Paddling Iowa’s Water Trails

Paddling Iowa’s Water Trails

By Aaron Stonehocker

Growing up, my little brother and I spent a lot of time exploring random creeks. We used to day dream about how cool it would be to load up a tent and some camping gear, and travel along these winding waterways to see what adventure might unfold. Today, I love to paddle around some of Iowa’s larger waterholes and rivers, mostly for the great fishing, but also to see some of Iowa’s less agricultural, and more historical side. Kind of neat, all these years later I am still seeing what adventure will unfold around the next bend.

From the Loess Hills formation along our Western border, the Missouri River, to the North Eastern Iowa bluff country. Iowa has three major geography types and ironically enough they are divided nearly perfectly by the two major interstates: I-80 for a north/south divider, and I-35 for a North East/North West divider. Each quadrant has a unique landscape with features that were heavily influenced by Iowa’s waterways and glacial drift during the Ice Age. There are parts of Iowa that can’t be truly experienced from a gravel road overlooking miles of corn and soybean fields.

Lucky for the Iowa Sportsman, Iowa has more than 30 water trails that wind through all parts of the state, providing a scenic tour through Iowa’s landscape and history. I will touch on my favorite aquatic highways in each region that are sure to provide a unique adventure for every type of paddler.

NW Iowa: This part of the state is flat (except for the Loess Hills formations) and was heavily carved by glaciers that are responsible for Iowa’s fertile soil and the regions irregular hills of glacial and wind deposits. This area is home to Iowa’s “great or glacial” lakes: Spirit, East and West Okoboji, and Silver lakes. This chain of lakes was formed by heavy indents or “potholes” where glaciers settled and melted, creating some of the most unique natural lakes in the country.

West Okoboji is one of 3 blue water lakes in the world, where the water is supplied through underground springs rather than rain runoff which causes most of Iowa’s waters to have that muddy look. What makes this waterway more unique is that three of Iowa’s State Parks are located on the shores of this interconnected chain of lakes. This provides ample public access to the waterway for your paddling adventure.

NE Iowa: This portion of the state is called the “driftless” region due to the lack of glacial influence. This left the landscape covered with some of the most beautiful scenery to be had in the Hawkeye state. Trout streams branch from the Upper Iowa, Turkey, Wapsipinicon, and Cedar rivers as they wind and twist their way through un-Iowa like, heavily timbered, bluff country. Trips along any of these rivers provide some of the best looks into a more unknown side of Iowa’s terrain and history.

The Cedar and Wapsipinicon rivers parallel each other as they flow from Southern Minnesota all the way to the Mississippi in Scott and Muscatine counties. The journey will take you through the northern bluff country, mid-state rolling hills and farm country, and showcase towering limestone cliffs that cradle the river between them. These rivers can also provide access to caves and caverns that Native American’s used to call home along these rivers that provided them transportation, food, and lots of biodiversity Iowa used to be well known for.

Depending on the time of year, fishing these rivers can provide world class shovelnose sturgeon, walleye, catfish (channel and flat head), small mouth and striped bass, paddlefish, and even bow-fishing for short and long nosed gar, drum, and common carp. Due to the length of these rivers and the extent of their tributaries, water levels can rise and fall very quickly.

Southern Iowa: Characterized by spotty timber stands, open pastures, and expanses of agriculture fields, the rolling hills south of I-80 is referred to as the “till plains” region due to the amount of sediment that was deposited by wind and glaciers over thousands of years. This area is extremely fertile which gives shape to its current state of farming from fence row to fence row and pasture ground.

Wind turbines are becoming more and more popular due to the landscape being relatively unobstructed in the south eastern portion of the state, while the south west/south central portions of the state give way to scattered sections of timber and wetlands as you move towards the Mississippi river corridor. The rivers seem to shed light on the culture of the area as they meander between the rolling hills at a hardworking but lazy pace. These rivers showcase the rich soil with their silt covered banks. Heavy runoff from farm covered hills keeps the water clarity to a minimum and periods of high water due to can move entire sand bars hundreds of feet and shift river boundaries.

The Racoon River that cuts through south central Iowa is one of the most popular hangouts for paddlers, floaters, and fishermen seeking their fill of catfish. There are several rivers that meet up with the Racoon that provide some scenic adventures of their own. Each can provide trips that are a few hours to a few days long depending on how far you want to go. Redfield, Van Meter, Boonville, and other small Iowa communities have great public access points for you to plan your drop off and recovery launches.

There are many more paddle friendly places to be found on the extensive map of Iowa’s water trails that can be found on the Iowa DNR’s website: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Things-to-Do/Canoeing-Kayaking/Water-Trail-Maps-Brochures. No matter where you go, be sure to read up on the history of the area before launching off the shoreline. No matter what you are seeking on your paddle adventure, you are sure to find a reflection of yourself and the history that carved the landscape we call home. As always, be sure to wear your life jacket and plan your route. Let someone know where you are going and above all, have fun.