Hiking the Glacial Trail Scenic Byway: Clay County

Photo of Bertram Reservation by Lynn Graesing

Our last post in the Hiking the Byways series takes us to Clay County on the Glacial Trail Scenic Byway. There are multiple areas open to hiking in the county, some with maintained trails like Bertram Reservation. If you are looking for off-trail exploration, there are 15 wildlife management areas and numerous county properties to explore native prairie, bottomland timber, and the Little Sioux River.

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Bertram Reservation

​​Manager: Clay County Conservation
Location: Peterson, IA 51047
Acres: 240
Trails: Yes, for hiking and horseback riding
Camping: No
Amenities: None
Dogs: Yes, on leash
Hunting: Yes

240-acre wildlife area with oak savannah prairie that has hiking trails as well as equestrian trails. Horseback riding is closed from October 1st to May 31st.

Click to see a larger version

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Scharnberg Park
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Manager: Clay County Conservation
Location: 3430 145th Ave, Everly 51338
Acres: 55
Trails: Yes
Camping: Yes
Amenities: Beach, shelters, restrooms, water, playground
Dogs: Yes, on leash
Hunting: No

Enjoy the one-mile trail around the pond and park!

No map available

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Oneota Park

Manager: Clay County Conservation
Location: 420 10th Ave SE, Spencer 51301
Acres: 223
Trails: Yes, two miles of mowed trails
Camping: No
Amenities: Pit toilets, shelter
Dogs: Yes, on leash
Hunting: No

Oneota Park is home to the Clay County Conservation Board Headquarters and Oneota Lodge.  The park is 223 acres of rolling prairie bordered by the Little Sioux River and bottom ground timber.  The park has mowed trails in a natural prairie grass area.    The combined trail length is over two miles.

No map available

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Other Areas in Clay County

Wanata Park - ​Wanata Park is a 144-acre park situated along the Little Sioux River next to the town of Peterson.  Come enjoy the trails as you hike along the flood plains or hills of the Little Sioux River.

Bob Howe Thunder Bridge Wildlife Refuge - 29.5 Acre wildlife refuge with the Little Sioux River flowing through it. Bike and hiking trail. Home to historic Thunder Bridge, a through truss bridge built in 1905.

Donahoo Wildlife Area - 171 acre wildlife area located in both Clay and Buena Vista counties.  It is located in the Little Sioux flood plain with prairie uplands and Oak Savannah prairie remnants.

Kindlespire Complex - 310-acre wildlife area located along the Little Sioux River with hiking trails.

Mori Prairie - 40 acres of open prairie. Ideal for pheasant hunting using non-toxic shot and bird watching. Outstanding for those who are interested in native plant ecology. One of the very few pristine native prairies in Clay County.

Riverton Wildlife Area - 160-acre wildlife area along the Ocheyedan River open to hiking.

Schmerse Wildlife Area - Hiking trail around the pond.

Stouffer Memorial Wildlife Preserve - 20 acre wildlife reserve located along the Little Sioux River off of Highway 18.

Summit Wildlife Area - Summit Wildlife Area is approximately 132 acres of re-constructed prairie area located on the Little Sioux River.  

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Wildlife Management Areas

There are 15 wildlife management areas in Clay County. These areas are managed by the Iowa DNR and are open to hunting. There are no maintained trails, however, some may have maintenance tracks that can be used for hiking. Off-trail hiking is permitted, but take caution during hunting season to not disturb wildlife or hunters. Go to the Iowa DNR's website to search for WMAs in Clay County.

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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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