Prairie Heritage Center Bison at the Prairie Heritage Center (photo by O'Brien County Conservation)
 4.9 miles of trails at Prairie Heritage Center Red - Cemetery Loop - 1.0 mile Pink - Trail Connection - 0.2 mile Blue - Outer Loop - 1.2 mile Yellow - River Loop - 0.5 mile Purple - Waterman Wildlife North - 0.75 mile Green - Waterman Wildlife South - 0.9 mile White - Observation platform - 0.1 mile White - Experience Trail - 0.75 mile 
Hannibal Waterman Wildlife AreaThe wildlife area, west across the road from the Prairie Heritage Center, is the site of the first settler in O’Brien County in 1856. Trails circle through the property, passing the Hannibal Waterman family cemetery and a historic marker placed by the O’Brien County Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1857, Santee Sioux Chief Inkpaduta and his band stopped at Hannibal Waterman’s cabin, gathering food and supplies and then moving upriver. Refer to the map above for the trail system. Waterman Prairie Wildlife Management Area Complex Waterman Prairie (photo by Lance Brisbois) Extending north along Waterman Creek from the junction with the Little Sioux River, and south of Highway 10 along on the west side of the river, the Waterman Prairie Wildlife Area Complex preserves 1,800 acres of oak savannas and pristine prairies. The O’Brien County Conservation Board, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and The Nature Conservancy manage the area. The section of Waterman Prairie south of Highway 10 offers an accessible prairie experience for byway visitors. A parking lot on Wilson Avenue, 1½ miles south of Highway 10, leads to a trail that meanders through prairie-covered ridges with spectacular vistas of the Little Sioux River valley. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is restoring the prairie to its original plant community.  Hanging Valley (photo by Lance Brisbois) A trail begins off Wilson Ave (south of Highway 10) and passes the Hanging Valley, a distinctive geologic feature resulting from the rapid outflow of Glacial Lake Spencer during the Pleistocene era. This is a higher valley of the Little Sioux River abandoned about 13,000 years ago when rushing meltwater changed the course of the river and cut down to the present valley floor. A grave marker for Dutch Fred near the trail identifies the bluff-top burial site of Frederick Feldman on the 80-acre homestead he established in 1868. Manager: Iowa DNR Size: 2,020 acres Trails: No official trails but hiking is allowed throughout. There is a trail that leads to a bluff overlooking the Hanging Valley and near Old Dutch Fred's gravesite. GPS: Multiple parking areas; refer to the map below Camping: Primitive Amenities: None Dogs: Yes, on leash, however, no dogs are allowed during the nesting season from March 15 to July 15. Hunting: Yes  Waterman Prairie Complex (blue boundaries)
 source: Glacial Trail Scenic Byway Interpretive Master Plan Dog Creek Park Dog Creek Park (photo by Lance Brisbois) Dog Creek's breathtaking view of the lake and valley is something to see. It’s located along the Glacial Trail Scenic Byway. Dog Creek Park is located 2 miles SE of Sutherland, Iowa on Iowa Highway 10 and 1/2 mile south on Warbler Avenue (Cty Rd M12) and placed along the Glacial Trail Scenic Byway. text source: O'Brien County Conservation Manager: O'Brien County Conservation Size: 110 acres GPS: 42.93668, -95.47269 Camping: Yes, Amenities: Modern toilets, water Dogs: Yes, on leash Hunting: No Mill Creek Park  Mill Creek Park features groomed cross-country ski trails in winter. Mill Creek Park is one of the highlights of O'Brien County. The park offers a variety of activities for the whole family throughout the year! There is something for every outdoor lover at Mill Creek State Park including camping, swimming, hiking, a playground, electric boating, picnicking, and even cabin rentals. Fishing is also a popular activity, giving anglers a chance to catch largemouth bass, sunfish, channel catfish, crappie and yellow perch. Mill Creek Park is located just 1/2 mile east of Paullina on Iowa Highway 10. text source: O'Brien County Conservation Manager: O'Brien County Conservation Size: 139 acres Trails: 5 miles GPS: 42.98499, -95.66740 Camping: Yes Amenities: Modern toilets, water Dogs: Yes, on leash Hunting: No  5 miles of trails at Mill Creek Park
Tjossem Park  Tjossem Park (photo by O'Brien County Conservation) This remote camp location will let you be one with nature. Tjossem Park is located 1 mile south and 1/2 mile east of Primghar. text source: O'Brien County Conservation Manager: O'Brien County Conservation Size: 19 acres Trails: Hiking that connects to Primghar GPS: 43.06889, -95.61729 Camping: Yes Amenities: Outdoor shelter areas, pit toilets, water Dogs: Yes, on leash Hunting: No McCormack Area McCormack Area 21 acres of remnant prairie donated by Francis McCormack in 1987 for public benefit and pleasure. The rolling hills are covered with tall grasses, shrubs and some small trees. The prairie is home to several hundred native plant species and pollinators. Manager: O'Brien County Conservation Size: 21 acres Trails: No official hiking trails but open to foot traffic GPS: 42.96143, -95.42734 Camping: No Amenities: None Dogs: Contact O'Brien County Conservation for confirmation Hunting: No 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 (seth.brooks@goldenhillsrcd.org).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
March 2023
Categories
All
|
||||||||||||
RSS Feed