Find Solitude Along The Whiterock Conservancy Trail, One Of Iowa's Most Peaceful Hikes

What are the best kid-friendly hikes around Iowa?  

Considering Iowa is a mostly-flat state, there are really no BAD hikes for kids in Iowa – though some do tend to be more suitable than others. Lucky for those of us with small kids, there’s no such thing as a bad hike in Iowa; the easy ones are just as rewarding as longer, more challenging ones if you ask us – so bring the kids along! Some of our favorite kid-friendly hikes around Iowa include the famous Wildcat Cave Trail, at the Wildcat Cave Wildlife Area. That one is 0.6 miles long and allows hikers young and not-as-young to explore a cave and river. The epic Bridal Veil Trail at Pikes Peak State Park is just one mile long and features excellent views of the Mississippi River, as well as a lovely boardwalk trail down to a waterfall you can walk behind! Then, be sure to take the little ones along on the George Wyth Mine Trail at the George Wyth State Park for some lovely wildflowers galore. As we said, there’s really no such thing as a bad hiking trail in Iowa, so do your best to go explore.  

What are some of the best parks in Iowa for hiking? 

Iowa’s parks and state parks are excellent for hiking in general, and the vast majority of them have lots of choices when it comes to great hikes to do. Some of our favorite places for hiking in Iowa include state parks like Backbone State Park (do the Backbone Trail for the ultimate experience), Ledges State Park (often called the “best place to hike in central Iowa” according to hiker reviews), Palisades-Kepler State Park (christened as the “best place to hike in Linn County”), and finally, the Waubonsie State Park in Loess Hills (which has more than 16 miles of awesome hikes to do). Of course, those are just the start of it; there are 83 amazing state parks and recreation areas crammed into this little state of ours, meaning there’s an almost never-ending supply of fun things to do outside in Iowa.