Quarry Springs Park could be ‘game-changer’ for Colfax

COLFAX — The Colfax Parks and Recreation Auxiliary Board has released the latest tentative master plan for Quarry Springs Park, which includes concepts on how to utilize the three lakes within the park as well as the peninsula.

The plan was presented by Confluence, a Des Moines-based landscape architectural design firm that has been working with the auxiliary board steering committee to create a master plan. Kim Seebeck is the head of the committee, which has been taking on much of the responsibility regarding the direction of the Quarry Springs Park design.

“I’m very excited about this plan. There’s a good mix of activities to do, retail space to help us financially and just a lot of opportunities overall,” Seebeck said. “It’s a long range plan, but it gives us direction on where to go and where to prioritize.”

The master plan, which is subject to change over time, includes a cable park and lazy river on the north side of the park, a beach, retail space for stores and restaurants, a public building on the peninsula designated for large events and an educational area on the far east side of the 480-acre park.

The event space, which could possibly seat as many as 300-400 guests, is an attraction that Seebeck believes will be a huge benefit to Colfax due to the lack of nearby available event spaces for large celebrations such as weddings.

“We just felt that the facility would be great for Jasper County. There’s really no other facility in the area like that, and here there would be a great view for pictures,” Seebeck said.

There would also be plenty to do for visitors, especially if there’s a public cable park — a designated area for water sports.

Confluence suggested a cable park because popularity for the activity has increased and Quarry Springs would be the first Iowa park to offer one. According to Seebeck, a cable park would actually be fairly inexpensive to create and may even be utilized year round if the lake completely freezes in the winter.

The idea also has auxiliary board president Doug Garrett excited as it could be one of those features that gives visitors an experience that cannot be found anywhere else in the state.

“The cable park is the unique concept of the plan,” Garrett said. “Water draws people and the location near Interstate 80 would allow this to be a regional destination park. You already have Prairie Meadows and Adventureland in Altoona, and in the other direction you have the Iowa Speedway. This would be just one more thing for people to do in the area.”

Also in the master plan are extensions to the existing trail system and more space for camping.

Quarry Springs Park currently has 10 active sites for primitive camping only, but the master plan calls for more than 100 sites for RV camping, several more primitive sites and a designated area for cabin rentals.

By offering several forms of camping, outdoor recreational activities, eventual retail stores for visitors to shop and having a location near an interstate where 40,000 cars pass everyday, Garrett said Quarry Springs Park has all the potential to become a regional park.

“This could be a game changer for the future of Colfax. This could be something very special,” Garrett said. “Obviously, there would be several opportunities for jobs out there, but it’s also going to be a huge draw for people to live in the area.

The master plan does not have a timeline as it could be decades until it takes full shape, but Garrett said the board is likely to go after the low hanging fruit first such as creating more opportunities for camping, extending the nature trail around the park, activating a beach area and hopefully allowing motor boats on the public lake.

The timeline also depends on funding. All funds used in the development of the park will either be from grants, donations or money raised during fundraisers by the auxiliary board, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

“Our goal has been to get things up and running, promote the park and get people out there. As use goes up, more interest will come into play,” Garrett said. “Then we’ll be able to fundraise more and do more of the things in the plan.”

Contact Alex Olp at aolp@jaspercountytribune.com