The Hawkeye State
Iowa
Tall-grass prairies, Loess Hills, and state forests that preserve what little wildland remains in the most cultivated state.
Iowa at a Glance
State Forests
Iowa manages about 48,000 acres of state forest land, with Yellow River State Forest in the northeast the largest at 8,900 acres
Loess Hills
The Loess Hills along Iowa's western border are a rare geological formation, with sharply ridged terrain created by ancient windblown silt deposits
Prairie Rivers
The Upper Iowa River in the northeast offers exceptional canoeing through bluff country, one of the most scenic float trips in the Midwest
Prairie Remnants
Tiny remnant prairies preserved in county parks and state lands protect the last fragments of the tall-grass ecosystem that once covered the state
American Discovery Trail
The American Discovery Trail crosses Iowa east to west, passing through state recreation areas and small-town landscapes
Effigy Mounds
Effigy Mounds National Monument in northeast Iowa preserves 206 Native American burial and ceremonial mounds, some shaped like bears and birds
When to Visit
May through October for hiking. Spring prairie wildflower season (April through June) is the most rewarding time to visit the Loess Hills. Fall brings good color in the river corridor forests.
Top Activities
Gateway Cities
Decorah
Northeast Iowa city near Yellow River State Forest and the Upper Iowa River canoe corridor, with easy access to Effigy Mounds National Monument.
Council Bluffs
Western Iowa gateway to the Loess Hills State Forest and the Missouri River corridor, with connections across the river to Nebraska.
Did You Know?
Iowa is the most intensively cultivated state in the nation, with over 85% of its land in row crop agriculture.
The Loess Hills of western Iowa are one of only two places in the world where such large loess formations exist, the other being in China.
Yellow River State Forest contains some of the best wild turkey hunting in the state and one of Iowa's few remaining trout streams.
Iowa's Maquoketa Caves State Park contains the highest concentration of caves in the state, carved by an underground river system.
The Iowa Great Lakes region in the northwest attracts over 3 million visitors per year to its chain of natural glacial lakes.