Bellevue State Park

Picnickers at the Nelson Unit can enjoy beautiful views of the Mississippi River. Open picnic shelters may be reserved for a fee. The lodge is an ideal spot for group events such as wedding receptions and family events and is available on a reservation basis. The lodge and open shelters may be reserved online through the park reservation system. The Dyas Unit has 46 camping units (31 with electrical hookups), modern rest rooms, showers and a sanitary dumping station. Advance campsite reservations can be booked through the park reservation system. Half of the campsites are still available for self-registration on a first-come, first-serve basis. Camping is not allowed in the Nelson Unit. In the Nelson Unit, four trails provide a variety of hiking opportunities. One trail leads out to scenic overlook of the Mississippi, one winds past Indian burial mounds, one wanders through a restored prairie and a "Garden Sanctuary for Butterflies", and one takes you past an old limestone rock quarry. The Dyas Unit encompasses almost 4 miles of foot trails, scenic overlooks, a stream with beaver dams, and aquatic and other wildlife. In winter, bald eagles concentrate to feed near the open waters below Lock and Dam 12. Pileated woodpeckers are occasionally seen in isolated areas.