Iowa Girl on the Go

Take a hike! Even if you’re not much of a walker, Hitchcock Nature Center in Honey Creek, Iowa (not far from Council Bluffs) probably has a trail that you would enjoy.

Trails are clearly marked on a map as easy, moderate, and difficult.

Last week, I took a fully accessible boardwalk hike on Hawk Ridge. I wish it would have been warmer (a stiff north wind made it feel about 25 degrees), but even with no leaves on the trees, the walk was lovely.

Hitchcock Nature Center is a 1,268-acre nature preserve. Besides its 10 miles of hiking trails along the scenic Loess Hills, the center is also home to the Loess Hills Lodge Interpretive Facility, featuring an interpretive garden of native prairie plants, hands-on activities for the kids, and an observation deck with beautiful views.

The park offers camping, RV sites, and “camping cabins” that include air conditioning/heat, electricity, bunk beds, refrigerator, and microwave – but no running water. For that, you have to walk to the restrooms and shower houses and to a hydrant for cooking and drinking water. I’m not a camper, but this sounds fun.

To get to Hitchcock Nature Center, take I-29 to the Crescent exit and travel east to the Old Lincoln Highway. The park is located 5 miles north.