COLFAX, Iowa — What started as a vacant quarry with lots of potential has officially turned into one of Jasper County’s standout destinations.

Quarry Springs Park is located just off I-80 in Colfax. The park is operated by the Colfax Park Board, and this year it’s celebrating 10 years of operation with the unveiling of its biggest project yet — an RV campground.

The board acquired the 480 acres of land from Martin Marietta, an Iowa area development group known for donating land to local governments across the state. The area was formerly a sand and gravel quarry but it was no longer a profitable quarry and therefore sat vacant. 

Doug Garrett is the president of the Colfax Park Board. The board was created in 1999 to oversee the creation of two baseball diamonds in the west of town. In 2014, board members learned of the possibility of acquiring the prized 480 acres of land near exit 155 on I-80.

Garrett said the land had the potential to be a tourism destination in Central Iowa because 240 acres, or half of the park’s total acreage, was spring-fed water. He believed the sight would be a perfect location for a campground.

The board started planning for Quarry Springs Park in April 2014, but officially accepted the land without reclamation in 2015.

For the first year, Garrett said community members worked on the land to help them get it open by 2016. Volunteering at the park became a common trend for Colfax residents and those from surrounding communities.

“Since [2014 and] going through the last month, we’re literally just a little over 57,000 volunteer hours,” said Garrett. “The grants are nice, but the volunteer hours is what’s really carried the opportunity to develop the way that we have.”

The most recent volunteers helped plant 50 trees of seven different species in the new RV campground.

The RV campground project cost $1.2 million in total, but the city had help from a $400,000 grant from Destination Iowa. The new addition added 40 RV sites to the park’s existing 27 tent sites.

Garrett said Iowa campers have a hard time finding RV sites because state and county parks fill up quickly as a result of renovations. The new site at Quarry Springs Park is adding another opportunity for Iowans to enjoy the outdoors.

Over the last 10 years of the park’s operation, people came to kayak or boat, or hike the 6 miles of trails surrounding the park. There are also sand dunes that kids frequently play in.

On weekends and holidays, Adventure Iowa provides kayaks for rent along the waterfront.

The most unique attraction for Quarry Springs Park is the osprey, a fish-eating bird of prey. The park has one consistent nesting pair every year, but up to three nesting pairs have been spotted in the park in a given year.

Garrett said the Iowa DNR has observed as many as 26 known nesting pairs across the state of Iowa, so having three pairs in one location is unheard of.

Colfax City Administrator Wade Wagoner said the ospreys are a huge attraction to the park. Visitors can see the bird dive up to six feet deep into the water to catch prey.

Wagoner said the Iowa DNR had tried to rehome osprey in other areas of the state, but the osprey kept finding their way back to Quarry Springs Park. As a result, when the city redesigned its city flag, it included an osprey on it.

A new attraction coming later this year to Quarry Springs Park is a disc golf course.

While this is a frequent destination for people in Jasper County, the park also attracts people from across the country. Garrett said the park welcomed people from 34 different states last year, but they’re expecting that number to increase this year with the new RV campsite.

The Colfax Park Board is hosting a grand opening over the weekend for the new RV campsite. People can get tours of the park from a ranger, and there will be a dedication ceremony on Saturday, May 24th at 2 p.m.

Quarry Springs Park is located at 200 North Park Road in Colfax, Iowa.