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Located near Saylorville Lake just 20 miles from Des Moines, Big Creek State Park is a family-friendly setting for picnicking and outdoor recreation. The centerpiece is Big Creek Lake, home of the largest beach in the state park system. The lake is also a popular fishing destination with boat and bike rentals available at the beach concessionaire. Take a day-trip to Big Creek State Park this season and enjoy everything Iowa outdoors has to offer.
History of the AreaThe shooting range is located off Highway 415, three miles northwest of the park entrance and offers sheltered stations for firing handguns and rifles. The range is operated by a private concessionaire and is open to the public year round. A recently developed trap and skeet area also provides challenging recreational opportunities at this complex. This area also provides a classroom facility for hunter education, training, and meetings.
Big Creek State Lake was created as part of the Saylorville project to protect Polk City form floods. A diversion dam which forms the 866-acre Big Creek Lake Saylorville was primarily a flood control project but also offers a wide variety of recreation. Big Creek State Park and the adjoining public hunting areas provide recreation for visitors of all ages and interests. The focal point of the 3,550-acre complex is the lake.
