Heading north, out of Backbone State Park, visitors are treated to a somewhat unique experience as they head toward Route 410. Richmond Springs pumps out 2,000 gallons of water per minute, creating Backbone Creek. As the stream weaves its way toward the Maquoketa River, the park road fords the river in four different places, providing a cool experience.
This quick flowing stream is quite a popular area for anglers. Here, Backbone Creek offers catches of brown and rainbow trout, ensured by the Iowa's Department of Natural Resources restocking efforts.
Backbone State Park, dating back to 1920, was Iowa's first state park, and is still considered one of the best. Twenty-one miles of multi-use trails offer year-round outdoor activities, including winter cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The most alluring hike in the park, the short Backbone Trail Loop, leads out onto a narrow neck of dolomite, the Devil's Backbone. This peninsular shaped ridge is surrounded by a shear dropoff, some 80 feet to the river valley below.