Manawa City Park

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Last Updated: December 5, 2025

Manawa City Park is a popular park located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, just across the border from Omaha, Nebraska.


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Summary

It is a 77-acre park that offers a variety of recreational activities for visitors of all ages.

One of the main reasons to visit Manawa City Park is to enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings. The park features several lakes, a creek, and numerous walking trails that wind through wooded areas and open fields. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, boating, and picnicking in the park.

One of the main attractions in the park is the aquatic center, which features multiple pools, water slides, and a lazy river. The park also has several playgrounds, sports fields, and a disc golf course.

In addition to the recreational activities, Manawa City Park is also home to several historical and cultural attractions. The park features a restored 19th-century village that showcases the life and culture of early settlers in the area. Visitors can also explore an old railroad depot, a log cabin, and a one-room schoolhouse.

Overall, the best time to visit Manawa City Park is during the summer months when the weather is warm and the park's aquatic center is open. However, the park is open year-round and offers a variety of activities and attractions for visitors to enjoy throughout the year.

       

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Park & Land Designation Reference

National Park
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
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