Lost Island Lake is great fun in all seasons! It is the 6th largest natural lake in Iowa. To the north are meadows, prairie lands and wetlands, with ample public lands for hunting seasons. Winter offers ice fishing, sledding, or even ice skating. Summer is also fun for all ages, whether it is swimming at the beach, boating, camping, fishing, or simply enjoying the walking trails or park.  A new recreational trail is being planned to connect Lost Island Lake and the city of Ruthven.  Read more about this exciting development at the bottom of this page.

Resorts & Camping on Lost Island

Lost Island Prairie Wetland Nature Center and Lost Island-Huston Park

Lost Island Lake is also home to the Lost Island Nature Center.  In 1924, a 27-acre woodland on the east side of Lost Island Lake (south of the current Nature Center) became a State Park. That summer, prisoners from Fort Madison came to build the park roads, bath house, shelter and steps to the lake. In 1964, the state deeded the park to the Palo Alto County Conservation Board. The Board purchased more land to the north (formerly owned by Dr. Huston) and we now have Lost-Island Park. People remember the old picnic shelter pavilion, which was destroyed by fire in 1973. In 1975, a new open picnic shelter was completed at the same location. The Center is an interpretive site for wetlands with thousands of acres of natural lakes and marshes nearby. These lakes and marshes of the area were created by glaciers that covered the region 10-12,000 years ago. Today they provide wildlife habitat, flood control, water purification and unlimited recreational opportunities. The Center is an interpretive site for wetlands with thousands of acres of natural lakes and marshes nearby. These lakes and marshes of the area were created by glaciers that covered the region 10-12,000 years ago. Today they provide wildlife habitat, flood control, water purification and unlimited recreational opportunities.
The Nature Center facilities include the main exhibit room with a wetland diorama highlighting local wildlife. A fish aquarium, beehive, buzz-board, library, historical and artifact displays, and more are great attractions for all ages. Educational programs are provided for school children, civic groups and the general public to explore the natural world and experience nature first hand.
Within the park, there are trails, a public campground, swimming beach, picnic areas, boat ramps, observation blind and amphitheater.

The Lost Island Nature Center provides opportunities for outdoor recreation and life-long learning to both local residents and tourists.  For more information regarding the Lost Island Nature Center and the Palo Alto County Conservation Board, click here.

Lost Island Protective Association

L.I.P.A Mission Statement:  To encourage and to promote high environmental quality of the lake area.  We support the steps that are essential to maintain the continuing proper usage of Lost Island Lake and its surroundings.

LIPA is currently heavily involved in fundraising efforts for the proposed trail around Lost Island Lake and in the Lost Island Restoration Project.  The Palo Alto County Conservation Board and the Iowa DNR are also working on a project to improve fishing in Lost Island Lake.  Please read the LIPA newsletters for more details.  Click here to view the proposed trail system (large image).

The Lost Island Protective Association is actively seeking additional memberships and donations for all of their above projects.  You may purchase a membership for $15 and/or donate to the Trail Project or the Restoration Project.  Your $15 membership fee helps provide for buoys, mailings and postings, for the sanitary sewer district, the annual picnic, for the Ruthven Fire Department, garage sale newspaper ad, weather warning system, and to help maintain environmental quality.  Download a membership form today from the Spring 2010 newsletter.

You can also purchase LIPA merchandise!!  Click here to download a merchandise order form.

If you would simply like to donate to the Lost Island Trail Project and/or the Restoration Project, please send your donation to (and make checks payable to)

LIPA, Box 383, Ruthven, IA 51358

Trail Project Update per Gary Small (Quoted from the LIPA Newsletter Spring 2009 edition)

“The Lost Island Trail Project has been collecting money for the past 3 years in an effort to begin the long and tenuous process of creating a trail around the perimeter of Lost Island Lake.  Through the Palo Alto County Gaming Development Corporation, we have been awarded a matching fund grant in the amount of $21,137.44 this year.  That money will be used to pay for the engineering portion of the trail as laid out in our preliminary plans for the northeast, east, and southeast sides of the lake.  Our money raising efforts are just beginning, however.  It is our goal for the next phase (real cement on the ground) to raise $25,000 this year to be used for additional grant applications.  This must be a joint effort and will take time and patience.”

Lost Island Sanitary Sewer District

Contact the LISSD at (712) 837-5925.

Community Submitted Photos of Lost Island Lake

Probably the most famous rainbow legend of all is that at the end of every rainbow lays a pot of gold guarded by the mischievous creature, the Leprechaun. Legend has it the leprechaun can usually trick the unwitting human out of his treasure. As a beautiful rainbow appeared over Lost Island Lake this past week, the colors made it clear, the end was on the lake; and everyone already knows that Lost Island is truly a pot of gold!  (photo by Don Peaslee)