Golden Hills works throughout western Iowa. Although our "official" territory is an eight-county region in the southwestern corner of the state, several projects extend well beyond that into more than 20 counties (see map below).
The area includes the ancestral lands of the Báxoje Máyaⁿ (Ioway), Očhéthi Šakówiŋ; Umoⁿhoⁿ tóⁿde ukʰéthiⁿ (Omaha), Washtáge Moⁿzháⁿ (Kaw/Kansa), and Yankton peoples.
The Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, Western Skies Scenic Byway, Glacial Trail Scenic Byway, Hungry Canyons Alliance, and the East & West Nishnabotna Watersheds all extend outside of the eight-county region.
Our work is primarily focused on three distinct Iowa landforms. The Missouri Alluvial Plain along the state border with Nebraska to the west is the wide, flat floodplain of the Mighty Missouri. The Loess Hills are steep bluffs of glacial till that run parallel to the Missouri River Valley. The Southern Iowa Drift Plain consists of rolling hills just to the east of the Loess Hills.
The region is largely rural and agricultural, with the exception of the metropolitan cities of Council Bluffs and Sioux City. Several communities have more than 5,000 residents, but most communities have between 100 hundred and a couple thousand people.
Many state, county, and city parks and trails are located throughout the region, offering a plethora of outdoor recreation opportunities. Hunting, fishing, foraging, hiking, biking, paddling, and horseback riding are just a few of the activities enjoyed in our public places.
The area includes the ancestral lands of the Báxoje Máyaⁿ (Ioway), Očhéthi Šakówiŋ; Umoⁿhoⁿ tóⁿde ukʰéthiⁿ (Omaha), Washtáge Moⁿzháⁿ (Kaw/Kansa), and Yankton peoples.
The Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, Western Skies Scenic Byway, Glacial Trail Scenic Byway, Hungry Canyons Alliance, and the East & West Nishnabotna Watersheds all extend outside of the eight-county region.
Our work is primarily focused on three distinct Iowa landforms. The Missouri Alluvial Plain along the state border with Nebraska to the west is the wide, flat floodplain of the Mighty Missouri. The Loess Hills are steep bluffs of glacial till that run parallel to the Missouri River Valley. The Southern Iowa Drift Plain consists of rolling hills just to the east of the Loess Hills.
The region is largely rural and agricultural, with the exception of the metropolitan cities of Council Bluffs and Sioux City. Several communities have more than 5,000 residents, but most communities have between 100 hundred and a couple thousand people.
Many state, county, and city parks and trails are located throughout the region, offering a plethora of outdoor recreation opportunities. Hunting, fishing, foraging, hiking, biking, paddling, and horseback riding are just a few of the activities enjoyed in our public places.
Area where Golden Hills works. Darker reds mean more projects and programs; lighter pinks mean one or two projects or programs. White counties are generally not considered part of our region, though special projects may reach into those counties. The dark blue line surrounds the original eight-county region defined in our organizational bylaws.