572 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIEN'CE Vol. XXV, 191S 



bare of timber. But east of Burt it unites with an inter-glacial 

 valley known as Union Slough and below this point it is deeper, 

 its walls are steeper, and groves of timber add touches of beauty 

 to its vistas. At and immediately below Algona the east wall is 

 rugged and tree covered and here should be a most desirable 

 park site which now is used only for occasional picnics or for 

 cow pastures. This condition extends all the wa}^ to Irvington, 

 five or six miles to the south, so that attractive spots are present 

 in abundance. At Livermore again, steep, timber-covered bluffs, 

 a fairly wide bottom land, and bordering prairie make a very 

 pleasing combination of natural features. Another likely spot 



Fig. 184. — The valley of the West Fork just south of Estherville, looking 

 west. 



for park purposes is in the vicinity of Dakota, where the forks 

 of the river come together. South of the village a long, high 

 ridge, well timber covered and with fairly steep slopes and 

 flat top, separates the two valleys and would afford a beautiful 

 park location. Some small outcroppings of the bedrock add to 

 the scientific interest of the region. 



The West Fork stretches a hundred miles across southwestern 

 Minnesota hefore it reaches Iowa. Hence it is a fair sized stream 

 in a goodly valley where it crosses the state line. The first 

 locality on the Iowa side which is especially desirable for park 

 purposes, is near Estherville. The east bluff just north of town 



