View of the Mississippi River from the Nezekaw Point Overlook in the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

Length: 1.8 mile round trip
Time:  1.5 hours with time to explore
Difficulty:  Moderate

Nezekaw Point Overlook Hike map (click to enlarge)

The trails in the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument start on the other side of Highway 76 from the parking lot. There are numerous destinations in the South Unit, but this trail report only covers the trip to the Founders Pond Overlook and Nezekaw Point Overlook. Just about the entire hike is in the forest, and during my July 31st visit I did encounter mosquitoes. I did not apply any insect repellant because as long as I kept walking they didn’t seem to keep up with me (or care to keep up).

Entrance on Highway 76 into the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

This hike passes one conical mound, one bear-shaped effigy mound, and two linear mounds. The conical mounds are the oldest in the park, dating as far back as 2,500 years ago. Linear mounds were built sometime between 300 and 750 AD. Effigy mounds—mounds in the shape of an animal—are the newest, having been built between 600 and 1200 AD. This type of mound was only built by Indians in the upper Midwest: northeastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and southeastern Minnesota. While Indians continued to build mounds up until around 1700, the construction of effigy mounds abruptly stopped, like a fad coming to an end.

Types of mounds at Effigy Mounds National Monument

All points of interest in the South Unit are at the top of a plateau, and Highway 76 is at the bottom. It is a .4-mile uphill climb to the top on a gravel road. The average grade of the hill is 11% (15% is where strenuous hiking begins), but it is very steep at the beginning and just before the top (grades as steep as 31%). Needless to say, this first segment of the hike is at least moderate in difficulty and may border on strenuous for some people.

Hill from Hwy 76 to the top of the plateau at the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

The trail forks twice at the top of the hill. Take a right at the first fork towards the Nezekaw Point Overlook. A left sets you off south towards the Marching Bear Group.

Nezekaw Point / Marching Bear Group fork in the trail at the north end of Effigy Mounds National Monument’s South Unit

The second fork is just a stone’s throw beyond the first. A right leads to the Nezekaw Point Overlook and a left to the Founders Pond Overlook. Note that the sign at the intersection reads MOUNDS AND OVERLOOK when referring to Nezekaw Point, so don’t be confused.

Founders Pond / Nezekaw Point fork in the trail at the north end of Effigy Mounds National Monument’s South Unit

I hiked to the Founders Pond Overlook first. From the fork it is only 150 feet away down a moderate hill. The view is very disappointing, but given the short length of the detour, you might as well hike to see it. When I visited, the pond looked more like a marsh.

Founders Pond Overlook in the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

Founders Pond in the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

When done, head back to the fork and take a left to Nezekaw Point. This section of the hike is along a mowed, grass path that traverses fairly level terrain until the very end where a short-but-steep hill leads down to the actual overlook of the Mississippi River, just like the hill down to the Founders Pond Overlook.

Typical terrain on the hike to Nezekaw Point in the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

Per the trail map, there is a conical mound just beyond the fork, but I never saw it. There is also a bear-shaped effigy mound a little farther down, and this I did see, but only because I knew to look for it. The mounds in the park 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 (bears and birds in Effigy Mounds National Monument) 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 for sure.

Bear effigy mound on the way to Nezekaw Point in the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

A quarter mile farther down the trail, just before coming to the final hill that leads to the overlook, is the first of two linear mounds. Yes, there is a small hill, but if the tall grass wasn’t growing on it to make it stand out from the rest of the terrain, I wouldn’t have given it any more thought than I would any small hill I passed while hiking on a trail.

First of two linear mounds on the way to Nezekaw Point in the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

There is a second linear mound that is separated from the first by a narrow patch of forest. At the far end is a directional sign pointing to NEZEKAW POINT OVERLOOK.

Second of two linear mounds on the way to Nezekaw Point in the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

Trail to the Nezekaw Point Overlook in the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

As mentioned, the final section of the hike to the overlook is down a short-but-steep hill (100 yards). At the end is a bench and a view of the Mississippi River.

Nezekaw Point Overlook in the South Unit of Effigy Mounds National Monument

When done at the overlook, head back to the second fork (first when coming up from the highway). From here you can return to the parking lot by taking another left or stay right to continue south to the Compound Mound Group and / or the Marching Bear Group of effigy mounds. For information on these hikes, visit the Hike to the Compound Mound Group and the Hike to the Marching Bear Group trail reports here on National Park Planner.

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