Whether you're looking for a place to spend the day hiking or a place to set up tent and stay a while, Yellow River State Forest here in Iowa is an excellent park full of trails and opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. In the Paint Creek section of the forest, there are over 25 miles of marked and maintained hiking trails alone. Believe it or not, there are actually 45 miles of trails available to hike at Yellow River. Stay alert while hiking because a lot of the trails are multipurpose - meaning you may come across some bikers or horses. You should also stay alert to take in some amazing views. Yellow River is a place a lot of backpackers come to get some more practice in before heading out west. But don't let that freak you out if most of your hiking experience comes from climbing the stairs at your house. The trails range from easy to moderate and there are plenty of places to stop for breaks or picnics along the way. Check out the first map below to see the routes you can take.
There are some rules I'd like to suggest for you real quick. This is important stuff, so sorry not sorry. Bring your own water. At least a large bottle or two - even if you're going for just the day. Getting dehydrated is serious stuff and you don't want to risk not being able to find water or drinking un-purified water from the streams. So my first rule is bring more than enough water. Second rule - Leave only footprints, take only photos. Don't leave your trash in your campsite or anywhere in the forest. It's incredibly disrespectful and we should want to leave our space looking better than we left it. Also, no matter how beautiful that flower is, leave it there. It may not seem like a big deal, but if everyone took every beautiful thing they saw in the forest, what would be left? Rule number three (and my final rule) - if you have to poop in the woods, dig the hole first. The hole should be at least 200 feet away from a water source and at least six inches deep. It's just the laws of the land. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's move on.
All of the campgrounds are non-modern sites, meaning no electric hookups and, for the most part, they have vault toilets. You should reserve a campsite before hand and they're pretty good priced. They also have equestrian camp sites. If you're looking for a different experience, there are some campsites that are based on a first come first serve basis. These are the ones you can hike into and set up your tent (or hang your hammock) to claim your spot and fire ring. They are free of charge, you just have to sign in at the welcome center before you start hiking (for safety reasons). Although there's no cell reception down in some of the campsites, you won't need it when you see the stars while sitting around the fire.
If you're looking for something other than hiking or camping, Yellow River's got it! There's some excellent fishing in the forest. Trout fishing is pretty popular at the streams. They're stocked from April to October. Depending on the season and what you're looking for, Yellow River is also open for hunting. For the winter lovers, there are some trails that are groomed throughout the winter for cross country skiing. If you're looking for any extra advice, planning tips or anything, feel free to give management a call or check out their website: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Forests/Yellow-River-State-Forest.
So throw on your backpack and get out there. Yellow River State Forest is an excellent place to get your outdoors on.
Live big.
