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News

Hiking the Western Skies Scenic Byway: Harrison County

2/17/2023

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The Western Skies Scenic Byway, dedicated in 1998, was among the first state-designated scenic byways in Iowa. Western Skies offers travelers several easy opportunities to venture off the beaten path. The Byway is 142 miles long, traveling through Harrison, Shelby, Audubon and Guthrie Counties, including 14 rural towns. It is easily accessible to travelers from both Interstates 80 and 29. 

The byway allows visitors to explore and take in a scenic journey along Iowa’s landscapes of rolling hills, working farmsteads, and tranquil small town life.
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There are six places in Harrison County on the Western Skies Scenic Byway that offer hiking opportunities. DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is a birder's dream with trails through prairie and woodlands. Harrison County Conservation manages several areas with fully developed trail systems and areas with only off-trail hiking. The trails at Old Town Conservation area, for example, offer a quiet hiking experience only half an hour from Council Bluffs and Omaha.

DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge

​Manager: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
GPS: 41.52649, -96.02794
(Cottonwood and Grasslands Nature Trails)
GPS: 41.54044, -96.03132
(Green Heron and Missouri Meander Trails)
Size: 8,365 acres
Trails: 3 miles
Camping: No
Amenities: Visitor center, restrooms, water
Dogs: Yes, on leash
Hunting: Yes; check the refuge website for hunting seasons and regulations.
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Maps available at the refuge HQ and trailheads
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is located along the Missouri River and borders both Iowa and Nebraska. Within its 8,365 acres lies DeSoto Lake, an oxbow lake that used to be a bend in the Missouri River. The refuge contains bottomland forests, tallgrass prairie, and wetland habitats that are managed to mimic the natural Missouri River floodplain habitat to benefit a diversity of migratory birds that flock to the refuge each year in the spring and fall. The refuge also contains a piece of history within its borders, the Bertrand Steamboat. The Bertrand sunk on the bend of river that is now DeSoto Lake, leaving behind the cargo and historic time pieces amounting to almost 250,000 different artifacts housed within the walls of the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is truly a place where wildlife meets history!

The refuge provides hiking opportunities through a diversity of refuge habitat. The Bertrand Excavation Site Trail and the Cottonwood and Grassland Nature Trails are open year round on the Nebraska side of DeSoto Lake. The Green Heron Trail and the Missouri Meander Trail
 are seasonal trails open April 15 - October 14. For detailed information about each trail, check the refuge's trails website.

text source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge (source: Golden Hills RC&D)


Harrison County Historical Village and Iowa Welcome Center

​Manager: Harrison CCB
Location: 
2931 Monroe Ave, Missouri Valley
Trails: 1-mile trail (concrete & limestone)
Camping: No
Amenities: Restrooms, picnic shelters
Dog-friendly: Yes, on leash
Hunting: Yes
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Map available on the website
The Harrison County Historical Village and Iowa Welcome Center is located 3 miles northeast of Missouri Valley on Highway 30 (five miles east of Interstate 29, Exit 75). This museum complex is straight out of the 1800s, with an original log cabin, general store, and school. 

The official Iowa Welcome Center provides tourism information and assistance to travelers.  The Iowa Products Store offers food, beverage, clothing, crafts, and a wide variety of souvenirs.

​
Stretch your legs on the 1-mile trail and learn about the Loess Hills. The 0.41-mile Concrete Trail is accessible to wheelchairs. There are many stairs along the 0.34-mile Limestone Trail.
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Harrison County Historical Village & Iowa Welcome Center (source: Golden Hills RC&D)

Old Town Conservation Area

​​​Manager: Harrison CCB
Trailhead: 3370 Lima Trail
Trailhead: 2317 Mesa Place​
Acres: 341
Trails: 8-mile trail network
Camping: No
Amenities: None
Dog-friendly: Yes, on leash
Hunting: Yes

The Old Town Conservation Area features a restored native prairie and bur oak savannah on 341 acres. A network of hiking trails of about 8 miles with scenic vistas provide a variety of public recreation opportunities. It is also an excellent location for bird watching for migrant species such as dickcissels and warblers.
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Map available on the website
The Old Town Conservation Area is located off Lima Trail about 3 miles southeast of the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway and Missouri Valley. There are two parking areas that provide access to the trails.
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Old Town Conservation Area (source: Lance Brisbois)

​​Sawmill Hollow Wildlife Area

Manager: Harrison CCB
Location: 
41.643476, -95.914196
Acres: 155
Trails: No official trails but hiking is allowed
Camping: No
Amenities: None
Dog-friendly: Yes, on leash
Hunting: Yes

Sawmill Hollow Wildlife Area has 155 acres of woodland and ridge top prairie habitat. It is an excellent location for bird watching and, as it is part of the Loess Hills Bird Conservation Area designated by the Iowa DNR. There are no trails but hiking off-trail is allowed throughout the wildlife area.
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Map available on the website
Located seven miles north of Missouri Valley off Loess Hills Trail (L20), ​the wildlife area is not directly on the byway but is a short drive from the main route. Access to Sawmill Hollow Wildlife Area is on a Level B dirt road.
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Yellow warbler at Sawmill Hollow Wildlife Area (source: Carter Oliver)

Schaben Park

Manager: Harrison CCB
Location: 
3345 141st Ln, Dunlap
Trails: 6-mile trail network
Camping: Yes
Amenities: Restrooms, water pumps
Dog-friendly: Yes, on leash
Hunting: Yes

Nestled in the hills, Schaben Park is a quiet park that features 2 miles of hiking trails with Smart Trail interpretive signs using QR (quick response) codes to allow users to learn about the Loess Hills and Iowa's natural resources.​ Schaben Park is also an excellent location for bird watching, especially migrating warblers.
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Map available on the website
Schaben Park is not located on the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway but is a short drive from the main route or the Orchard Ridge loop. It is located 2 miles off Highway 30, between Woodbine and Dunlap on 141st Lane (gravel road).
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Red-bellied woodpecker at Schaben Park (source: Carter Oliver)

 ​Willow Lake Recreation Area​​​

Manager: Harrison CCB
Location: 2715 Easton Trail, Woodbine
Acres: 220
Trails: 6-mile trail network
Camping: Yes (RV and tent)
Amenities: Restrooms, picnic shelters
Dog-friendly: Yes, on leash
Hunting: Yes

Willow Lake Recreation Area is the headquarters for Harrison CCB with administrative offices located on the hill above the park. It has 220 acres for multiple outdoor recreation opportunities. The Nature Encounter Center has natural history displays and live animals like turtles and snakes. ​
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Map available on the website
There are 6 miles of hiking trails with Smart Trail interpretive signs using QR (quick response) codes allow users to learn about the Loess Hills and Iowa's natural resources. The Willow Lake Recreation Area is also an excellent location for bird watching, especially migrating songbirds and waterfowl.

Willow Lake Recreation Area is not located on the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway but is a short drive from the main route near Logan or the Orchard Ridge loop from Pisgah. It is located 6 miles northwest of Woodbine on F20L (Easton Trail).
Picture
Willow Lake Recreation Area (source: Golden Hills RC&D)

Hiking the Byways is a regular series by Golden Hills RC&D that features publicly accessible lands open to hiking on the three scenic byways in western Iowa that Golden Hills RC&D coordinates: Glacial Trail Scenic Byway, Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, and Western Skies Scenic Byway. Each Friday a blog post covers hiking areas in one county on one of the aforementioned byways. For questions about hiking on the byways, contact Seth Brooks ([email protected]).
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  • Home
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