Hike to Twin Views in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

Length:  2.4 miles round trip
Time:  1.5 hours with time to explore
Difficulty: One steep hill at the start, then easy

All hikes in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument start at a trailhead near the Visitor Center parking lot. There are numerous destinations in the North Unit, but this trail report only covers the trip to Twin Views. On this hike you will see four of the five types of mounds in the park (no bird effigy mounds in the North Unit) plus views of the Mississippi River from two overlooks. When done at Twin Views, you can return to the Visitor Center or continue hiking to Third Scenic View or even farther to Hanging Rock.

Types of mounds at Effigy Mounds National Monument

Trailhead for all North Unit trails at Effigy Mounds National Monument

Twin Views Trail Map (click to enlarge)

About two hundred yards from the start of the hike is an observation deck that overlooks three conical mounds, which are typically the oldest type of mounds in the park, dating as far back as 2,500 years ago. Most of them are burial mounds, but contrary to popular belief, there are no remains in the actual dirt hill. The deceased were buried in the ground, and the mound was built on top of the burial site. What the mound represents is unknown, but perhaps it is similar to a tombstone or designed to prevent others from looting or disturbing the graves. Not everyone was buried under a mound, so this practice was most likely reserved for the most important people in the society.

Observation platform and conical mound near the start of the North Unit trails at Effigy Mounds National Monument

Anatomy of a burial mound

From the observation deck, the North Unit trail starts up a very steep hill to the top of a plateau, and it doesn’t taper off until the turn for Eagle Rock, .3 mile away. The average grade of the hill is 13%, and most hikers agree that 15% is where strenuous starts.

Steep hill at the start of the North Unit trail at Effigy Mounds National Monument

The trail levels out (somewhat) just beyond the turn for Eagle Rock at the first of two compound mounds seen on this hike. The mound is comprised of three conical mounds connected together by linear mounds. Due to erosion over time, today it looks like one, long grass-covered grave that hasn’t yet been packed down. Compound mounds are thought to be a transition from conical mound building to linear mound building, which in this area of Iowa started around 300 AD and continued through 750 AD.

Compound mound just past the turnoff for Eagle Rock in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

From the compound mound it is another .2 mile to the turnoff for Fire Point. Just before the turn is a bear effigy mound known as the Little Bear Mound. While mounds were built by various people all around North America since 4000 BC, effigy mounds—mounds in the shape of an animal—are unique to the upper Midwest: northeastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and southeastern Minnesota. They are also the newest mounds in the park, having been built between 600 and 1200 AD. While Indians continued to build mounds up until around 1700, the construction of effigy mounds abruptly stopped, like a fad coming to an end.

Like all mounds in the park, the effigy mounds (bears only in the North Unit) have been so whittled down by erosion that they are barely noticeable. To make visualization easier, the National Park Service mows the grass around the mounds and allows the grass on top of them to grow tall so that the shapes are more defined. Furthermore, the shapes are nearly impossible to discern from ground level due to their size. You really need to be up in a tree or flying overhead in a helicopter. Of course that leads to the question as to why the Indians would have gone to all the trouble to build effigy mounds that can only be seen from the sky. The most obvious guess is so that the gods could see them, but since there is no written record, the answer will never be known. And by the way, archeologists do not know for sure if the effigies are bears. They could just as well be bison or any other animal of similar shape.

In the photo below, the bear shape is outlined in red.

Little Bear Mound in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

The intersection with the trail to Fire Point comes .6 mile into the hike. Stay straight to continue on to Twin Views and the other destinations in the North Unit. From here until the Twin Views trail, the terrain is hilly but still fairly easy to hike.

Intersection of the main trail and the turnoff for Fire Point in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

The Great Bear Mound is just a tenth of a mile ahead. As with the Little Bear Mound, it is hard to make out the shape and nearly impossible to photograph from ground level. This is the largest bear effigy mound in Effigy Mounds National Monument.

Great Bear Mound in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

A long stretch of conical mounds begins just beyond the Great Bear Mound. Most of these are knee-high, and without the tall grass growing on them they would be hard to spot.

Conical mounds along the trail to Twin Views in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

There is one last bear effigy in what amounts to a little cul-de-sac. Being smaller, I was able to fit it into a photo, and the tall grass certainly helps with defining the shape.

Bear effigy mound on the trail to Twin Views in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

The turnoff for Twin Views is a quarter mile past the cul-de-sac (.6 mile past the Fire Point turnoff). The intersection is Y-shaped, with Twin Views being the trail that veers to the right. You actually must take a left to continue on towards Third Scenic View and Hanging Rock.

Intersection of the main trail and the turnoff for Twin Views in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

It is a tenth of a mile to the overlooks at Twin Views. The trail is much narrower than the main wood-chip-covered trail, more like a traditional hiking trail. The hike is downhill all the way, though the descent is quite mild.

Trail to Twin Views in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

In addition to the two overlooks, there is a very distinct conical mound at the end of the trail. The mounds nearest the cliffs overlooking the Mississippi River are usually the largest, and the largest mounds also tend to be the oldest.

Large conical mound at the Twin Views overlook in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

There are two overlooks of the Mississippi River at Twin Views. The southern overlook is just beyond the mound. From here the view is best looking downriver. A path from the overlook will get you closer to the river, but the view is no better, so don’t waste your time. A sign at the overlook also states not to take the trail for safety reasons.

Southern overlook at Twin Views in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

View of the Mississippi River from the southern overlook at Twin Views in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

The overlook on the north side of the trail is down a small hill. From here you can see upriver, though the overall view is no better or worse than from the southern overlook.

Northern overlook at Twin Views in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

View of the Mississippi River from the northern overlook at Twin Views in the North Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

When done, head back to the main trail. If you wish to continue farther and want some information on the hikes, see the Hike to Third Scenic View (which picks up from this report) and the Hike to Hanging Rock trail reports.

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