Western Skies Scenic Byway between Harlan and Woodbine (photo © 2016 Kenneth West)
Derald W. Dinesen Prairie is a 20-acre remnant of native tallgrass prairie. It is located six miles northeast of Harlan in northeastern Shelby County. Derald Dinesen purchased the area in 1943, realizing that the Iowa prairie was nearly a thing of the past. It was dedicated in 1977 as a biological state preserve. He told reporters at the dedication, “I guess the reason I set aside the land was based on instinct. The instinct to leave something behind for posterity of what you believe in. I just wanted to see and have others see the beauty of the land as it existed years ago when the Indians roamed [the land].”
Dinesen Prairie State Preserve
The Elkhorn Creek Recreation Area is a multiple use area, and is the ideal setting for a family on an outing, or for a person looking for solitude. With it's groomed trails and unique wildlife, the adventures are never ending. The upper picnic area contains what is believed to be the original site of the pioneer village of Elk Horn. Many building foundation blocks remain to mark the site. Petersen Preserve is roughly 32 acres and also part of the park; it has many grass walking trails.
Elkhorn Creek Recreation Area
Set in the hills of Grove township is Manteno Park, Shelby County Conservation Board's most popular area. Located northwest of Earling, it contains a 12-acre lake and includes hiking trails. Manteno is known for its shaded picnic areas and calm atmosphere. A 40-acre tract of timber adjacent to the park was purchased in 1994 and made into a nature area.
Manteno Park
The 80-acre Nishna Bend Recreation Area contains over 30 acres of wetland created from past gravel mining operations and is located southeast of Corley. Its acquisition was partially funded with grants from Duck Unlimited and Pheasants Forever. The ponds left from past mining operations contain bass, crappie, catfish, bluegill and bullhead to delight any angler. The other features include camping, a camping cabin, hiking trails, river access, an arboretum, a planting of tall grass, shortgrass prairie with many species of wildflowers, and a nature learning center.
Nishna Bend Recreation Area
Oak Ridge Habitat Area
Approximately 7 miles of trails weave throughout the park. All the trails are open for hiking, biking, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. An interpretive trail starts in the northwest corner of the park and winds along the shoreline. The trails are great places to observe a variety of plants and wildlife. There are several areas of restored prairie along the trails.
Prairie Rose State Park
Rosenow Timber
Manager: Shelby CCB Location: 41.810704, -95.498675 Acres: 120 Trails: No Camping: No Amenities: None Dogs: Yes, just no interfering with nesting birds in May-June. Hunting: Yes
Rosenow Timber is owned by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and managed by the Shelby County Conservation Board. This 120 acres of virgin timber is a public hunting area that abounds with deer, turkey, squirrels, and many woodland plants.
Six Bee Tree Timber
Manager: Shelby CCB Location: 41.855796, -95.459858 Acres: 40 Trails: Mowed trails Camping: No Amenities: None Dogs: Yes, just no interfering with nesting birds in May-June. Hunting: Yes Six Bee Tree Timber is 40 acres of timber located directly across the road to the east of Manteno Park. This is a public hunting area that is archery only allowed with a mowed trail loop going through it.
Upper Nish Habitat Area
Manager: Shelby CCB Location: 41.801018, -95.189460 Acres: 18 Trails: Mowed trails Camping: No Amenities: None Dogs: Yes, just no interfering with nesting birds in May-June. Hunting: Yes Upper Nish is approximately 3 miles of old railroad right of way that starts just 1/2 mile northeast of Irwin and is open to public hiking and hunting.
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).
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