Thomas Mitchell Park
Pond and Woodland Improvements Begin at Thomas Mitchell Park
Major improvements will be taking place in the next three years which will improve
the quality of the woodlands and pond in Thomas Mitchell Park. This 175-acre park
in eastern Polk County features a 6-acre lake that has been a favorite fishing spot
for many years. Unfortunately, during the summer of 2007, an algae die off caused
a fish kill that left very few fish remaining in the pond. The pond is extremely
shallow due to erosion and sediment run off from the Thomas Mitchell pond watershed.
Funding from the Watershed Improvement Review Board in the amount of $246,000 and
from the Natural Resources Conservation Service in the amount of $6,870 will be
used to save the pond and improve the health of the woodland. Grant dollars will
fund the installation of 4-7 water control structures, construction and connection
of new tile lines, reestablishment of native vegetation, pond dredging, fish restocking,
and timber stand improvement.
Clearing of invasive species, weed and diseased trees has begun and will continue
intensely throughout the winter.
Click here for a more detailed
time line and project description.
10509 NE 46 Ave.
Mitchellville, Iowa 50169
515-967-4889
A tall, wooded ridge is the most prominent natural feature of this 175-acre park
south of Mitchellville. Thomas Mitchell, a native of New Hampshire, built his cabin
here along Camp Creek in 1844. His cabin site is no longer visible, but Polk County's
first permanent English-speaking settler is still remembered by a park monument
and the town of Mitchellville which bears his name.
The park offers a 49-unit campground, two picnic shelters, universally designed
play area, fishing pond, and the 1-1/2 mile Devotie Trail. The park entrance is
located on NE 108th Street just south of NE 46th Street between Altoona and Mitchellville.
Reservations for some campsites can be made on-line at
www.mycountyparks.com. The on-line reservation rate for electric is $24,
non-electric is $18, and youth group sites is $12.
Thomas Mitchell Park was named after Polk County’s earliest Anglo-American settler,
Thomas Mitchell. In 1844, Mitchell obtained early access to the Iowa Territory from
Captain Allen, commander of Fort Des Moines. In exchange, Mitchell built a bridge
over Camp Creek which was often impassible to wagons traveling from Keokuk and Iowa
City to Fort Des Moines. He also built the Apple Grove Inn, in what is today’s Thomas
Mitchell Park. Thomas Mitchell was not only an innkeeper, but also a farmer, legislator,
sheriff, and operator of a stop on the Underground Railroad.