Shelters and/or the Social Center may be reserved by University of Iowa classes, departments, and official student organizations, as well as by other insured organizations. The UI WILD program manages the facility rentals and reservations.

To inquire about reserving these spaces, please contact the UI WILD office via phone (319.467.3287) or by email (COE-WILD@uiowa.edu). 

• No alcohol.
• All pets must be on a leash.
• Leave all shelters ready for the next user - anything you carry in, you must carry out.  Do not leave trash behind.
• Tables and other shelter-related items are restricted to the shelter area.
• All non-registered visitors must be out of the park by closing time.
• All cancelations must be done 48 hours in advance. 
• For questions on shelter reservations, please contact coe-wild@uiowa.edu

The Macbride Nature Recreation Area’s Vascular Plant Inventory Project aims to catalog the diverse plant species within the area. This project is crucial for understanding the local ecosystem and contributes to the land stewardship goals, as well as conservation efforts by monitoring and preserving plant biodiversity of the important area.

This initiative offers a large number of students hands-on experience in plant identification and ecological research, contributing to the conservation and understanding of local biodiversity.

Students in all University of Iowa Colleges and experience level are welcome to volunteer and participate in this project. Hours are flexible to work within your academic hours and available time.

Interested students should email Macbride Nature Recreation Area Land Manager Tamra Elliott.

The Macbride Nature Recreation Area's MNRA Expert Series are advanced educational curriculum programs designed to engage the community with the rich natural environment of the area.

Through this series, participants have the opportunity to learn from experts about the diverse ecosystems and wildlife that call the MNRA home.

Whether you're a student, a nature enthusiast, or just curious about the outdoors, the MNRA Expert Series offers a unique chance to expand your knowledge and connect with nature all while casually exploring MNRA.

For upcoming MNRA Expert Series Events please see the University of Iowa Office of Sustainability calendar.

Iowa Wildlife Camps is a conservation education and outdoor recreation program provided through the University of Iowa’s College of Education. Based at the Macbride Nature Recreation Area, Iowa Wildlife Camps have been providing environmental learning opportunities for local youth since 1991. The program hosts over 1,200 youth registrants in pre-K through 12th grades every year.

To learn more about Wildlife Camps please visit their website at: https://wild.education.uiowa.edu/iowa-wildlife-camps

University of Iowa College of Education’s School of the Wild was started and developed at Macbride Nature Recreation Area in 1999, becoming the first NCA accredited special purpose school and the first accredited environmental school soon after. Now, the program has over 1,200 students participating in the weeklong experience every year.

To learn more about School of the Wild please visit their website at:

https://wild.education.uiowa.edu/school-wild

Please refer to their website for more information:

https://wild.education.uiowa.edu/iowa-raptor-project#visit-us

MNRA has been home to the University of Iowa’s Sailing Club since it was first organized in 1969. The student lead organization’s membership is open to Students, faculty and community. 

Please refer to their website for more information about open houses, learn to sail days, tournaments, membership and other questions.

https://uiowa.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sailing-club-iowa

University of Iowa Recreational Services Adventure Trips utilizes MNRA as a valuable resource for students, faculty, community and non-community members to learn about and participate in custom or pre planned trips geared towards learning about ways to recreate in nature or just experience an area.

For more information, please utilize their website at:

https://recserv.uiowa.edu/adventure-trips

Lifetime Leisure skills utilizes MNRA to offer classes for academic credit designed to engage students in fun and healthy recreational activities that can be continued beyond college and throughout their lives.

For more information, please utilize their website at:

https://recserv.uiowa.edu/lifetime-leisure-skills

Macbride Nature Recreation Area serves as a unique training area for the University of Iowa’s ROTC program to utilize, offering students a unique challenge in the many training scenarios developed using the areas terrain of deep ravines with dense vegetation.

Please refer to their website for questions or more information at:

https://veterans.uiowa.edu/army-rotc-about

Macbride Nature Recreation Area has a long history serving as an important field campus to allow University of Iowa students, as well as other universities Earth and Environmental Sciences students, to learn and conduct research in earth processes, earth history, and environmental sustainability.

For more information visit their website at:

https://clas.uiowa.edu/ees/

Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative teaches its Wildlife and Conservation Law Class as a unique hybrid class taught onsite at MNRA with hands on learning in the field with staff about the notable species and habitats found only at MNRA to better what their future careers will be about.

• 1837-Johnson County established by the legislature of the Wisconsin Territory.
• 1838- Description of Counties Physical Features, including MNRA’s Remnant Woodland” Big Grove” from the Iowa Weather Service
• 1839, January 21- Iowa City’s location established.
• 1839, May 1- Description of the location chosen for the (Old) Capital with “Big Grove”

• 1841- MNRA Land Surveyed (GLO MAP) -https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Aglo_289

• 1846- Iowa becomes a state.

• 1846- Big Grove Township Formed

• 1847, February 25- University of Iowa Established.

• 1870- Atlas of Johnson County Map Created

  https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Aatlases_265

• 1874-1911- University of Iowa Professor Samuel Calvin utilized the general area of MNRA for both research and instruction in geology and paleontology.

• 1900- Land Survey Maphttps://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Aatlases_282
• 1913-1919 –Survey of Macbride Nature Recreation Area Ecology by the University of Iowa - https://archive.org/details/universityof819181920univ/page/n9/mode/2up
• 1930- Plat Book-https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Ahixson_906
• 1934-Lake Macbride State Park established
• 1936- Original Lake Macbride Constructed
• 1949-1958- Coralville Dam Constructed
• 1950-1957- Aerial Photo - Kent, Frederick W. (Frederick Wallace) 1894-1984https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/object/ui%3Aictcs_556
• 1959- University of Iowa began leasing MNRA from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• 1969- University of Iowa Sailing Club Organized
• 1984- University of Iowa Recreational Services takes over stewardship of the lease.
• 1984- August- Youth environmental Education begins at MNRA.
• 1984- Fall- Raptor Center developed.
• 1984- 3-acre prairie planted next to Falcon Shelter
• 1985, April- name changed from “Macbride Field Campus” to Macbride Nature Recreation Area.
• 1997- First Osprey Reintroduced back into to Iowa from Macbride Nature Recreation Area.

• 2017- First Natural Resources Land Manager hired
• 2020- Derecho Windstorm damages most of Macbride Nature Recreation Area.
• 2022- University of Iowa Landscape Services takes over stewardship of Macbride Nature Recreation Area natural resources from Recreational Services.

• University of Iowa professor of Natural History and State Geologist Samuel Calvin began utilizing the general area for both research and instruction in geology and paleontology.
• Thomas Hudson Macbride, a naturalist and botanist professor, department head of Botany, and the tenth president of the University of Iowa (and notably where Macbride Nature Recreation Area got its name from) often collaborated closely with Samuel Calvin. Through his work, passion for the outdoors and as the first president of the Iowa Park and Forestry Association, he promoted the development of state parks, including Lake Macbride and the Lake Macbride State Park. I revamped this bullet point slightly
• Professor and well-known naturalist, conservationist and botanist, Bohumal Shimek of the University of Iowa, conducted a preliminary survey of major animal habitats of the land that is now called Macbride Nature Recreation Area in 1913-1919. The records were included in the University of Iowa Studies in Natural History, the Animal Ecology of Johnson County, Volume VIII Number 1. In addition to Professor B. Shimek, Professors Dr. Frank A. Stromstem, G.L Houser, Daniel Milton Brumfield PH.D. and Mr. H.M.Trusler were also involved in the project. These are just sooo wordy….
• Aerial photos taken of the land in 1950-1958 by historical landscape photographer Frederick W. Kent are featured in the University of Iowa Collections and are often utilized to tell the history of the land in the area.
• University of Iowa began a land stewardship role in 1959 managing the land under a lease from the Army Corps of Engineers which is continued to this day with the mission of restoring and preserving the natural resources of the area for education, research and recreation.
• Over the years MNRA has been home to numerous research projects, and educational programs, some of which are listed below.