Located within the Iowa Great Lakes region, Okoboji is a popular summer resort in Dickinson County. It’s home to family-friendly amusement parks and lakeside reserves, as well as a museum dedicated to the history of American banking.
Things to do in Okoboji
Travelling with kids? Head to the Arnolds Park Amusement Park, which first opened to punters in 1889. It boasts more than 20 rides, including the historic “Legend” wooden roller coaster and the Boji Falls Log Ride, as well as the Pirates Revenge and Boji Bounce trampoline. Antique boats are on display at the park’s Maritime Museum while the Queen II offers cruises along West Okoboji Lake.
Hugging the lakeshore is Gull Point State Park, which is home to several 1930s structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is a popular launching point for canoeists and sailors and is a prime spot for luring largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegills. Hiking trails wind through the park, offering sightings of songbirds and white-tailed deer.
You can delve into the history of banking in the United States at the Higgins Museum, which was founded in 1978 by the former mayor of Okoboji, William R. Higgins, Jr. Its collection includes around 2,500 banknotes dating from 1863 to 1935, as well as thousands of Iowa postcards from the turn-of-the-20th-century. The Higgins Museum is a short stroll from the children’s playground of Speier Park and Brooks Golf Course.
Getting around Okoboji
Okoboji is just under two hours’ drive from Sioux City around 1.5 hours from Sioux Falls Regional Airport, which has flights to destinations across the United States. Renting a car is the most convenient way of getting to and around Okoboji.