Okoboji for newbies: Where to stay, eat and play around Iowa's Great Lakes
Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2024.
For some families, summers at Okoboji have been a tradition for generations. But if you’ve never made the trip, you’ll find plenty of fun on the Iowa Great Lakes.
This area of northwest Iowa includes five glacier-carved, interconnected lakes spanning about 15,000 acres: West Okoboji, East Okoboji, Upper Gar, Lower Gar and Minnewashta.
Boat, water ski, fish and truly unplug at this resort area, which also offers 60-plus miles of trails, theaters, museums and an amusement park that’s more than a century old.
Here are tips on where to stay, dine and play.
Where to stay near the Iowa Great Lakes
Fillenwarth Beach in Arnolds Park on West Okoboji Lake has apartments and cottages with fully equipped kitchens, indoor and outdoor pools, sports courts and playgrounds. Guests have access to canoes, rowboats and paddleboats as well as daily cruises. Find it at 87 Lakeshore Drive, Arnolds Park; fillenwarthbeach.com.
Crescent Beach Lodge in Milford on West Okoboji Lake offers fully equipped suites and condos on Emerson Bay, with 250 feet of shoreline and a sandy beach that gradual slopes to deeper waters, good for beginners. Amenities include a water trampoline, mini golf and fishing docks. Boat and PWC hoists are available to rent. Find it at 1619 Lakeshore Drive, Milford; crescentbeachlodge.com.
Bridges Bay Resort, located right on East Okoboji, is home to Boji Splash, the area’s only indoor water park, and offers an outdoor pool overlooking the lake. Find it at 630 Linden Drive, Arnolds Park; bridgesbayresort.com.
The newer Okoboji Commons Hotel (formerly the East Oaks Mall) offers an urban metro vibe and a large deck overlooking East Lake. Take the free morning yoga class and hop right on the bike trail. Find it at 1302 Highway 71, Okoboji; okobojicommons.com.
Private homes and condos are available to rent at Vacation Rental by Owner (vrbo.com) and Airbnb.com.
More on Okoboji: Summer's coming and the time is right for Okoboji. Here are 7 things to do at the lake
Where to dine
Meet friends at West O Beer, a laid-back microbrewery and taproom with a modern industrial décor, a giant Jenga game and free buckets of peanuts (just shuck the shells on the floor). (503 Terrace Park Blvd., West Okoboji; westobeer.com).
Enjoy hearty pancakes, sandwiches and homemade pies at the legendary O’Farrell Sisters Restaurant, a nostalgic diner founded in 1947. Fans also rave about the giant cinnamon rolls and bloody Mary (1109 Lake Shore Drive, Okoboji; parksmarina.com)
For a gourmet Sunday brunch with bespoke cocktails, head to the Tasting Room in the Okoboji Commons Hotel. Local Jeremy Neppl, who trained at the Culinary Institute and Napa Valley restaurants, is executive chef. (1302 Highway 71, Okoboji; okobojicommons.com)
Since 1977, Minervas Restaurant & Bar has offered American cuisine in an informal setting at the Arrowwood Resort, including steaks, seafood and pasta. Travelers on Tripadvisor.com named it a top dinner spot in Okoboji for consistent service, quality and value. (1405 Highway 71 North, Okoboji; minervas.net)
No trip to Okoboji is completed without a visit to the Nutty Bar Stand, a nearly 75-year-old institution serving handmade ice cream bars coated in chocolate and rolled in nuts. A variety of other treats are on the menu. (37 Lake St., Arnolds Park; nuttybarstand.com)
Fun Okoboji activities
Rent boats, jet skis and other water toys at Boat Okoboji Rentals (Highway 71 just South of the Bridge in Arnolds Park, next to the Ritz; boatokobojirentals.com).
Looking for a captain to teach the kids how to fish or a charter to guide your party to the best spots? Try Campbell Fishing Expeditions (Arnolds Park, fishingokoboji.com) or JTG Expeditions (fishokoboji.com).
Arnolds Park Amusement Park, which started in 1889 with a single toboggan-style water slide, offers more than 30 rides and attractions, including the “Legend” wooden roller coaster and 65-foot Ferris wheel. (37 Lake Drive, Arnolds Park; ArnoldsPark.com).
Waterfalls, bridges, caves and a life-size pirate statue make for 18 holes of swashbuckling fun at Pirates Cove Mini Golf (25 Lake St., Arnolds Park; piratescove.net).
Even if you’re not a car buff, you’ll enjoy the guided tour of Okoboji Classic Cars, with its 48,000-square-foot showroom filled with mint condition classic cars, displayed in front of life-size murals of Spencer, Iowa, in the 1950s and a 1960s scene of Arnolds Park, with era-appropriate tunes playing in the background. (810 Jeppeson Road, Milford; okobojicc.com)
Visit the painted turtles and tarantulas and walk through an indoor bat cave, bee hive and fox burrow at the Dickinson County Nature Center, open year-round in the 70-acre Kenue Park. Outdoors, stroll mowed paths through a restored tallgrass prairie and around a wetland, and climb through a Nature Playscape with stumps, logs, a teepee and underground tunnel. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of the tables. (2279 170th St., Spirit Lake; dickinsoncountyconservationboard.com)
Tour the six galleries of the Pearson Lakes Art Center, including a permanent Russian Impressionist collection, or take one of the classes, geared for all ages and skill levels. The Center’s Lauridsen Performing Arts Theatre offers a full schedule of performances year-round (2201 Highway 71, Okoboji; lakesart.org).
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How to explore Okoboji and Iowa Great Lakes like a pro
