GOLDEN HILLS RC&D
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Job Openings
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • What We Do >
      • Community Partnerships
      • Arts and Culture
      • Water Resources
      • Local Foods
      • Outdoor Recreation & Tourism
      • Land Stewardship
  • News
  • Events
  • Donate to Golden Hills

News

Hiking the Western Skies Scenic Byway: Guthrie County

5/24/2023

4 Comments

 
Picture
Whiterock Conservancy (photo by Lance Brisbois)
Guthrie County is the easternmost county on the Western Skies Scenic Byway, and the final county in our Hiking the Byways series for Western Skies.

Two excellent areas for hiking,  Whiterock Conservanc y and Springbrook State Park, are short drives north from the byway. Whiterock is famous for dark, starry skies at night. Fall colors are Springbook are a top attraction for hikers.  Sheeder Prairie State Preserve, Sutcliffe Woodland, and other natural areas make Guthrie County a hidden gem for hiking between Des Moines and Council Bluffs.
Picture

Whiterock Conservancy​

​
Manager: Whiterock Conservancy
Location: 
1436 IA-141, Coon Rapids 50058
Acres: 5,500
Trails: Over 40 miles of multi-use trails
Camping: Yes, modern and tent
Amenities: Restrooms and water
Dogs: Yes. Dogs may be off-leash they are well behaved and stay in close proximity to you while you are hiking. During burn and hunting season all pets must be kept on a leash for their safety. 
Hunting: No

​Whiterock Conservancy is a 5,500 acre, nonprofit land trust dedicated to providing educational and recreational opportunities for the public, improving and protecting the land through conservation, and demonstrating sustainable farming methods.
Picture
Click to download the PDF map
Explore over 40+ miles of hiking, mountain biking, equestrian, and UTV trails; set up camp in our RV or tent camping areas; or enjoy the comforts of home in one of our vacation rentals.

A Whiterock Conservancy trail pass is required for all visitors mountain biking and horseback riding on the trails. A trail pass is not required for walking or hiking, however a suggested donation of $2 is appreciated. The annual pass is good for the calendar year and the daily pass is good for the day of purchase.​
​
Trail fees help cover the cost of maintenance, as well as preserve the landscape. Self-serve kiosks are located with payment envelopes throughout Whiterock Conservancy and can be found at the campgrounds, trailheads, Bur Oak Visitor's Center, and the Historic Garst Farmstead.

(text source: Whiterock Conservancy)
Picture
Source: Whiterock Conservancy

​Springbrook State Park

​Manager: Iowa DNR
Location: 2437 160th Road Guthrie Center 50115
Acres: 930
Trails: 12 miles of hiking and biking trails
Camping: Yes, electric & non-electric
Amenities: Playground, Swimming beach, Shelters, Modern restrooms (ADA accessible), Showers (ADA accessible)
Dogs: Yes, on leash
Hunting: No
Picture
Click to download the PDF map
​Springbrook State Park is a quiet retreat in Guthrie County, encompassing 930 acres of rolling hills and mature timber. Many of the park’s structures were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, creating a nostalgic setting for park visitors. A multifamily cabin called the Sherburne House is perfect for large families or groups, and the lake is a popular destination for swimming and kayaking.

​Hike or bike
 12 miles of trails at Springbrook, offering leisurely routes through timber and prairie areas or more challenging paths for the seasoned hiker or biker. Trails also lead to small ponds, the Middle Raccoon River, and the park’s 17-acre lake. Snowmobiling is allowed on four miles of designated trails in the winter.

(text source: Iowa DNR)

​Sheeder Prairie State Preserve

​Manager: Iowa DNR
Location: 
Guthrie Center, IA 50115
Acres: 25
Trails: No but hiking is allowed
Camping: No
Amenities: None
Dogs:
Yes, however, no dogs are allowed during nesting season March 15 to July 15.​​
Hunting: Yes

Sheeder Prairie is a 25-acre tallgrass prairie. It is located five miles west of Guthrie Center in Guthrie County. The property was purchased in 1961 by the Iowa Conservation Commission from Oscar and Clara Sheeder, the son and daughter-in-law of the original homesteader. It was dedicated as a biological state preserve in 1968. ​
Picture
Click to download the state preserves guide
This preserve lies within the Southern Iowa Drift Plain, a landform region of gently rolling terrain. Over 200 plant species are found in this preserve, including thirty grasses. The prairie hilltops and slopes contain big bluestem, little bluestem, por­cupine grass, and prairie dropseed along with leadplant, rosinweed, prairie willow, and redroot. Prairie phlox, golden alexanders, flowering spurge, rattlesnake master, purple coneflower, and gray-headed coneflower are also common. The wooded ravines are dominated by box elder, wild plum, and black willow.

In the spring, prairie false dandelion, bird’s-foot violet, prairie violet, lousewort, and hoary puccoon are among the first plants to begin blooming. By May, ground plum, indigo bush, blue-eyed grass, prairie ragwort, tall green milkweed, prairie lark­spur, and yellow stargrass join the display. Prairie loosestrife, butterfly weed, purple prairie clover, compass plant, ironweed, wild bergamot, rough blazing star, and prairie blazing star can be found in June and July. Nodding ladies’-tresses, white sage, silky aster, sky-blue aster, showy goldenrod, Canada goldenrod, smooth goldenrod, and downy gentian bloom during the fall months.

​A total of sixty-nine species of birds can be found here, with twenty-five nesting on a regular basis. Nearly three-fourths of the nesting species are woodland species. Two grassland species, the bobolink and grasshopper sparrow, nest sporadically. Several preferring the woodland edge habitat found here include gray catbird, eastern kingbird, brown thrasher, rosebreasted grosbeak, red-headed woodpecker, downy woodpecker, blackcapped chickadee, Baltimore oriole, northern cardinal, house wren, and American goldfinch.

The Conservation Education Center, located at Springbrook State Park north of Guthrie Center, sponsors workshops and interpretive events that often include field trips to Sheeder Prairie.

(text source: Iowa DNR state preserves guide)

Picture

​Nations Bridge Park

​Manager: Guthrie County Conservation
Location: 2997 Wagon Rd, Stuart 50250
Acres: 81
Trails: Nature trails, including one self-guided
Camping: Yes, primitive and modern
Amenities: Water, restrooms, shelters, picnic area, playground
Dogs: Yes, on leash
Hunting: Hunting in designated areas only.
Picture
​Nations Bridge Park offers a variety of recreational opportunities to the public and is a favorite spot for many.  The park has a total of 81 acres that can be used for camping, picnicking, kayaking, hiking, bird watching fishing, disc golf, and horse shoes. Wildlife is abundant at Nations Bridge Park. Deer, turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, quail, raccoons, coyotes, and a variety of songbirds can be seen at the park. Nature trails can be found throughout the park and a self-guided nature trail is located on the east side of the park, County Highway P28.

(text source: Guthrie County Conservation)

Picture

​Sutcliffe Woodland

v​Manager: Guthrie County Conservation
Location: 2416 Frost Ln, Guthrie Center
Acres: 55
Trails: Yes, including a self-guided interpretive nature trail
Camping: None
Amenities: tbdms
Dogs: Yes, on leash
Hunting: Hunting in designated areas only.
Picture
Download the booklet on the park's website
Sutcliffe Woodland is a beautiful, 55-acre oak-hickory area designated as a wildlife refuge. It offers a 31-post, self-guided interpretive nature trail, as well as picnicking, hiking, and pond fishing. 

​
(text source: Guthrie County Conservation)​
Picture

​Raccoon River Valley Trail

The Raccoon River Valley Trail is an 89-mile, paved, multi-use recreational trail that extends from Clive, in the Des Moines-metropolitan area, to Jefferson. The 33-mile "North Loop" was completed in 2013 making this trail one of the longest in the United States. The trail is built on the former Milwaukee RR track now owned by the Dallas, Greene, and Guthrie County Conservation Boards.​
Picture
Click the map for the trail's main webpage
The trail winds its way through the Middle and North Raccoon River corridors with areas of prairie and canopies of timber that remind us of what Iowa was like in the 1870's. Common uses for the multi-recreational trail are hiking, biking, walking, in-line skating, jogging, bird watching , or cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling in the winter.

Trailheads in Guthrie County:
  • Panora - 600 E Main Street  (Google Map)
  • Yale - Corner of Railroad and South Street (Google Map)
  • Herndon - Herndon Road (Google Map)
  • Jamaica - South Main Street (Google Map)

(text source: Guthrie County Conservation)

The following Guthrie County Conservation properties are open to hiking but have no maintained trails:
  • Bennie Hall Wildlife Area
  • Bundt Prairie
  • Monteith Wildlife Area
  • S.E. Robinson Wildlife Area

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]).
4 Comments
Kenneth McLeod link
8/8/2024 09:24:54 am

I have been searching for such an informative post since many days and it seems my search jst ended here.Good work.Keep posting.

Reply
Christopher Rand link
8/8/2024 09:26:07 am

Thanks for Giving us Such a Great Information.

Reply
Ralph Culver link
8/8/2024 09:26:44 am

Your blog is very nice, Wish to see much more like this. Thanks for sharing your information!

Reply
Richard Price link
8/8/2024 01:39:26 pm

Trail expenses assist with taking care of the expense of upkeep, as well as safeguard the scene. Self-serve booths are situated with installment envelopes all through Whiterock Conservancy and can be found at the campsites, trailheads,

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    April 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018

    Categories

    All
    Arts & Culture
    Botany On The Byways
    Community Partnerships
    Hiking The Byways
    Land Stewardship
    Local Foods
    Outdoor Recreation & Tourism
    Water Resources

    RSS Feed

      Newsletter sign-up

    Subscribe to Newsletter

Address

712 South Highway Street 
P.O. Box 189
​Oakland, IA 51560

Contact

Phone: 712-482-3029
General inquiries: [email protected]
Visit our Staff Page for email addresses and office hours.
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Job Openings
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • What We Do >
      • Community Partnerships
      • Arts and Culture
      • Water Resources
      • Local Foods
      • Outdoor Recreation & Tourism
      • Land Stewardship
  • News
  • Events
  • Donate to Golden Hills