Adair County: Nature, Prairie, and History

Adair County brings together natural areas and waterways with places where Iowa’s history is reflected in its landscapes and collections. You can focus your stay on hiking, nature observation, paddling, or historical sites. The destinations below also differ in whether you’re looking for a short walk, longer hiking routes, or a paddling route.

Woodlands, Prairie, and Trails

Lake Orient covers 24 acres and is stocked with channel catfish, bluegill, crappie, and bass. The lake has campsites with electric and water hookups, a shower and shelter building, a playground, and a boat ramp. A mowed, 2-mile grass trail adds to the lakeside amenities.

In the 107-acre Ken Sidey Nature Area, 3 miles of trails wind through a woodland preserve. The area is suitable for birdwatching and collecting mushrooms and berries. The Karl & Grace Correll Wildlife Area offers a different landscape and a shorter trail: of its 45 acres, 30 are restored prairie. A 1.5-mile mowed trail leads through tall prairie grasses and over a footbridge. By comparison, the trail at Lake Orient is 2 miles long, while the trails at Ken Sidey Nature Area total 3 miles.

The Hoskins Wildlife Area has its own features: its 120 acres include a 2-acre stocked pond and a butterfly habitat. The Middle River Forest Area covers 38 acres of wooded lowland and upland forest. It is the upstream starting point of the Middle River Water Trail.

On the Water

The Middle River Water Trail is a 38.6-mile paddling route through the American heartland. Described landscape features include limestone outcrops, woodlands, and diverse wildlife; historic bridges also line the route. Paddling here is quite different from the shorter hiking trails: the focus is a longer route on the water.

History in Landscapes and Collections

Wallace Farm in Orient is the birthplace farm of Henry A. Wallace. It offers daily self-guided tours at any time of day or evening; staff are on-site seasonally. Five outdoor sculptures stand along an approximately three-quarter-mile prairie trail. Each year, the Prairie Art Exhibit displays more than 80 paintings by members of the local community in a 9-acre restored prairie. The seasonal, free tour is self-guided from June through September and can be visited from sunrise to sunset. Since specific dates need to be checked each year, it’s a good idea to confirm them in advance for your travel year.

Another seasonal event at Wallace Farm is Pizza on the Prairie: On summer Fridays, enjoy wood-fired pizza topped with farm-grown vegetables and locally sourced meat, along with live music. Check current dates and reservation options before making plans.

The Jesse James Historical Park commemorates the July 21, 1873, train robbery: Jesse James’s gang carried out the world’s first train robbery while the train was in motion, a mile and a half west of Adair, Iowa. The 7-acre park is a restored prairie site. A large steam locomotive wheel and a commemorative plaque mark the site of the robbery.

At the Adair County Heritage Museum, eight buildings on a five-acre site reflect the history of the county. The Iowa Aviation Museum opened in 1990 at the airport in Greenfield, Iowa. It preserves, restores, and displays historic aircraft and memorabilia; the museum also includes an Aviation Hall of Fame and a library of photographs and accounts of Iowans who contributed to the development of aviation. The Saints Center for Culture and the Arts adds an architectural dimension to these cultural offerings: the restored historic Byzantine church has a main hall with a vaulted ceiling and a historic winter chapel.

Historic Routes

The White Pole Road connects Adair, Casey, Menlo, Stuart, and Dexter. It recalls an unpaved road from the early 20th century and the officially planned 1913 route. When the weather is suitable, you can explore surviving sections of this route. Along the White Pole Road, you can also trace the history of an abandoned wagon trail, former parallel railroad lines, and the development of road travel in rural Iowa.

Your priorities can help you choose a hotel: nature observation and hiking trails offer different experiences from paddling, museums, or the history of transportation routes. When planning your stay, compare the specific hotel locations on offer with the destinations that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Adair, Ida County, Iowa County, Hancock County, Madison County, Louisa County, Calhoun County, Shelby.

For the broader travel overview: Iowa.