Iowa

Iowa offers paddling clear rivers, hiking the bluffs and effigy mounds of the northeast, cycling the nation's premier rail-trail network, and prairie and lake recreation. Effigy Mounds National Monument and the Driftless Area bluffs along the Mississippi, Maquoketa Caves State Park, and the Loess Hills anchor it.

Fall brings excellent color in the Driftless bluffs; summer is warm and good for paddling and lakes. Spring offers wildflowers and flowing rivers, and the famous RAGBRAI bike ride crosses the state each July.

White-tailed deer, pheasants, bald eagles along the rivers, and abundant waterfowl inhabit Iowa, with the Loess Hills and remnant prairies supporting grassland species.

Once a sea of tallgrass prairie (now largely the world's most productive farmland), Iowa retains Driftless forest and trout streams, the unique Loess Hills, and restored prairie and wetland.

Most of Iowa is gently rolling glacial plain, but the northeast 'Driftless Area' escaped the last glaciation, leaving steep bluffs, caves, and cold trout streams, while the rare wind-deposited Loess Hills (one of only two such formations on Earth, the other in China) rise along the Missouri River. Hawkeye Point (1,670 ft) is the high point.

The Ioway, Meskwaki, Sauk, and other peoples lived here; the Meskwaki Settlement remains, and ancient peoples built the effigy mounds. Iowa became the 29th state in 1846.

A strong cycling culture (RAGBRAI is a state institution), river paddling, and prairie-and-mound heritage shape Iowa's outdoors.

Tallgrass prairie and wetland restoration, protecting the Driftless trout streams and the globally rare Loess Hills, and improving water quality are central efforts.

Des Moines is the main airport, with Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities also serving the state. The Driftless bluffs and Loess Hills are reached by car.

Summer heat and humidity, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, and ticks are the main concerns. River levels can rise quickly; check before paddling.

State parks charge no general entrance fee, and the Iowa DNR administers licenses; Effigy Mounds is a free national monument.

Respect the sacred effigy mounds, and check river levels before paddling.

Explore the Driftless bluffs and Effigy Mounds in fall, paddle the clear northeast rivers, and ride a stretch of the state's rail-trails. The Loess Hills are best in autumn.

Iowa borders Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota, linking the Mississippi Driftless, the prairie pothole region, and the Missouri River.