Shimek State Forest is located in Lee and Van Buren counties in southeast Iowa. The forest served as a base for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s and 1940s, where they planted thousands of acres of hardwoods and conifers for demonstration purposes. Named after early Iowa conservationist Dr. Bohumil Shimek, the forest offers bountiful outdoor recreation opportunities, including camping, hiking, hunting, equestrian riding, fishing and more. Today, the main goal of the forest is to implement effective forest management practices for the benefit of long-term natural resource stewardship.