Iowa Adventure Leads to Horseshoe Falls at Pinicon Ridge Park

Iowa has so many amazing places to explore and enjoy and I'm slowly checking off state parks, wildlife preserves, and outdoor hikes across the state. This weekend I ended up not far from where I grew up in Linn County exploring an area of Central City I've never visited and an observation tower I never knew existed.

My short trip from Cascade was in the name of testing out some new hiking poles before my June vacation to the surely breathtaking Rocky Mountain National Park. Today we were at a much lower elevation enjoying a stroll through Pinicon Ridge Park. From the moment we arrived, the natural beauty of this 966-acre haven captured our hearts.

Our adventure began with a climb up the Pinicon Ridge Observation Tower, where we were rewarded with breathtaking views of the river valley and the steadily budding countryside below. It was the perfect spot to soak in the serenity, the view will be much better in the fall as you are in line with much of the foliage found on White Oak trail where we hiked for the day.

Eager to explore, we hit that trail after climbing the tower. Meandering through wooded hills and valleys, there is a sense of peace and connection with nature. Along the way, we stumbled upon the Woodpecker Hill Trail, where we were treated to the sight and sound of a cascading "waterfall," affectionately known as "the Horseshoe Falls."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tom Ehlers (@tom58ehlers)

I grew up on the Wapsi, so it was fun to visit a new area of the river.  It was a trip that will for sure lead to a return visit. I look forward to some fishing next time I stop, and highly recommend for anyone seeking some free adventure and serenity to stop by the park. Next time we'll have to paddle our kayaks down the Wapsipinicon River there. Actually, you can even rent kayaks from the Watercraft Concession when it's open for the season.

There was an awful lot of construction still underway along the river, but it's a good thing. A multi-phase project is underway to provide a better quality fish habitat in the Pinicon Ridge Park man-made water channels. The original, main channel was dug in 1967-68. Over the years, the channels experienced significant siltation as well as several major floods. The average water depth is now only 2’-3’ in phase four areas during non-drought years. The project will deepen those channels back to its original depth of 7’-9’, and will allow fish to over-winter in the phase four portion of the project. This project began in 2011, with phase four starting in January of this year with dredging activities to obtain deeper channel depth.

Of course, no visit to Pinicon Ridge Park would be complete without a stroll across the Mary Lundby Bridge, named in honor of a dedicated environmental advocate. It served as a poignant reminder of the park's rich history and the people who have worked tirelessly to preserve it for future generations, and the view ain't bad either.

Check out the entire adventure at Pinicon Ridge Park!

Leaving Pinicon Ridge Park led us to the Alexander Wildlife Area, where usually you can catch glimpses of a majestic American Elk herd roaming freely. I'm always grateful for the opportunity to experience the natural beauty that can be found in all of our small Iowa towns. Speaking of which we ended our day in my old stomping grounds of Anamosa, Iowa at a place called Two Scoops on East Main Street. Trust me, ice cream always hits the spot after a day on the trails!

There are plenty more places to adventure in Iowa!