This article first appeared in INHF's Spring 2007 Magazine.
 |
|
Photo by Grant Baker/INHF
|
|
Trails aren’t just for feet anymore. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources Water Trails website describes and maps several “water trails” on Iowa’s major rivers.
|
Iowa’s spring is upon us, and what better way to see our land’s natural beauty than by walking, biking or paddling one of our many trails.
Check out this small sampling of Iowa’s diverse trails and get more information through the resource list. Then hit the trail!
Hiking Trails
These trails, mostly unpaved, are most suitable for walking.
For the history buff
The Mines of Spain State Recreation Area near Dubuque is the site of the first Euro-American settlement in Iowa. It also houses the Julien Dubuque Monument, a tribute to the settlement’s founder. The trails take you through the recreation area’s 38 documented burial mounds, an old homestead, mine remains, the monument and wooded blufflands overlooking the mighty Mississippi River.
Contact: E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center, 319-556-0620.
The trail: 7.5 miles out and back with loops on mowed footpaths and dirt trails; small portions paved
Schedule: The site is open year-round, 4 am-10:30 pm. The center is open year-round Monday through Friday, 9 am-4 pm; weekends April 15 to October 15, noon-4 pm.
For “great view!” junkies
Mount Lucia in Stone State Park provides beautiful views of the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers atop prairie-covered ridge-tops. Look for diverse butterflies, including the Crossline, Dusted, and Ottoe skippers. The on-site nature center, featuring an indoor beehive and a walk-under prairie, is a family favorite.
Contact: Stone State Park, 712-255-4698
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 712-258-0838
The trail: 9.2 miles on mowed paths and footpaths
Schedule: Year-round, 4 am -10:30 pm.
For the pint-sized paleontologist
For anyone interested in geology, Rockford Fossil and Prairie Park in Floyd County is a treasure trove of fossils over 350 million years old. Unlike most fossil sites, its visitors are allowed to actually dig up fossils and take them home. The park also boasts 47 acres of virgin prairie with exceptional flora. The onsite Fossil and Prairie Center contains informative displays.
Contact: Fossil & Prairie Center, 641-756-3490
The trail: 4.6 miles round-trip on converted rail-trail and mowed paths through prairies (The fossil area is located right off the parking lot; the trails head north from the quarry.)
Schedule: The site is open year-round, dawn to dusk. The center is open 1-4 pm daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day; weekends in May, September, and October.
For the multi-interest explorer
Whiterock Conservancy, the state’s newest conservation area, contains more than 4,000 acres of land in Guthrie and Carroll counties. Donated by the Garst family, Whiterock includes 20 miles of relatively rugged hiking along the Middle Raccoon River. Canoe, fish or go birding on this diverse land. Walk through history by visiting the Home Farm, where Soviet Premier Nakita Khrushchev visited the Garsts in 1959. Spend the night at the on-site campgrounds for a modest fee, or try the Whiterock Bed and Breakfast.
Contact: Whiterock Conservancy, 712- 651-2015
The trail: 20 miles through bluffs along the river
Schedule: Open year-round, dawn to dusk unless you are a paying guest.
Multi-use trails
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has helped create many of Iowa’s multi-use trails, hard-surfaced trails suitable for walking, biking and other uses. Here’s a sampling of some of Iowa’s oldest and newest trails, but you can learn about dozens of others on our website.
The “Granddaddy” Trails: Some of Iowa’s oldest trails are also some of the longest—trails that extend more than 50 miles along the gentle grades of former railroads. Check out the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, Raccoon River Valley Trail and Wabash Trace Nature Trail—they’re classics for a reason.
Twin Lakes Trail: The newest addition to our Iowa by Trail website hugs two scenic lakes in North Central Iowa. The trail along North Lake passes state parks, restored prairies and many recreational opportunities. Its southern counterpart is a wildlife refuge and home to the Twin Lakes Golf Course.
Trail Resources
- INHF’s comprehensive website on multi-use trails, including trail descriptions, maps, links and tourism contacts for more than 40 trails
- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ comprehensive website on “water trails” along several Iowa rivers. It contains detailed river maps, including access points, distances, travel tips, points of interest and more.
- Hiking Iowa by Elizabeth Corcoran Hill, 2005, is one of the most comprehensive books for Iowa hiking on the market. It contains point-by-point trail descriptions, maps and more.
For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.
