How beautiful Red Haw State Park is when it blooms

NOTE: Red Haw State Park is open again after damage from the March 5th, 2022 tornado. There was extensive damage to the park and especially the campgrounds, however, the park has reopened and the red bud trees are blooming again this spring!

Location: 24550 Highway 34, Chariton, Iowa 50049

YouTube video — A short video of the blooming red bud trees at Red Haw State Park in Chariton, Iowa.

Table of Contents

Is it Red Haw or Red Bud?

It’s both. Rad Haw is a reference to the Hawthorne trees that once covered the area. Red Bud is a reference to the current red bud trees that surround the lake and blossom into a sea of pink every spring. To clarify – the pink blossoms you see every spring are from the red bud trees, not from red haw trees. However, if you look carefully, there are still a few remaining hawthorn trees in the area, which are typically white blossoms each spring.

Quick facts about Red Haw State Park

Originally call Red Haw Hill State Park
The lake dates back to the Great Depression, when the community of Chariton ran out of water. For a while, they had water shipped in by rail. The community then created a dam to stop the flow of Little White Breast Creek, which created the lake.
There’s a four-mile multiple purpose trail that outlines the lake.
The 70-acre lake is known for its large bluegill.