0 0.25 0.5

Miles
Third Scenic

View

Twin Views Smokey Hol ol w Road

Maintenance

Road

Fire Point Trail

 relocated and 

 overlook rehabilitated

Riverfront Tract

GREAT BEAR 

MOUND GROUP

LITTLE BEAR 

MOUND GROUP

New Trail

(exact location TBD)

COMPOUND

MOUND GROUP

MARCHING BEAR

MOUND GROUP

YELLOW RIVER

MOUND GROUP

Hanging Rock

NORTH

UNIT

SOUTH

UNIT

Visitor Center

EFFIGY MOUNDS 

NATIONAL MONUMENT

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Legend

Contour Lines (10 m interval)

Public Road

County Road

Park Road

Maintenance Access

Trail

State Boundary

Waterbody

National Monument Boundary

New Trail (location TBD)

Non-NPS Land within Park Boundary

Alternative Management Zones

Backcountry Zone

Developed Zone

Discovery Zone

0 0.25 0.5

Miles

Air Photo Source: National Agricultural 

Imagery Program (NAIP)

Collection Year: 2010

DSC/June 2012

M i s s i s s i p

p i R i v e r

WISCONSIN

IOWA

Figure 2: 

Management Zones
Table 1: Management Zones

Backcountry Zone 

(green)

Discovery zone 

(purple)

Development Zone 

(brown)

Purpose/

Emphasis

In this zone, the emphasis 

would be on the protection 

of resources in a natural 

setting.

In this zone, the emphasis 

would be on enhancing visitor 

access and understanding of the 

mounds, while still maintaining a 

natural setting.

The emphasis of this zone would 

be to provide the facilities and 

amenities necessary for visitor 

services and monument operations.

There would be minimal 

development and the visitor 

experience would be one of 

quiet and solitude.

There would be some 

development designed to 

enhance understanding, such as 

interpretive waysides and signs. 

Ranger-led activities would occur 

here, and visitors would be likely 

to see others in this zone. 

Although zoned for development, 

the recent discovery of numerous 

mound remnants in the 

headquarters development zone 

make careful and thoughtful 

consultation with associated tribes 

and other parties increasingly 

important whenever changes or 

improvements to this area are 

contemplated. See figure 1.

Maintenance activities would 

occur primarily to further 

resource preservation, while 

accommodating visitor 

experience as appropriate.

Maintenance activities in this 

zone would occur primarily 

to enhance visitor experience 

as much as possible, while 

preserving resources.

The primary purpose of 

maintenance activities in this zone 

would be to maintain resources 

and facilities in support of visitor 

experiences, safety, and park 

operations.

Desired Resource Conditions

Cultural 

Resources

Burial mounds and other 

cultural resources would be 

preserved in place in good 

condition according to the 

Secretary of the Interior’s 

Standards.

Burial mounds and other cultural 

resources would be preserved 

in place in good condition 

according to the Secretary of the 

Interior’s Standards. 

Where present in this zone, cultural 

resources would be protected 

and monitored according to the 

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.

Mowing on or around the 

mounds would be done in 

accordance with the treatment 

recommendations of an approved 

cultural landscape report.

Natural 

Resources 

Natural resources would 

be managed to preserve or 

restore the approximate 

appearance of the landscape 

associated with the 

moundbuilding era (to be 

identified in the cultural 

landscape report) and to 

preserve rare habitat.

Natural resources in this 

zone would be managed to 

allow for visitor access and to 

approximate the appearance 

of the landscape associated 

with the moundbuilding era 

(to be identified in the cultural 

landscape report).

Natural resources would be 

modified when necessary for visitor 

use or monument operations.

16 | Effigy Mounds National Monument
Backcountry Zone 

(green)

Discovery zone 

(purple)

Development Zone 

(brown)

Desired Visitor Experience

This zone would be 

experienced primarily by 

hiking or paddling via selfguided or ranger-led trips.

This zone would be experienced 

primarily by hiking or paddling 

via self-guided or ranger-led trips.

This zone would offer the primary 

orientation to the park. Information 

and interpretation would be offered 

in an indoor setting.

On-site information and 

interpretation would be 

limited within the zone. 

On-site information and 

interpretation would be available 

at many sites in this zone.

The visitor experience 

would be relatively quiet and 

contemplative. Encounters 

with other visitors and 

monument staff would be 

rare. 

Encounters with other visitors 

and monument staff would be 

expected in this zone. 

Special events for large crowds 

could be accommodated here. Many 

encounters with other visitors and 

monument staff would be expected.

To fully experience this zone, 

a higher level of preparation 

would be necessary and a 

greater time commitment 

than in the other zones (1–4 

hours) would be needed.

A moderate time commitment 

and physical ability would be 

necessary to experience this 

zone.

All visitors, regardless of time 

allowance and physical ability, could 

experience this zone. Visitors could 

gain some understanding of the 

park with a 30 to 60 minute time 

commitment.

Appropriate Facilities and Monument Operation Practices

Facilities Trails: Simple, minimally 

developed foot trails; over 

time, trails in this zone would 

be 2 to 3 feet in width with 

some naturally occurring 

obstacles. The trails would 

generally have a natural dirt 

surface, unless preservation 

needs require

Trails: Foot trails in this zone 

would be moderately developed; 

over time, trails in this zone 

would be 3 to 6 feet in width. 

Natural surface materials 

would be used to maintain the 

trail tread; examples include 

woodchips, compacted

Unless future studies demonstrate 

unacceptable harm occurring 

to recently discovered mound 

remnants in this area, this zone 

would have the visitor center, 

research and educational facilities, 

administrative offices,

General Management Plan Summary | 17
Backcountry Zone 

(green)

Discovery zone 

(purple)

Development Zone 

(brown)

Facilities, 

continued

the use of surface materials 

for resource protection. 

Drainage features would be 

designed to blend with the 

natural environment.

The one exception to the 

trail standards (above) is 

the South unit trail to the 

Marching Bear Mound 

Group. This trail would 

continue to accommodate 

occasional use (not to exceed 

two vehicle trips a week) by 

small park vehicles.

There would be no 

additional raised boardwalk 

trails.

crushed stone, and dirt. Drainage 

features would be designed 

to blend with the natural 

environment. 

There would be no additional 

raised boardwalk trails. 

Roads: Maintenance roads in 

the discovery zone would be 

acceptable. If possible without 

disturbing resources, some trails 

would be constructed or rebuilt 

to accommodate occasional 

use by small park vehicles and 

could be accessed by people with 

mobility impairments.

maintenance facilities, trailheads, 

primary indoor and outdoor 

interpretive exhibits, museum 

collections storage and management 

space, parking lot, surfaced trails, 

developed outdoor program area, 

and accessible facilities.

Roads: Maintenance roads in 

the backcountry zone would 

be limited. The maintenance 

road in the North unit (that 

supports maintenance of the 

discovery zone) would be 

used on an occasional basis 

by park staff, not to exceed 

three trips per week. The 

North unit maintenance 

road would have a natural 

dirt surface and would not 

exceed 10 feet in width. The 

northern maintenance road 

in the North unit would be 

abandoned.

Other Facilities: Other facilities in 

this zone would include benches, 

interpretive waysides, and 

amenities such as trash/recycling 

receptacles.

Other Facilities: Other 

facilities in this zone would 

include small rustic benches 

and limited, unobtrusive 

informational signs.

Practices for 

Maintenance/

Operations 

and Resource 

Management

Park staff and volunteers 

would maintain resources 

and facilities in this zone with 

an emphasis on preserving 

resource integrity.

Park staff and volunteers would 

maintain resources and facilities 

in this zone with an emphasis on 

the support of visitor experience 

and safety to the extent possible 

without compromising resource 

integrity.

Park staff and volunteers would 

maintain resources and facilities in 

this zone with an emphasis on the 

support of visitor experience, safety, 

and park operations.

18 | Effigy Mounds National Monument
General Management Plan Summary | 19

Heritage Addition

The Heritage Addition will be primarily zoned as backcountry.

Public trails will be provided in the Heritage Addition using the existing county road and 

appropriate logging roads. Some new trails could be constructed according to a public 

access/trail development plan. Trails will be designed according to trail standards for the 

backcountry zone. Trails will be for pedestrian use—no horses, bicycles, or public vehicles 

will be allowed. Leave No Trace principles will be emphasized, including trash removal.

The specific site of trails in the Heritage Addition will be identified in a subsequent trail 

development or public access plan. The access plan will explore and analyze potential 

options that require a minimum of new trail construction. The National Park Service will 

seek hiking access, county relinquishment, or abandonment of the restricted use county 

road to facilitate use of the road as a trail. Treatment of unused logging roads will be 

dictated by the completed cultural landscape report.

Visitors will receive information and orientation at the visitor center before accessing the 

Heritage Addition. Wayside and sign placement (for orientation and/or interpretation) 

will be minimized; locations will be selected to carefully reflect the contemplative 

setting desired. Placement of signs will be guided by the long-range interpretation plan. 

Appropriate activities allowed in the unit will include quiet, low impact, resource-based 

activities such as hiking, canoeing, and wildlife viewing.

Public access will include canoeing and ranger-led hikes. Pass-through canoeing on the 

Yellow River will be allowed, but take-out will be prohibited in the monument to protect 

riverside resources. River and aquatic biology educational programming could be offered 

using the Yellow River and wetlands. No facilities will be provided. Boat take-out will be 

prohibited and this prohibition will be actively enforced. Wild and scenic river designation 

will be pursued for the Yellow River.
20 | Effigy Mounds National Monument

North Unit (Not Including the Visitor Center Area)

Most of the North unit will be zoned as backcountry. The area immediately north of the 

visitor center and maintenance area will be placed in the discovery zone. There will be no 

development of new facilities in the North unit. Maintenance access to the northernmost 

portion of the monument will be nonvehicular and the northern maintenance road 

will be abandoned.

The National Park Service will pursue acquisition of the Riverfront Tract in the legislated 

boundary from a willing seller to protect cultural resources on the tract and will evaluate 

the sites for national register or national landmark status.

Existing trails that do not meet the trail standards for the backcountry and discovery zones 

will be corrected. If possible without compromising resource integrity, the existing trail at 

Fire Point will be moved for visitor safety and resource preservation. The mound at Fire 

Point will be stabilized after the trail is moved. All work will be done according to Advisory 

Council regulations (36 CFR Part 800), NPS Management Policies 2006, Director’s Order 

28: Cultural Resources Management, and The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and 

Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. All work will be done in consultation 

with the Iowa state historic preservation officer and traditionally associated American 

Indian tribes.

Visitors will be provided opportunities to reflect on the influence of the natural world 

on the moundbuilders in a primarily quiet contemplative setting. There will be limited 

personal services such as guided hikes and talks. On-site information could be expanded 

subsequent to a long-range interpretation plan. Interpretive waysides and signs will be 

primarily sited in the discovery zone. Some interpretive waysides and signs may be carefully 

sited in the backcountry zone to provide essential information, but not detract from the 

natural and contemplative setting. Wayside and sign placement will be determined in the 

long-range interpretation plan.

North Unit Visitor Center Area

This area will be managed as part of the development zone. Those portions of the 

monument’s museum collections and archives that are in long-term storage and not on 

display in the visitor center will either be (1) removed from the visitor center basement 

to a safer and more secure location where they will still be accessible for legitimate 

research; or (2) the current facility will be improved and staffing will be increased to more 

closely meet NPS museum collections standards. The National Park Service is willing 

to cooperate with local universities, museums, nonprofit organizations, or government 

agencies to store the museum collections and archives closer to Effigy Mounds National 

Monument, in accordance with NPS museum collections standards. Due to concerns 

raised by traditionally associated tribes and other stakeholders, 

it may be preferable to keep the collections at Effigy Mounds 

National Monument. If the collections are moved, the NPS 

Midwest Regional Office, chief of museum collections and 

records will oversee the move and serve as a technical advisor. All 

options will be carefully considered in consultation with the state 

historic preservation officer, Office of the State Archaeologist, and 

traditionally associated tribes.

The depth of information and interpretation content in the visitor 

center will increase and new technology will be used as it 

becomes available.
General Management Plan Summary | 21

South Unit

The majority of the South unit will be zoned for backcountry. The area immediately 

south of the visitor center and maintenance area will be placed in the discovery zone. The 

majority of the existing trails will be in the backcountry zone.

Existing trails that do not meet trail standards for the backcountry and discovery zones will 

be corrected. Existing trails could be realigned for resource preservation purposes in the 

backcountry zone and for visitor experience purposes in the discovery zone. The Yellow 

River Bridge Trail will be connected to the existing Marching Bear Trail. The exact location 

of the trail will be determined through careful site planning in consultation with the Iowa 

state historic preservation officer, Office of the State Archaeologist, and traditionally 

associated American Indian tribes.

Visitors will be primarily on their own in the backcountry zone and will have minimal 

contact with monument staff or other visitors. Visitors will be provided opportunities to 

experience the influence of the natural world on the moundbuilders through interpretation 

and contemplation and will receive information primarily from the visitor center and 

limited wayside exhibits. Interpretation of mound preservation and the related 19th 

century American Indian cultural experience will be enhanced by interpreting the military 

trail and cistern.

Interpretive waysides and signs will be primarily sited in the discovery zone. Some 

interpretive waysides and signs may be carefully sited in the backcountry zone to provide 

essential information, but not to detract from the natural and contemplative setting. 

Directional signs will be added as needed to assist visitors. Wayside and sign placement 

will be determined in the long-range interpretation plan. On-site information could be 

expanded subsequent to a long-range interpretation plan.

Sny Magill Unit

The majority of the Sny Magill unit will be zoned for backcountry. A small portion of the 

unit that contains an improved trail is zoned discovery.

The National Park Service will pursue acquisition of the land between the highway and the 

railroad tracks from a willing seller for a contact station to provide an NPS presence for 

resource protection and visitor services. A site development plan will be created to 

evaluate options for site and design of the visitor contact station, access trail, and trail 

surface improvements.

A portion of the existing trail will be improved according to the Sny Magill site 

development plan. The trail will be built from the parking area only to the first mounds 

encountered (approximately 412 yards). A site plan will be developed to evaluate options 

for location and design of the visitor contact station, access trail from visitor contact station 

to the mounds, and trail surface improvements.

Depending on the time of year, visitors will receive formal and informal personal services at 

the contact station such as NPS-conducted educational programs; conducted interpretive 

demonstrations, talks, and walks; and additional contacts with rangers. The National Park 

Service will explore possible cooperative partnerships with other agencies such as the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service to provide visitor services.

The public will continue to have access to this unit for recreational activities in appropriate 

areas. Boating on the Mississippi River adjacent to and within this unit will be monitored 

for use levels and resource impacts.
22 | Effigy Mounds National Monument

Proposed Changes to Legislated Boundary (Non-NPS Land)

During the course of the planning process, several land parcels were identified as potential 

additions to Effigy Mounds National Monument (figure 3).

Tract 1 is adjacent to the part of the South unit that preserves the Marching Bear Mound 

Group. It is an approximately 20-acre parcel of agricultural land currently in row crops and 

hay rotation. Inclusion of this tract in the monument’s boundary is necessary to protect 

significant resources and values and to enhance opportunities for public enjoyment related 

to monument purpose. Tract 1 lies within approximately 20 feet of the Marching Bear 

Mound Group. Development of this tract could threaten this fundamental park resource.

Tract 2 is an approximately 120-acre parcel, mostly on the sides and top of a bluff over the 

Yellow River. The tract consists of a mixture of open pasture, fields, and steep wooded 

slopes and has been used for farming and logging. In a narrow area between wetlands and 

bluffs on the west side of Founders Pond, a county road weaves in and out of the current 

park boundary and tract 2. Inclusion of this tract in the monument’s boundary is necessary 

to protect significant resources and values and to enhance opportunities for public 

enjoyment related to monument purpose. The adjacent part of the monument is included 

in the backcountry zone in this plan where cultural resources are preserved in place in 

good condition and natural resources are managed to be preserved or be restored to an 

approximate appearance of the landscape associated with the moundbuilding era.

Tract 3 includes approximately 120 acres of land south and west of the monument. The 

tract consists mostly of steep wooded slopes punctuated by the valley formed by Dousman 

Creek and is mostly used for production forestry (logging). A county road weaves in and 

out of the current park boundary and this tract. Inclusion of this tract in the monument’s 

boundary is necessary in order to protect significant resources and values and to enhance 

opportunities for public enjoyment related to monument purpose. The part of the 

monument adjacent to this tract is zoned to protect the natural setting of the mounds and 

the ability of visitors to experience them in this setting. If tract 3 continues to be used for 

commercial forestry and/or is developed, it will be difficult for the park to achieve desired 

conditions in the adjacent part of the monument. Without this tract in the monument’s 

boundary, it will also be challenging to prevent degradation to the quality of Dousman 

Creek, which is a tributary to the Yellow River and a rare native trout stream. Commercial 

forestry activities upstream have the potential to increase surface runoff and sedimentation 

in the stream.

Tract 4 is an approximately 30-acre tract just west of the railroad corridor between the 

western border of the Sny Magill unit and Clayton County Road X56. This field is used 

for agricultural purposes, but most of it is seasonally flooded, which results in reduced 

crop yields. Adjusting the boundary to include this property will address operational and 

management issues. The selected alternative envisions this property to contain a small 

visitor contact station and possibly parking for visitors in high-profile vehicles that cannot 

currently access the Sny Magill unit given the low overhead railroad underpass. Because 

trail access from this visitor station to the mounds at Sny Magill will be provided, 

including this tract in the boundary will enhance opportunities for public enjoyment 

related to park purpose.
HERITAGE ADDITION

Founders 

Pond

Yellow River

Smokey Hol ol w Road

NOTES: 

*The park is in the process of completing a 

boundary survey. The boundary shown on 

this map is for illustrative purposes only.

NORTH

UNIT

SOUTH

UNIT

IOWA

WISCONSIN

Mississi p

p i R i v e r

Pleasant Ridge Road

C o unt y Road (Restricted Use)

Tract 3

Tract 2

Tract 3

Tract 2

Tract 1

Dousman C reek

76

EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Legend

Public Road

County Road

State Boundary

Tract Proposal

Waterbody

National Monument Boundary

Non-NPS Land within Park Boundary

0 0.5 1

Miles

DSC/March 2012

Entrance Road

Sn y Magill Creek

Johnsons Slo ugh

X56

Tract 4

SNY MAGILL UNIT

0 0.25 0.5

Miles

Figure 3: Recommended 

Boundary Adjustments
24 | Effigy Mounds National Monument

User Capacity

Overview

General management plans for national park system units are required by law to identify 

and address implementation commitments for user capacity, also known as carrying 

capacity. The National Park Service defines user capacity as the types and levels of visitor 

use that can be accommodated while sustaining the quality of park resources and visitor 

experience consistent with the purposes of the park. Managing user capacity in national 

parks is inherently complex and depends not only on the number of visitors, but also on 

where the visitors go, what they do, and the “footprints” they leave behind. In managing 

for user capacity, the park staff and partners rely on a variety of management tools and 

strategies rather than relying solely on regulating the number of people in a park area. In 

addition, the ever-changing nature of visitor use in parks requires a deliberate and adaptive 

approach to user capacity management.

Table 2 includes the indicators, standards, and potential future management strategies that 

will be implemented as a result of this planning effort.
41

TABLE 2:

USER 

CAPACITY INDICATORS AND 

STANDARDS

General Visitor Impact 

Topic Indicator Standard Potential Management Strategies 

Visitor impacts to archeological resources and cultural landscapes 

Documented changes in condition of cultural resources from visitor caused threats and disturbances, as defined in NPS Archeological Site Management Information System and List of Classified Structures (defined as good, fair, poor, or destroyed). Look at characteristics such as 

 visitor-caused degradation or 

visitor-caused increase in natural wear 

 deliberate and unintentional 

vandalism or theft 

 use of unauthorized areas/sites 

Visitor impacts do not exceed threshold of changing overall site condition to a lesser condition (i.e., good to fair, fair to poor, etc.) with emphasis on maintaining sites in good condition Visitor impacts do not threaten character defining features 

 Develop new opportunities for active or passive 

interpretation of sites that include education about staying on trails and park regulations (e.g., not walking on the mounds) 

 Develop site stewardship programs with 

volunteers and organizations 

 Partner with other historic preservation and 

friends groups to create awareness about archeological and historic sites and public archeology programs 

 Mitigate/take corrective action consistent with 

Secretary of the Interior standards 

 Restrict visitor activity at designated areas  Add signs and/or barriers to better protect 

resources 

 Increase law enforcement  Establish site/area closures 

Visitor created trails (could be focused along the river and/or in other areas) 

Number of visitor created trails on switchback or mound areas Total number of class 2 or above trails that leave designated trails 

No tolerance (No new trails on switchback or mound areas) No more than a 5% increase above current baseline 

 Increase in visitor education on staying on trails 

and park regulations 

 Place border logs or other barriers along formal 

trails at the junction with informal trails 

 Restore visitor created trails; add formal 

trailhead signs explaining the problem and asking visitors to remain on formal trails 

 Enhance marking of the official trail and/or 

improve adjacent designated trails 

 Increase enforcement or presence of rangers or 

volunteers 

 Area closures  Reduce use levels 

Table 2: User Capacity Indicators and Standards

General Management Plan Overview | 25
42

TABLE 2:

USER 

CAPACITY INDICATORS AND 

STANDARDS

General Visitor Impact 

Topic Indicator Standard Potential Management Strategies 

Condition of designated trail system 

Number of linear feet where the trail has expanded 1–3 feet wider than adjacent, more typical, sections of the trail per mile 

No more than 500 linear feet per mile of trail exceeding the normal width in any zone 

 Consider more substantial trail maintenance  Increase in visitor education about staying on 

trails and park regulations 

 Enhance marking of the official trail and/or 

further improve designated trails 

 Consider trail realignment and/or reconstruction  Install temporary or permanent signs  Area closures  Reduce group sizes and/or use levels 

Crowding at visitor center parking lot 

Number of days with vehicles parked in unauthorized paved areas per year Number of days with vehicles parked in grassy areas per year 

No more than 4 days per year No vehicles would be tolerated in unpaved (grassy) areas at any time 

 Trip planning/education about off-peak times / 

additional signage 

 Education about new findings of mound 

remnants in grassy areas of the park and why it is important to stay in designated parking areas 

 Better demarcation (e.g., signage, barriers, and 

education) of area closures of sensitive areas 

 Access by shuttle  Increased enforcement  Protection and interpretive rangers would be 

tasked with collecting data for vehicles parked in unauthorized areas 

Trail Classification SystemClass 0: Trail barely distinguishable; no or minimal disturbance of vegetation and/or organic litter. Class 1: Trail distinguishable; slight loss of vegetation cover and/or minimal disturbance of organic litter. Class 2: Trail obvious; vegetation cover lost and/or organic litter pulverized in primary use areas. Class 3: Vegetation cover lost and/or organic litter pulverized within the center of the tread, some bare soil exposed. Class 4: Nearly complete or total loss of vegetation cover and organic litter within the tread, bare soil widespread. Class 5: Soil erosion obvious, as indicated by exposed roots and rocks and/or gullying. 

Table 2: User Capacity Indicators and Standards

26 | Effigy Mounds National Monument
As the nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally 

owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering sound use of our land and water resources; protecting 

our fish, wildlife, and biological diversity; preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and 

historic places; and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The department assesses our energy 

and mineral resources and works to ensure that their development is in the best interests of all our people by encouraging 

stewardship and citizen participation in their care. The department also has a major responsibility for American Indian 

reservation communities and for people who live in island territories under U.S. administration.

EFMO 394/122341

March 2014
National Park Service • U.S. Department of the Interior

Effigy Mounds National Monument