yellow river state forest

Yellow river state forest has a lot of popularity amongst Iowa backpackers and hikers. There's not many places as well equipped to train for larger backpacking trips and endurance hikes. That being said, there are better places in Iowa to hike with (1) better maps and (2) better maintenance of trails and trail navigation aids. Every time my wife and I have come here we have gotten lost which, even though you could in part attribute this to my not-so-great navigation skills (I am learning, ok!), it still has to do with the inaccuracy of the forest's hiking map of the paint-creek unit, and the myriads of trails that go unmarked within the forest itself. While snowshoeing here we were forced to follow a trail that had been deeply damaged by forest maintenance employees, with deep ruts carved by four wheel vehicles leading the way. Overall if you are training find somewhere better maintained and with more updated maps, like the fantastic Effigy Mounds National Monument just south of YRSF.

We were here during the peak weekend for fall colors this year. The park is well maintained and has camping and horse back riding. The nearby town of Lansing has a lot of character and a great deal of history that is interesting, plus a recently refurbished old fashioned metal bridge that crosses the Mississippi River over to Wisconsin. A worthwhile trip.

I make a point of visiting here at least twice a year, once in the spring, once in the fall, and anytime I can get in between. It's a beautiful area, it is well kept and clean, the trout streams are full and I can't get a cell signal anywhere in the valley. Truly beautiful. You've got to hike here to really appreciate it. Grab your backpack and camp back in one of the walk in campsites for some real solitude. Awesome star gazing.

Hiking in these woods is a blessing. Fresh air, good trails and the occasional deer or black bear or fox is an awesome sight!One can fish in these woods as well as camp. Great place to visit and feel alive.

We hiked about 10 miles on one day, and there were plenty of trails we didn't have tome for. The forest was very pretty. Hike in camping is available in a few locations. We did see some tents from the trails, but were very private. There is also a traditional campground available where you can group camp, or have tent neighbors within a few dozen yards. The views of the Big Paint & Little Paint creeks from Bluff Trail were outstanding. We took White Pine Trail to Forester Trail to Brown's Hollow trail to the base of the Fire Tower. The signs on the trail markers said "Most Difficult", it was semi strenuous. The trails that run along the river were damaged by flash flooding over the summer, and do not match the trail maps. Crossing the creek can't be done on foot (OK by horseback).