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PARKS & FORESTS

Parks and Forests near McGregor, Iowa

Nauti Marina is close to a number of excellent parks and forests in Iowa and across the Mississippi River in Wisconsin. You can choose from massive forests, like Yellow River State Forest, or small, but secluded, areas like Bloody Run Wildlife Management Area. For more information on the parks and forests near Nauti Marina, give us a call. We’d love to hear from you!

Pikes Peak State Park

Pikes Peak State Park covers close to 1,000 acres and features fantastic views from a 500-foot bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Much of the park is still in its natural state, having never been cleared or developed.

The park is an excellent place to hike or mountain bike. It has over 19 miles of hiking trails and, in many areas, mountain biking is allowed. When you visit, you’ll want to make sure you hike the Bridal Veil Trail. It’s a short, but moderately difficult, trail that leads to a bluff overlooking Bridal Veil Falls. The trail also features a bear-shaped effigy mount and a number of scenic overlook areas. If you’re pressed for time, you can hike just a quarter mile from the parking area and enjoy the main overlook, with its fantastic views of the Mississippi River and the mouth of the Wisconsin River.

The best time to visit Pikes Peak State Park is probably in the fall, when the colors are changing, but anytime is a good time to visit this picturesque park.

Yellow River State Forest

Yellow River State Forest, located near Harpers Ferry, Iowa, is one of Iowa’s most prominent forests. It consists of over 8,500 acres of forested wilderness.

Yellow River State Forest is an outdoorsman’s dream. It features over 24 miles of rugged trails open to hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Some trails have 700-foot elevation gains and travel along stunning bluffs and steep slopes. About 10 miles of those trails are designated only for hikers. Just for kicks, try Firetower Trail. It leads to Iowa’s only firetower, a 100-foot structure built in the early 1960s.

You can also hunt and fish in much of Yellow River State Forest. In fact, the forest is one of the largest hunting areas in northeast Iowa. Trout fishing is especially popular in Yellow River State Forest. You can expect to find rainbow trout in Big Paint Creek and brown trout in Little Paint Creek. As for hunting, you’re allowed to hunt deer, squirrel, rabbits, turkey, and a variety of upland birds.

Wyalusing State Park

Wyalusing State Park is a 2,700-acre state park situated 500 feet above the junction of the Mississippi River and the Wisconsin River.

The park contains 14 miles of hiking trails, Native American burial grounds, and a six-mile canoe trail. It’s an excellent location for bird watching, hiking and biking, fishing, boating, and picnicking. In the winter months, a number of trails are groomed for cross-country skiing, both classic and skate skiing. In addition, you can fish from the park’s fishing pier, located at the boat landing.

Some of the more popular hiking trails are Bluff Trail, Sugar Maple Nature Trail, and Mississippi Ridge Trail. The Mississippi Ridge Trail is also an excellent mountain biking trail.

The park is open all year from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m.

Bloody Run Wildlife Management Area

Bloody Run is a small, 135-acre park just west of Marquette, Iowa. Here, you can enjoy great trout fishing at Bloody Run Trout Stream. The stream is also the home of the Pileated woodpecker, Iowa’s largest woodpecker.

In general, Bloody Run, while small, is a great place to simply get away from the city for a few hours or longer.