Iowa has an incredible trail system, with hundreds of miles of trails all over the state. Iowa can get really cold during the winter months, but because there’s so much beauty to take in, it’s worth getting bundled up and getting outside to take in the pristine winter landscape. This season, bundle up and set out on these beautiful winter hiking trails in Iowa.
- Pikes Peak State Park, McGregor
Flickr/Scott Smithson Pikes Peak State Park is an incredibly gorgeous hiking spot in Iowa, with wooded areas, bluffs, Bridal Veil Waterfall and an overlook on a 500-foot bluff that affords incredible views of the Mississippi River. Pikes Peak State Park, 32264 Pikes Peak Rd, McGregor, IA 52157, USA
- High Trestle Trail, Woodward
Flickr/Tony Webster The High Trestle Trail is a great place to hike in the winter, with 25 miles of trail that connects Ankeny, Sheldahl, Slater, Madrid and Woodward. It offers easy hiking and great scenery, and it passes over the unique High Trestle Trail Bridge, which is one of the largest trail bridges in the world. High Trestle Trail, Woodward, IA, USA
- Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, Story County
Flickr/Carl Wycoff The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail (HOINT) is a multi-purpose trail for hiking, bicycling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and more. The trail covers 24 miles and is not continuous the whole way, so make sure to plan your route before you begin. Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, Maxwell, IA, USA
- Yellow River State Forest - Harpers Ferry, Iowa
Flickr/J F When it comes to exploring the outdoors, many Iowans head to our famous great lakes or popular state parks that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corp. While the lakes are gorgeous and the state parks are full of history and plenty of amenities, sometimes you’re craving more of a rustic getaway. When nature’s calling your name, head east and find Yellow River State Forest waiting for you. This Iowa forest provides beautiful, rugged natural beauty, with 45 miles of multi-purpose trails that range from easy to moderate difficulty. As you walk, you’ll enjoy scenic overlooks, wildlife, woods, streams and more. Yellow River State Forest, 729 State Forest Rd, Harpers Ferry, IA 52146, USA
- Puddle Jumper Trail, Orange City
Flickr/Mark Evans The Puddle Jumper Trail is a leisurely two miles that connects Orange City and Alton, Iowa. Along the trail, there is scenery that includes farmland, prairie remnants and bridges. And if it snows, you’ll be surrounded by a serene winter wonderland. Puddle Jumper Trail, Orange City, IA, USA
- Gray’s Lake Park - Des Moines
Flickr/Michael Leland The trail around Gray’s Lake at Gray’s Lake Park is a great place to hike at any time of year. In the winter, you’ll be able to enjoy walking, snowshoeing, and a great view of the lake from the bridge. Gray’s Lake Park, 2101 Fleur Dr, Des Moines, IA 50315, USA
- Trout Run Trail, Decorah
Flickr/Ellen Macdonald The Trout Run Trail is in beautiful Northeast Iowa near Decorah. It has a paved recreation trail that follows a 12-mile loop around Decorah, and it’s the perfect place to take in the winter landscape. Scenery along the trail includes limestone bluffs, algific talus slopes, the Oneota Valley and the Upper Iowa River. It’s great trail for hiking, bicycling and cross-country skiing. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a bald eagle or two while you’re here! Dug Road, Dug Rd, Decorah, IA 52101, USA
- Ledges State Park, Madrid
Flickr/Carl Wycoff We’ve long sung the praises of Ledges State Park, a place that offers some of the most scenic natural beauty in Iowa. Ledges State Park is 1,200 acres of lush forest, clear bodies of water, and huge rock formations. The park was one of Iowa’s first state parks and was founded in 1924. As you walk along the 5.4 mile trail at this park, you’ll take in scenic overlooks of Pea’s Creek “canyon,” beautiful wooded areas and more. While much of the hiking here is considered at least moderate in difficulty, there is a fully accessible interpretive trail at the southern end of the park. Ledges State Park, P Avenue, Madrid, IA, USA
- Dolliver State Park, Lehigh
Flickr/David Morris The trails at Dolliver Memorial State Park offer plenty of natural beauty, with dramatic bluffs and ravines along the Des Moines River. There’s a trail system that takes you past the Copperas Beds, unique sandstone formations that are 100 feet above Prairie Creek. The trail continues back down past Boneyard Hollow and to the Indian Mounds. It is fairly hilly, so make sure to bring the proper gear for navigating up and down the inclines. This park is a total underrated treasure, though, which means you might just have it all to yourself! Dolliver Memorial State Park, 2757 Dolliver Park Ave, Lehigh, IA 50557, USA
- Lake MacBride State Park, Solon
Flickr/Geoffrey Fairchild The largest state park in Iowa, Lake MacBride State Park is a great place to take in the winter landscape, from the frozen lake to snow-covered trees. The park has multi-use trails that travel around the lake, with plenty of opportunities for wildlife spotting. The trails are great for hiking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Lake Macbride State Park, 3525 Hwy 382 NE, Solon, IA 52333, USA
- Backbone State Park, Strawberry Point
Flickr/J. D. Adelmund We absolutely adore this Iowa State Park – for a state with some of the largest corn and soybean fields in the nation, this park, in contrast, is marked with rugged terrain, sheer rock walls, caves, attractive rivers, and a 40-acre lake. It’s long been recognized as a special place, and it’s no surprise then that this was the first state park in Iowa. Backbone State Park has 21 miles of multi-use trails and lots of beautiful scenery to take in along the way. In addition to hiking, in winter, the trails accommodate snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Backbone State Park, 1347 129th St, Dundee, IA 52038, USA
What are your favorite winter hiking trails in Iowa? Share them with us in the comments below! For more fun things to do during the winter in Iowa, check out these day trips.
Flickr/Scott Smithson
Pikes Peak State Park is an incredibly gorgeous hiking spot in Iowa, with wooded areas, bluffs, Bridal Veil Waterfall and an overlook on a 500-foot bluff that affords incredible views of the Mississippi River.
Pikes Peak State Park, 32264 Pikes Peak Rd, McGregor, IA 52157, USA
Flickr/Tony Webster
The High Trestle Trail is a great place to hike in the winter, with 25 miles of trail that connects Ankeny, Sheldahl, Slater, Madrid and Woodward. It offers easy hiking and great scenery, and it passes over the unique High Trestle Trail Bridge, which is one of the largest trail bridges in the world.
High Trestle Trail, Woodward, IA, USA
Flickr/Carl Wycoff
The Heart of Iowa Nature Trail (HOINT) is a multi-purpose trail for hiking, bicycling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and more. The trail covers 24 miles and is not continuous the whole way, so make sure to plan your route before you begin.
Heart of Iowa Nature Trail, Maxwell, IA, USA
Flickr/J F
When it comes to exploring the outdoors, many Iowans head to our famous great lakes or popular state parks that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corp. While the lakes are gorgeous and the state parks are full of history and plenty of amenities, sometimes you’re craving more of a rustic getaway. When nature’s calling your name, head east and find Yellow River State Forest waiting for you. This Iowa forest provides beautiful, rugged natural beauty, with 45 miles of multi-purpose trails that range from easy to moderate difficulty. As you walk, you’ll enjoy scenic overlooks, wildlife, woods, streams and more.
Yellow River State Forest, 729 State Forest Rd, Harpers Ferry, IA 52146, USA
Flickr/Mark Evans
The Puddle Jumper Trail is a leisurely two miles that connects Orange City and Alton, Iowa. Along the trail, there is scenery that includes farmland, prairie remnants and bridges. And if it snows, you’ll be surrounded by a serene winter wonderland.
Puddle Jumper Trail, Orange City, IA, USA
Flickr/Michael Leland
The trail around Gray’s Lake at Gray’s Lake Park is a great place to hike at any time of year. In the winter, you’ll be able to enjoy walking, snowshoeing, and a great view of the lake from the bridge.
Gray’s Lake Park, 2101 Fleur Dr, Des Moines, IA 50315, USA
Flickr/Ellen Macdonald
The Trout Run Trail is in beautiful Northeast Iowa near Decorah. It has a paved recreation trail that follows a 12-mile loop around Decorah, and it’s the perfect place to take in the winter landscape. Scenery along the trail includes limestone bluffs, algific talus slopes, the Oneota Valley and the Upper Iowa River. It’s great trail for hiking, bicycling and cross-country skiing. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a bald eagle or two while you’re here!
Dug Road, Dug Rd, Decorah, IA 52101, USA
We’ve long sung the praises of Ledges State Park, a place that offers some of the most scenic natural beauty in Iowa. Ledges State Park is 1,200 acres of lush forest, clear bodies of water, and huge rock formations. The park was one of Iowa’s first state parks and was founded in 1924. As you walk along the 5.4 mile trail at this park, you’ll take in scenic overlooks of Pea’s Creek “canyon,” beautiful wooded areas and more. While much of the hiking here is considered at least moderate in difficulty, there is a fully accessible interpretive trail at the southern end of the park.
Ledges State Park, P Avenue, Madrid, IA, USA
Flickr/David Morris
The trails at Dolliver Memorial State Park offer plenty of natural beauty, with dramatic bluffs and ravines along the Des Moines River. There’s a trail system that takes you past the Copperas Beds, unique sandstone formations that are 100 feet above Prairie Creek. The trail continues back down past Boneyard Hollow and to the Indian Mounds. It is fairly hilly, so make sure to bring the proper gear for navigating up and down the inclines. This park is a total underrated treasure, though, which means you might just have it all to yourself!
Dolliver Memorial State Park, 2757 Dolliver Park Ave, Lehigh, IA 50557, USA
Flickr/Geoffrey Fairchild
The largest state park in Iowa, Lake MacBride State Park is a great place to take in the winter landscape, from the frozen lake to snow-covered trees. The park has multi-use trails that travel around the lake, with plenty of opportunities for wildlife spotting. The trails are great for hiking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.
Lake Macbride State Park, 3525 Hwy 382 NE, Solon, IA 52333, USA
Flickr/J. D. Adelmund
We absolutely adore this Iowa State Park – for a state with some of the largest corn and soybean fields in the nation, this park, in contrast, is marked with rugged terrain, sheer rock walls, caves, attractive rivers, and a 40-acre lake. It’s long been recognized as a special place, and it’s no surprise then that this was the first state park in Iowa. Backbone State Park has 21 miles of multi-use trails and lots of beautiful scenery to take in along the way. In addition to hiking, in winter, the trails accommodate snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.
Backbone State Park, 1347 129th St, Dundee, IA 52038, USA
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The OIYS Visitor Center
Winter hiking trails in Iowa November 24, 2022 Sarah M. What are some other scenic winter hiking trails in Iowa? Iowa is a criminally overlooked state that’s truly beautiful – but it’s a quiet kind of beauty that creeps up on you. The winter is a wonderful time to take it all in, as the quiet landscape becomes quite serene and sublime when snow-dusted and ice-slicked. In addition to the treks listed above, some of our favorite winter hikes in Iowa include the trails at Gray’s Lake Park, Carney Marsh Nature Preserve, Jester Park, Dolliver Memorial State Park, and Yellow River State Forest.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Winter hiking trails in Iowa
November 24, 2022
Sarah M.
What are some other scenic winter hiking trails in Iowa? Iowa is a criminally overlooked state that’s truly beautiful – but it’s a quiet kind of beauty that creeps up on you. The winter is a wonderful time to take it all in, as the quiet landscape becomes quite serene and sublime when snow-dusted and ice-slicked. In addition to the treks listed above, some of our favorite winter hikes in Iowa include the trails at Gray’s Lake Park, Carney Marsh Nature Preserve, Jester Park, Dolliver Memorial State Park, and Yellow River State Forest.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Iowa is a criminally overlooked state that’s truly beautiful – but it’s a quiet kind of beauty that creeps up on you. The winter is a wonderful time to take it all in, as the quiet landscape becomes quite serene and sublime when snow-dusted and ice-slicked. In addition to the treks listed above, some of our favorite winter hikes in Iowa include the trails at Gray’s Lake Park, Carney Marsh Nature Preserve, Jester Park, Dolliver Memorial State Park, and Yellow River State Forest.
