PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 177 



ing upon the foanks of West Okoboji lake the highest point between those 

 two mountain systems. 



Spirit lake begins on the Minnesota line, and north of it and in the 

 state of Minnesota, are six or eight small lakes, all tributary to Spirit 

 lake and connected therewith, many of them very beautiful. Spirit lake 

 itself is a body of water four miles in length north and south and approxi- 

 mately four miles in width east and west at the widest point. Gazing 

 upon the lake from the banks, it appears to be nearly circular. On the 

 west there are six or eight small lakes, all having their outlets into Spirit 

 lake. The town of Spirit Lake is located on the west bank of East Okoboji 

 lake, which lake begins at a point forty rods south of the south shore of 

 Spirit lake and extends in a southerly direction to a point where the 

 public highway from the south crosses the lake at Okoboji, a distance 

 of about eight miles. East Okoboji lake varies in width from ten rods 

 at a place called the Narrows, to two miles. It connects with West Oko- 

 boji lake at Okoboji where the public highway above referred to crosses, 

 so that the two lakes are in fact one body of water, steamers and all lake 

 craft having access to both lakes. West Okoboji lake is six miles in 

 length and varies in width from one to three miles, with high banks and 

 very deep blue water. Southeast of these lakes and immediately east of 

 the town of Arnold's Park, which is situated upon the east bank of West 

 Okoboji lake, is a series of lakes formerly known as Gar lakes. Some 

 years since, the state constructed a canal from East Okoboji lake into 

 and through a part of this lake system, thus making these beautiful lakes 

 accessible to small craft from the larger lakes. The outlet from the 

 entire lake system extends through these lakes, Spirit lake draining into 

 East Okoboji lake, West Okoboji lake also draining into East Okoboji 

 lake, and thence on through the Gar lakes into the Little Sioux river, 

 and ultimately into the Missouri river. 



In various places in Dickinson county there are other lakes Center 

 lake between East and West Okoboji lakes, Swan lake in the eastern part 

 of the county, Diamond lake just west of Spirit lake, and Silver lake, a 

 considerable body of water near Lake Park in the western part of the 

 county. 



The lake system of Dickinson county has at least one hundred miles 

 of lake shore, a large amount of which has shelving sandy beaches, 

 affording splendid bathing privileges. The banks of nearly the entire lake 

 system are fringed' with timber, consisting of oak, ash, hickory and 

 various other trees indigenous to the region. When the early settlers 

 came into this territory, the groves around the lakes consisted of very 

 large trees, mostly white oak, often three feet in diameter. As is often 

 the case, however, in a new country, little attention was given to the 

 preservation of these magnificent trees, and, except as they were here 

 and there preservd around farm 'buildings, they are cut down and sawed 

 up for lumber, used in building the early homes in the county. The beau- 

 tiful forests now fringing the lakes, therefore, are a second growth, con- 

 sisting of the smaller tree here at the arrival of the first settler now 

 developed into substantial trees, but in no manner comparing with the 

 grand old oaks of the original forest. 



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