In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From the Loess Hills via Sioux City and the Iowa Great Lakes to the bridges of Madison County, on to Pella and the Amana Colonies and through the Driftless uplands to Dubuque: around 1,500 kilometres that thoroughly disprove the cliché of the flat corn state.
The spirit of the route
Iowa begins in the west with a surprise: beyond Council Bluffs, grass-covered ridges rise from the Missouri plain, sharply folded like crumpled paper – loess, blown in by the wind after the Ice Age and more than 60 metres thick in places. From there you roll through the country everyone expects: corn and soybeans to the horizon, red barns, grain elevators as lighthouses of the prairie, wind turbines blinking red at night. But in between lie blue glacial lakes, wooden bridges with roofs, a windmill from Holland and seven villages where Pietists lived in community of goods until 1932. In the far northeast the landscape tips again: limestone cliffs, trout streams, wooded ravines, and on the bluffs above the Mississippi, bear mounds made of earth march along in a row. In the evening, through the sliding door, you hear crickets, cicadas and the hum of a combine pushing light across the field late into the night.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Council Bluffs to Onawa (approx. 170 km)
- The drive
- Council Bluffs is just the starting point: take the I-29 or the country roads at the foot of the hills north onto the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, which is marked with brown signs and consists of a main route and several loops (“Excursion Loops”). The main route is paved, winding and hilly, with short steep ramps; many loops are gravel or dirt roads that turn slick when wet and are unsuitable for heavy motorhomes. Via Honey Creek, Missouri Valley and Little Sioux to Pisgah and Moorhead, then down into the Missouri plain to Onawa. Pure driving time 3–3.5 hours, a full day with hikes. Fuel in Council Bluffs, Missouri Valley and Onawa, in between only in small towns.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hitchcock Nature Center near Honey Creek (Pottawattamie County Conservation): lodge with an observation tower, trails across prairie ridges, and in autumn a raptor count (Hawkwatch) when, on good days, hundreds of hawks, falcons and eagles pass over the hills. Day visitors pay a per-vehicle entrance fee at the gate (exact cash or cheque); campers are exempt.
- Murray Hill Overlook (Harrison County Conservation) near Little Sioux: a short, steep climb from the car park onto a loess ridge with a panoramic view across the Missouri bottomlands to Nebraska – at its best in low evening sun, when the folds of the hills cast shadows.
- Loess Hills State Forest with a visitor centre in Pisgah and the Preparation Canyon Unit: hiking trails through oak woodland and prairie, a viewpoint over forest, prairie and river bottomland. The name recalls a short-lived Mormon settlement called Preparation from the 1850s.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Lewis and Clark State Park near Onawa: campground on Blue Lake, an old oxbow of the Missouri, with electric and non-electric sites, a shower building and dump station; the park holds a replica of the keelboat of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Since 2026 all sites in Iowa’s state parks can be reserved (iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com or by phone). For an earlier night: Hitchcock Nature Center RV Campground with 17–18 sites with water and electric (some full hookup), shower house and dump station, according to the operator without reservations on a “first come, first served” basis.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Preparation Canyon State Park has ten basic hike-in sites with a table and fire ring, reachable only on foot, without facilities at the sites – the most natural overnight stay in the Loess Hills. The park page previously stated self-registration at the east car park on a “first come, first served” basis; since the 2026 switch to reservable sites, ask the forestry office in Pisgah about the current allocation. Free camping in the forest, at viewpoints or on field tracks is not permitted; most of the land in the hills is private property.
- Insider tip for campers
- Check the Excursion Loops on the map before turning off with a large vehicle: many are Level B roads (dirt roads with minimal maintenance) that become impassable after rain and offer no place to turn around. Fill up with water in Council Bluffs. In hot weather, do Murray Hill early or late – the ridge has no shade.
2Stage 2: Onawa to Sioux City (approx. 90 km)
- The drive
- North of Onawa the byway stays along the edge of the hills, with side trips to Turin and the Loess Hills Wildlife Area; then via Sloan and Sergeant Bluff to Sioux City. If you are in a hurry, take the I-29 (around an hour). The country roads are two-lane; expect farm machinery, especially in spring and at harvest time. Sioux City itself lies at the confluence of the Big Sioux and the Missouri, where Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota meet.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Sergeant Floyd Monument: an obelisk on a bluff above the Missouri for Sergeant Charles Floyd, the only member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to die on the journey (1804). In 1960 the obelisk became the first National Historic Landmark in the USA.
- Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center on the Sioux City riverfront: exhibition on the expedition on the Missouri, with a view of the river; check opening hours in advance.
- Stone State Park with the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center: loess hills with prairie and oak woodland right on the edge of town, viewpoints over three states (Mount Lucia, Elk Point Overlook).
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Stone State Park Campground on the northern edge of Sioux City: wooded site among the hills, electric sites, water, shower building. Reservations through the Iowa state parks system; the access roads in the park are winding and steep, so check vehicle length when booking.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Within Sioux City, sleeping in your vehicle on the street is not intended. Free camping on public land practically does not exist in northwest Iowa; some county conservation parks offer basic, inexpensive sites (overview on mycountyparks.com).
- Insider tip for campers
- The roads in Stone State Park are narrow; drive in with a trailer from the valley side and explore the viewpoints after unhitching. Fill up cheaply in Sioux City: Iowa’s petrol stations often offer E15 (labelled “Unleaded 88” at the pump) and E85 alongside regular petrol – read the label carefully, E85 only for flex-fuel vehicles.
3Stage 3: Sioux City to Okoboji (Iowa Great Lakes) (approx. 170 km)
- The drive
- North on the US-75 to Le Mars, then northeast on country roads through the flat farmland of the northwest: dead-straight roads on the mile grid, a grain elevator every few kilometres, wind farms on the horizon. Two-lane, speed limit mostly 55 mph (88 km/h), hardly any bends, tiring in a crosswind. Pure driving time around 2.5 hours. Supermarkets and fuel in Spirit Lake, Okoboji and Arnolds Park.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Le Mars: a town of ice cream production, with an ice cream parlour and visitor centre of the local dairy in the middle of the fields – a break you will happily take on this stretch.
- West Okoboji Lake: a deep, clear glacial lake, part of the Iowa Great Lakes; on the south shore in Arnolds Park, a historic amusement park with a wooden roller coaster and the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum with old wooden boats.
- Cayler Prairie State Preserve west of the lakes: one of the larger surviving pieces of tallgrass prairie in Iowa, without trails or facilities – you simply set off, in late summer between head-high big bluestem.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Gull Point State Park on the west shore of West Okoboji Lake: campground in oak woodland with electric sites, shower building, dump station. Alternatively Marble Beach State Recreation Area on Big Spirit Lake with a large campground, electric sites and showers, or Emerson Bay SRA on West Okoboji. In July and on summer weekends, reserve early through the Iowa state parks system.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around the lakes everything is built up or private; sleeping in car parks and at boat ramps is prohibited. There is no legal free-camping option.
- Insider tip for campers
- In July the lakes are the holiday destination for the whole Midwest; June and September are quieter and sites are easier to get. In late summer, blue-green algae blooms can occur – heed warnings at the swimming areas and keep dogs out of the water.
4Stage 4: Okoboji to Ledges State Park (Boone) (approx. 260 km)
- The drive
- Diagonally through the heart of the farming region: on country roads and the US-71 or US-169 south and southeast, past Fort Dodge, to Boone. Endlessly straight, well-built roads, 55–65 mph, little traffic apart from lorries and farm machinery. Pure driving time around 3 hours. Shortly before Boone, the valley of the Des Moines River opens up surprisingly with wooded slopes. Fuel in every county seat.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Ledges State Park: sandstone gorge of Pea’s Creek with walls up to around 30 metres high, viewpoints over the valley of the Des Moines River and trails partly built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930s.
- Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad in Boone: heritage railway across a high bridge in the Des Moines River valley; seasonal timetable, check in advance.
- High Trestle Trail Bridge near Madrid: a former railway bridge around 40 metres high, now a cycle path; at night the steel frames over the path glow blue – reachable on foot from the trailhead.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Ledges State Park Campground: wooded site above the gorge, electric and non-electric sites, shower building, dump station. Reservations through the Iowa state parks system. The Ledges are among Iowa’s most visited state parks – book early for autumn weekends.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Between the lakes and Boone there is no legal free-camping option on public land. County parks such as the Boone County Conservation sites are an inexpensive alternative to the state parks.
- Insider tip for campers
- Canyon Road through the gorge runs through fords in Pea’s Creek and is closed at high water; it is no place for large motorhomes anyway – leave the vehicle at the campground and walk down. For the High Trestle Bridge after dark, take a head torch.
5Stage 5: Ledges State Park to Pella (Lake Red Rock) (approx. 230 km)
- The drive
- Via the US-30 and I-35 to Des Moines, then on the I-35 and the IA-92 to Winterset; to the covered bridges partly on gravel roads. From Winterset east on country roads and the IA-5 or IA-163 to Pella. In Des Moines the city centre is manageable with large vehicles; use car parks on the outskirts. Pure driving time around 3 hours, a long day with bridges and a stroll through town.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Des Moines in brief: the Iowa State Capitol with its gilded dome on the hill east of the river, and the Pappajohn Sculpture Park in the city centre – both doable on foot in an hour.
- The covered bridges of Madison County around Winterset: six survive, including Roseman, Holliwell and Cedar Bridge; known from the novel and film “The Bridges of Madison County”. Also in Winterset, John Wayne’s birthplace with a museum. The Covered Bridge Festival traditionally takes place on the second weekend of October.
- Pella: a small town of Dutch character, founded in 1847 by immigrants, with the Vermeer Windmill, a working grain mill built to a historic design, the Klokkenspel on the Molengracht canal and bakeries making “Dutch Letters” from puff pastry and almond paste. Tulip Time in early May brings thousands of tulips and parades.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Lake Red Rock, Iowa’s largest lake, southwest of Pella: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers runs several campgrounds here, including Howell Station below the dam and Wallashuck, North Overlook and Whitebreast on the lake, with electric sites, shower buildings and dump stations; reservations via recreation.gov, seasons vary by campground.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around Lake Red Rock and in Pella, sleeping outside the campgrounds is not permitted; the car parks at the boat ramps and viewpoints close at night.
- Insider tip for campers
- Roseman and Holliwell Bridge lie on gravel roads; the bridges themselves are closed to vehicles. With a large motorhome, choose only bridges with a paved or short approach (Cedar Bridge is close to town) and pick up the bridge map at the Winterset visitor centre. During Tulip Time in Pella, campgrounds in the area are booked out months ahead.
6Stage 6: Pella to Iowa City (via the Amana Colonies) (approx. 190 km)
- The drive
- Via the IA-163 to Oskaloosa, then north on country roads to the I-80 and on the US-6 or IA-220 into the Amana Colonies; from there on to Iowa City. Gently rolling country, farms with windbreaks, well-built two-lane roads. Pure driving time around 2.5 hours; the seven Amana villages lie in an arc along the Iowa River and are easy to reach by motorhome.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Amana Colonies: seven villages of the Pietist “Community of True Inspiration”, which came from Germany and lived here in community of goods from 1855 to 1932. Today a National Historic Landmark with brick and sandstone houses, wine cellars, a woollen mill, the communal kitchen in Middle Amana and the Amana Heritage Museum.
- Kalona detour (optional): Amish and Mennonites live south of Iowa City; horse-drawn buggies travel the country roads – overtake with distance and patience.
- Iowa City: university town with the Old Capitol, the state’s first seat of government, and a car-free pedestrian zone; the city is a UNESCO City of Literature.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: At Coralville Lake north of Iowa City, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers runs several campgrounds, including Sugar Bottom and West Overlook, with electric sites, showers and dump stations; reservations via recreation.gov. Alternative: Lake Macbride State Park near Solon with electric sites and a shower building, reservations through the Iowa state parks system.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Amana Colonies and in Iowa City, sleeping in your vehicle on streets and in car parks is not permitted. The Kent Park Family Campground of Johnson County Conservation west of Iowa City is an inexpensive, quiet alternative to the reservoir campgrounds.
- Insider tip for campers
- On University of Iowa home-game Saturdays in autumn, Iowa City is packed, the campgrounds around town are booked out and the streets around Kinnick Stadium are jammed – check the fixture list in advance. In the Amana Colonies, stop at the large visitor car parks on the edge of the villages.
7Stage 7: Iowa City to Decorah (via Backbone State Park) (approx. 230 km)
- The drive
- On the I-380 to Cedar Rapids and on north, then via country roads and the IA-13 to Strawberry Point and Backbone State Park. From here the Driftless Area begins, which the last ice ages did not flatten: valleys cut in, roads become curvier, limestone outcrops appear. On via the IA-13 and the US-52 to Decorah. Pure driving time around 3 hours. Some descents and tight bends in the last third, but no problem for motorhomes.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Backbone State Park: dedicated in 1920 as Iowa’s first state park, named after the “Devil’s Backbone”, a narrow limestone ridge above the Maquoketa River. Trails along the ridge, Richmond Springs trout stream, stone buildings of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
- Decorah: centre of Norwegian immigration with Vesterheim, a museum of Norwegian-American culture, and Dunning’s Spring waterfall in the middle of town.
- Trout Run Trail: a paved loop of around 18 kilometres around Decorah, past the state fish hatchery, near which bald eagles nest – a lovely evening by bike.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Pulpit Rock Campground in Decorah: municipal campground on the Upper Iowa River with electric sites, toilets and showers, direct access to the Trout Run Trail and the river; check reservations and season with the City of Decorah. Alternatively Lake Meyer County Park near Fort Atkinson (Winneshiek County), or in Backbone State Park the South Lake or Six Pines campgrounds.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Yellow River State Forest east of Decorah there are basic campgrounds in the wooded valleys (see next stage). Free camping outside designated sites is not permitted in the state forests.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Upper Iowa River is one of the finest paddling rivers in the Midwest; canoe hire and shuttles are available in Decorah. For Wisconsin’s Driftless Area on the other side of the Mississippi, there is the CampingSpirit travel guide through the Driftless Area to the Wisconsin Dells.
8Stage 8: Decorah to Dubuque (approx. 190 km)
- The drive
- Via country roads and the IA-76 through the Yellow River valley east to the Mississippi; the IA-76 winds through wooded limestone valleys and reaches the river at Marquette. On to McGregor and via the US-52 or minor roads to Dubuque. Winding with descents, but well built. Pure driving time around 3 hours. The riverside section between McGregor and Dubuque is described in detail in the CampingSpirit travel guide to the upper Great River Road.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Effigy Mounds National Monument near Harpers Ferry: more than 200 burial mounds of the Indigenous population, many in the shape of bears and birds. The Fire Point Loop (around 3 kilometres, a good 100 metres of ascent) leads from the visitor centre up to more than 25 mounds and viewpoints over the Mississippi; the South Unit holds the Marching Bear Group with ten bear mounds. Free entry; check opening hours on nps.gov.
- Pikes Peak State Park near McGregor: view from a bluff around 150 metres high over the confluence of the Wisconsin River and the Mississippi, and boardwalks to Bridal Veil Falls.
- Mines of Spain State Recreation Area in Dubuque: prairie, woodland and bluffs on the edge of town, with the stone tower of the Julien Dubuque Monument above the river.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Pikes Peak State Park: campground on the bluff with electric sites, shower building, reservations through the Iowa state parks system – good for a night before the final day. In Dubuque: Swiss Valley Park of Dubuque County Conservation southwest of the city, electric sites and toilets, or Miller Riverview Park right on the Mississippi (municipal, check season and reservations with the operator).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Yellow River State Forest near Harpers Ferry: basic campgrounds such as Big Paint Creek and Little Paint Creek in wooded valleys along trout streams, with drinking water but no electricity; check fees and allocation with the forestry office. Sleeping in the car parks at Effigy Mounds and Pikes Peak is prohibited.
- Insider tip for campers
- At the Marching Bear Group trailhead you have to cross the railway tracks and the IA-76 – watch for trains. Mobile coverage is patchy in the Driftless valleys; save navigation and reservation confirmations offline. In McGregor and Marquette, parking by the river is tight for large vehicles – arrive early in the day.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Iowa is among the states with the smallest share of public land; there is no BLM land and no national forest, so no dispersed camping in the Western sense. Overnight stays are practically only allowed at designated campgrounds; in the state forests (Loess Hills, Yellow River) only at the basic sites provided there.
- Iowa’s state parks charge no entrance fee; you pay only for overnight stays. Since the 2026 season all state park sites can be reserved, online via iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com or by phone; cash payment and paper forms have been dropped.
- Besides the state parks there is a dense network of county conservation parks (overview and some reservations via mycountyparks.com) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds on the reservoirs (recreation.gov). They are often cheaper and quieter.
- Interstate rest areas are meant for rest breaks, not for camping; supermarket car parks only with the store’s permission. Towns and cities frequently ban sleeping on the street by ordinance.
- Federal lands: since 2026, visitors without US residency are in some cases charged higher fees and surcharges at US national parks; check current amounts on nps.gov. On this route it makes no difference: Effigy Mounds charges no entrance fee.
- Apps: iOverlander, Campendium, The Dyrt and Recreation.gov; Park4Night is barely used in the Midwest.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump stations: at almost all state park, county and Corps of Engineers campgrounds with electric sites; many campgrounds have water at central taps, some have water at the site.
- Drinking water: drinkable at campgrounds and in towns. Groundwater in the farming landscape can be contaminated with nitrates – fill your tank only at designated drinking water points, not at farm wells or hydrants of unknown origin.
- Empty grey water and chemical toilets only at dump stations; draining onto meadows, into ditches or streams is prohibited.
- Propane: farm cooperatives, farm supply stores, DIY stores and many petrol stations refill US cylinders; European cylinders are generally not refilled.
- Electricity: state park sites mostly 30 A, some 50 A; carry 30/50 A adapters.
- Fuel: diesel everywhere, petrol often as E10, E15 (“Unleaded 88”) and E85 – for rental vehicles, fill up with E10 if in doubt. Supermarkets in Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Spirit Lake, Boone, Des Moines, Pella, Iowa City, Decorah and Dubuque.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: interstates in Iowa mostly 70 mph (113 km/h), four-lane highways mostly 65 mph, two-lane country roads mostly 55 mph; there is no separate limit for motorhomes or trailers. In towns, slow down quickly to 25–35 mph.
- There are no tolls in Iowa. There are no tunnels with propane restrictions on this route.
- Phones at the wheel: since 1 July 2025 Iowa has had a hands-free law – the phone may not be held in the hand while driving, not even to type, scroll or enter a navigation destination; calls only hands-free (mount, Bluetooth), video calls are prohibited. Fines have been issued since January 2026.
- Farm traffic: tractors, combines and slurry tankers travel with an orange triangle (“Slow Moving Vehicle”), often wider than their lane. Expect them especially on country roads at planting time (April/May) and harvest (September to November); overtake only with a clear view, never before driveways, junctions or crests – farm machinery often turns left without warning. Mud on the road makes it slippery.
- Roads: gravel roads and Level B dirt roads are common in rural Iowa; avoid Level B roads when wet. Deer crossings especially at dusk and in October/November.
- Severe weather: tornadoes occur in Iowa mainly from April to July, but also in autumn; plus hail, storm fronts and derechos (as in Cedar Rapids in 2020). A motorhome offers no protection: during a tornado warning, go into a solid building or the campground’s designated shelter (often the shower building). Sirens in towns are tested regularly.
- Major events: the RAGBRAI bike ride crosses Iowa every year in late July on a changing route – roads are then closed and campgrounds along the route are full. Check the route in advance.
- Emergency: 911. Mobile coverage is mostly good in farm country, patchy in places in the Loess Hills and Driftless valleys.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- NOAA weather radio or a severe-weather app with National Weather Service warnings: with tornado and thunderstorm warnings, minutes count.
- Good hiking boots and trekking poles: the loess ridges at Hitchcock, Murray Hill and Preparation Canyon are steep and, when wet, as slippery as soft soap.
- Tick tweezers, repellent and long trousers: ticks and chiggers lurk in the prairie grass; wild parsnip also grows along trail edges, and its sap causes burns in sunlight.
- 30/50 A adapters and a long extension lead: the power pedestals at state park and Corps campgrounds are fitted differently and not always conveniently placed.
- Folding bike or e-bike: the High Trestle Trail, the Trout Run Trail in Decorah and the paths in the Amana Colonies are best explored on two wheels.
- Offline maps with gravel and Level B roads marked: for the Loess Hills Byway loops and the bridges of Madison County, the road surface decides whether you get through with a motorhome.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
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