Recreation and Public Lands
The Loess Hills Scenic Byway affords many scenic views as it twists through the range from north to south, starting in Westfield, Iowa and ending in Hamburg. While much of the landscape is held in private ownership, thousands of acres of public land exist in state and county parks, wildlife areas and preserves. The Nature Conservancy also owns several preserve areas in the Hills which are open to the public, including Broken Kettle Preserve - the largest contiguous tract of native prairie left in Iowa and home to the last remaining known population of prairie rattlesnake in Iowa. The Loess Hills State Forest is located in west-central Iowa in Harrison and Monona counties. It comprises 4 units totaling 10,600 acres (43 km2), and offers hiking, backpacking, picnicking, and fishing opportunities. Preparation Canyon State Park, located near Pisgah in Monona County, is a less developed park in the middle of the Loess Hills State Forest. It has 344 acres (1.4 km2) including what was once the Mormon village of Preparation. Backpacking trails lead to hike-in campsites. Two major state parks anchor the north and south end of the range - Waubonsie in the south and Stone in the north, both offer camping and a variety of other amenities. Hitchcock Nature Center is operated by the Pottawattamie County Conservation Board and features a lodge with raptor viewing platform and observation tower, from which one has striking views of the Hills, the Missouri River valley, and the skyline of downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Hike-in camping is also available at this location.
Two National Natural Landmarks are located in the Loess Hills. The Little Sioux/Smith Lake Site contains 2,980 acres (12 km2) and is perhaps the best example of the unique topography produced by large deposits of loess soil. The 7,440-acre (30 km2) Turin Site of the Loess Hills National Natural Landmark is located just outside of Turin and also contains the Turin Man prehistoric archeological site.
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