Mitchell County: River Trails, Nature and Heritage

The Mitchell County Conservation Board manages more than 3,000 acres of wildlife habitat. These include rivers and streams, wetlands, floodplain forests and upland forests, as well as oak savannas and native prairie. The public is welcome and encouraged to use the conservation areas for nature experiences and recreation. Water, open landscapes and wooded areas shape many of the experiences Mitchell County has to offer.

Trails through river landscapes and natural areas

The Cedar River Greenbelt Trail stretches more than eight miles from the Milton R. Owen Nature Center to Mitchell Mill Dam and Interstate Park. There are four separate park areas along the trail. The route passes through native prairie and oak savanna, past river bluffs and floodplains, and into upland river landscapes. This means you can encounter several different habitats along one route.

The Hamlin Garland Trail System offers nearly two miles of trails and is groomed in winter for hiking, biking and cross-country skiing. The New Haven Potholes Trail System offers a different kind of route: its loop is 3.5 miles long. Several observation decks there provide opportunities to watch wildlife; hunting is prohibited throughout the system year-round.

The trails at the Pinicon Alders Trail System also vary in surface and seasonal use. They include paved trails, grass trails and winter trails groomed for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and fat biking. A suspension bridge crosses the Wapsi Pinicon River. For a variety of natural scenery along a shorter route, try the Wyatt Fen Trail System, which runs for just over 1.10 miles through bog-like wetlands. The Rock Creek Trail System is just under two miles long and passes through prairie, wetlands and wooded areas along Rock Creek.

Other trails have their own distinct features: The Boerjan Trail System, just over 1.25 miles long, follows Turtle Creek, a river suited to trout fishing. The Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail covers 23.5 miles, including an 18.5-mile north branch and five completed miles of the south branch. It is suitable for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and wildlife observation. Its trailhead is in Riceville on U.S. Highway 9.

The Milton R. Owen Nature Center offers interactive environmental education exhibits, public programs, wildlife mounts and a viewing area at a bird feeder. The trails at the center are suitable for hiking, biking and wildlife observation. If you plan to attend a public program, check the current schedule in advance.

Activities on the Cedar River

The Cedar River Water Trail runs for about 30 miles through Mitchell County and is divided into six main sections. Designated access points along the route are spaced about one and a half to two hours apart. Paddling, floating and wading are permitted on the Water Trail. Camping on sandbars and trespassing are not permitted.

The Cedar River at Interstate Park also offers opportunities for a variety of water activities: boating, water skiing, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. The park also has a large swimming beach with a pier and two playgrounds. Nature and cultural heritage come together at Mitchell Mill Dam and the park's hydroelectric plant: the facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Buildings, crafts and history

Cedar Valley Memories showcases steam engines, historic machinery, and early agricultural equipment and tools that illustrate Iowa's heritage. Visitors can tour several buildings there. The Living Heritage Workshops display equipment and crafts from the past, complementing the exhibits with a look at earlier ways of working.

Historic buildings include the Boerjan Log House, a local log home believed to have been built by the Gilbertsons in the late 1850s, and the Docken Log Cabin, built in Cedar Township in 1857. The Docken Log Cabin shares its site in Meroa with Walnut Grove School. Fort Severson was built from local limestone and timber from the surrounding forests and has stood since the mid-1850s. Its listing on the National Register was officially approved in July 1976.

In Osage is Mapletown Manor, an Italianate mansion built shortly after the American Civil War. It is located one block from Historic Main Street. The building thus combines a distinctive architectural stop with Osage's historic street.

Discover more destinations: Osage, Dubuque, Union County, Jefferson County, Pocahontas County, Howard County, Iowa County, Wapello.

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