Pottawattamie: Nature Trails, Water and History

You can get to know Pottawattamie through a wide range of experiences: from prairie and forest landscapes in the Loess Hills to long trails, water activities and railroad history. To plan your trip, you can first decide whether you primarily want to spend time outdoors or also include historic sites and exhibits.

Nature and trails in the Loess Hills

Hitchcock Nature Center offers nearly 1,500 acres of publicly accessible prairie, savanna and forest landscape in Iowa’s globally significant Loess Hills. The grounds are designed for outdoor recreation and also offer camping. Its unpaved trail network covers 14 miles; activities include hiking, trail running, birdwatching and snowshoeing, as well as backcountry overnight stays. The trails offer different ways to spend time in the landscape. As trail conditions can change seasonally, it’s best to check them before your outing.

Visitor amenities at Hitchcock Nature Center include the Loess Hills Lodge with its observation deck and observation tower, gallery, gift shop, restrooms and picnic facilities. Gallery hours vary by season. Also in the Loess Hills, Crescent Hill at Hitchcock is a 106-acre property that is part of the 1,500-acre Hitchcock Nature Center preserve. It offers skiing and snowboarding on 11 runs, with difficulty levels ranging from easy to challenging. Operating dates are weather-dependent.

Trails, river and lake

The Wabash Trace Nature Trail offers a different trail setting: the 63-mile route was built on a former railroad corridor and includes more than 70 bridges. It can be used along its entire length on foot, by bicycle, in a wheelchair, on skis or with snowshoes; motorized vehicles are not permitted. By comparison, the trail network at Hitchcock Nature Center is unpaved and 14 miles long. The two trails therefore differ in both length and their stated uses.

Canoeing, kayaking, tubing and tanking are possible on the West Nishnabotna River Water Trail between Avoca and Macedonia. There is an access point in every community along the route. It is the only state-designated water trail in southwest Iowa. River and access conditions can change, so check conditions before your trip. At Lake Manawa State Park, the focus is on boating on the lake and renting paddleboards, canoes and kayaks for trips to the Missouri River.

Riverside trails are another option: Wilson Island State Recreation Area covers 544 acres and has nearly five miles of trails, including sections along a side channel of the Missouri River. At Botna Bend Park, herds of bison and elk are on display year-round in fenced pastures. These places offer different experiences, from getting out on the trails to wildlife watching.

Railroad history and historic sites

Council Bluffs is home to the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, housed in a Beaux-Arts building that formerly served as the Council Bluffs Carnegie Free Public Library. The current exhibit uses immersive design and modern technology to tell the story of building the Transcontinental Railroad. It also covers life on the frontier and the communities that developed along the railroad line. Exhibit content may change.

The Historic Squirrel Cage Jail is now a museum preserving its history and architecture. It is the only surviving three-story rotary jail and one of three surviving rotary jails in the United States. The Historic General Dodge House offers another look at architectural history: General Grenville M. Dodge had the three-story, 14-room house built in 1869.

The Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs is one of the museums and visitor centers along the California Trail and also interprets the Lewis and Clark, Oregon and Mormon Pioneer Trails. Its grounds cover 480 acres of river bottomland right along the Missouri River. Alongside railroad history, several historic routes are therefore available as themes to explore on your trip.

Discover more destinations: Council Bluffs, Carter Lake, Walnut, Underwood, Winnebago County, Dubuque, Marion County, Johnson.

For the broader travel overview: Iowa.