Horseback Riding in Iowa

Iowa reads as farm country from the interstate, but the land the glaciers left behind is more complicated than that. In the northeast, the Driftless Area escaped the last ice sheets entirely: the result is steep bluffs, deep ravines, and cold spring-fed streams. In the west, the Loess Hills rise in wind-built ridges of silt found in few other places on earth. Local guides work both landscapes hard, running everything from stiff climbs to slow paddles, and their knowledge of these pockets is what turns a drive-past state into a destination.

Water carries much of the adventure. The Des Moines River, the state's longest, gives guided kayak and canoe trips long scenic stretches past river towns. In eastern Iowa, the Maquoketa River cuts under limestone bluffs riddled with caves, good paddling, and guided cave trips for those who want to go underground. Along the eastern border, the Mississippi's backwaters and tributaries hold rich fishing and birding water, and outfitters run multi-day canoe and kayak expeditions through sloughs and islands most travelers never see.

On land, the state parks and natural areas do the heavy lifting. The Loess Hills near Council Bluffs put hikers on narrow prairie ridgelines with long views in every direction. The Driftless country in the northeast offers exposed bluffs for guided rock climbing and rappelling, plus forested valleys laced with trail. Horseback outfitters work both regions, and zipline courses hang over several of the state's more scenic hollows.

Winter changes the menu rather than closing it. Guided snowmobile tours run the state's trail networks through snowed-in fields and timber, especially across northern and central Iowa. Cross-country ski and snowshoe tours move quietly through state parks and preserves, the same country, stripped down and silent. Between the seasons, there's guided work here twelve months a year.