The Effigy Mounds National Monument derives its name from American Indian culture. Effigy mounds specifically referred to earthen mounds that were placed in the ground more than a millennium ago and typically located not only in portions of Iowa but also in other states such as Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Among other things, 206 genuine pre-European contact mounds have been made a part of the monument, and thirty-one of them are effigies shaped in birds and bears. You can also see figures of rivers, wetlands, tall grass prairies and forests on the monument. Animals and landscapes are the most popular shapes used for effigy mounds although many burial grounds tend to be conical in shape.

To visit the site, one must explore 14 miles? worth of hiking trails. For those interested, the effigies made by the Marching Bear Group are also a must-see and located near the Upper Mississippi River.