Yellow River State Forest Hike- Paint Rock Unit Trails - IA

Paint Rock Overlook

I started hiking the trails in Yellow River State Forest of Iowa last November during the gun deer season in Wisconsin and Minnesota. A group of friends and I wanted to hike freely without worrying about crowded woods and sometimes incautions deer-season-only hunters.

This state forest is located right along the Mississippi River not far from the Effigy Mounds National Monument near Harper's Ferry. It has dramatic steep hills and high bluffs which make for great hiking. As a former tree plantation, it also has old roads for many trails so the hiking can be pretty easy on wide old roadbeds.I began my exploration with a few visits to Luster Heights unit last fall. 

From there, I headed over into the Paint Rock Unit blufftop trails. There are two trailheads to explore the four miles of the main blufftop trails (Mississippi, Big Bear and Mud Hen). Both trailheads are just south of Harper's Ferry. While I split my hikes into two different days so I could scout both trailheads, the hike from either trailhead as an out-and-back can definitely be done as one hike.

Ravines on Mississippi Trail

The reward: dramatic ravines and oak forests with clear understories; abundant wildlife and plant life and interesting up and down and twisting trails that take you for miles of gorgeous hiking.

Paint Rock Trailhead (off Paint Rock Road): The first half mile of Paint Rock Trail goes gradually up on an old logging road through beautiful forests of oak and deciduous trees. You come to a junction and can take the Big Bear or Mississippi trails or continue on the Paint Rock trail.

Mississippi Trailhead (off IA Hwy 364)

This trailhead, tucked into a small bluffside parking lot right past the boat landing sign south of Harper's Ferry, takes you steeply up 300 feet for .6 miles along a narrow dirt and rock trail between steep ravines festooned with plant life. The steep ravine walls give dramatic views of rocks and clear canopied forest sides. You scramble up and down a few ravine crossings at various points. The Mud Hen loop trail goes to the right and is a pleasant loop that takes you along the cliffside with views of the Mississippi. This is a more challenging hiking entrance but the rewards - abundant flowers and truly awesome views of ravine walls and rock formations - sell me on this one!

Goat prairie at Paint Rock Overlook

Once at the top, you can stay on the Paint Rock Trail 3/4 of a mile towards the south overlook through a pine forest and oak forest. If you are using the Mississippi trailhead, you can stay on that trail for 2 miles along the cliffside and through ravines to the overlook.  The views of the Mississippi River and its sloughs are spectacular. Effigy mounds, a beautiful goat prairie, rocks wildflowers and abundant birdlife are found here. 

Junctions of trails have wood posts with arrows indication direction and trail names which is helpful. On all narrow bluff top trails that go through the oak leaves, be sure to watch for yellow blazes on trees. It is easy to lose the trail. I used my AllTrails app in spots where there are new blowdowns and it wasn't clear where the trail was.

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IA DNR map

THE HIKE

There's actually a trail here!

An outstanding series of blufftop trails (covers about 4 miles of hiking on top) that can be accessed from either one of two trailheads. The Paint Rock Rd trailhead is less steep on a wide logging road; the Hwy 364 trailhead is narrow and dramatic as you wind along ravine walls. The mature, canopied forest of oaks and other deciduous trees leaves a clear forest floor so it's easy to explore off-trail. Yellow blazes on trees are huge help when navigating the narrower, leaf-covered trails but bring along a map app as well to help you in areas of blow-down. Spectacular views, abundant wildflowers, effigy mounds and goats prairies make this an amazing hike.

The Location

Paint Rock Road Trailhead hike - 400 ft elevation over about .6 mile wide grassy logging road 
It's a bit tricky to find this trailhead. It is about 1/4 mile off IA highway 364 on the right hand side. You will see a wooden forest sign and a small parking lot. Continue beyond it to the second larger lot by the gate. 

Hwy 364 Trailhead hike - 500 Ft elevation over .5 mile narrow steep dirt and rock strewn trail with some scrambling down and up ravine crossings

Follow Hwy 364 south of Harper's Ferry until you see a boat landing sign on the right. The trail parking lot entrance is immediately after this sign on the right. You will see a brown and yellow Yellow River State Forest sign once you make the turn into this parking lot. 

All images (unless noted) - Marge Loch-Wouters