Ledges doesn't paint the typical portrait of Iowa landscape, said Neal Iverson, assistant professor of geological and atmospheric sciences. The bedrock formations at Ledges were created because of the cutting down of the Des Moines river, which runs through the park, Iverson said. The park has a history set in stone. Ledges State Park Manager Marc Peter said about 13,000 years ago, glaciers began to cut through the sandstone, forming the cliffs and valleys in the park. A development of the park in the late 1980s led to 15 miles worth of trails and 94 campsites, Peter said.
People even camp in the off-season.
The only time when the park is closed is when rain floods the lower river valley, he said. But the campsites are full from Memorial to the first week of August. He said 24,000 people camped at Ledges State Park in 1999, and 455,000 people were counted as daily visitors. But because of the large number of people who frequent the park, there has been some damage to the stones, Peter said. Once someone carves into the sandstone, the impression is there for a very long time and the erosion into the stone increases the defacement of the sandstone, he said.