Many Sportsmen and women travel to Western Iowa every year to hunt deer and turkey in the Loess Hills. The steep topography of the area, heavy timber mixed with agricultural uses make the area a great place for growing trophy whitetail and big Iowa Gobblers. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has made the area even more attractive by adding a State Forest in Western Iowa with over 14,000 acres of public access called the Loess Hills State Forest. A map of the Loess Hills State Forest is available here. (40MB file takes minutes to download- opens in new window)

It is hard to keep track of the exact size of the state forest as the state along with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation are continually acquiring land in the area and it continues to grow. The boundaries are very changing and offering more and more options. At last count the forest was over 14,000 acres and expected to exceed 20,000 acres when land acquisition was complete.

Parts of the state forest remain in row crops such as corn and soybeans. Local farmers continue to farm some of the lands which has been beneficial to wildlife as well as sportsmen and women.

Whitetail deer and Turkey are common in the Loess Hills but coyote hunting is also becoming more popular here. Many hunters that come here are from out of state and they are looking for trophy bucks. They exist here but it takes time, patience and dedication to take one. Even the locals around here are hampered by the tough terrain and incredible cover that exists here.

The Loess Hills State Forest is comprised of 4 different units. From north to south they include the Preparation Canyon unit, the Little Sioux Unit, the Pisgah Unit, the Mondamin Unit. Pisgah Iowa is the town most centrally located in the State Forest and is also home of the State Forest Headquarters. Many of the hunters that come to hunt in the area often gather or stay right in the Pisgah area.

Lodging

The lodging opportunities in the area are not plentiful and many that come to the area opt to camp in a tent or camper. There are however a few lodging options that may be available. Outside of Moorhead is the Loess Hills Hideaway Cabins. Their accommodations include a lodge that sleeps 6 people, or 4 one room housekeeping cabins. There are also 6 level campsits with 35 amp camper hookups if you want to bring your camper. Visit their website for more information or to check for vacancies.

Motels

Missouri Valley Iowa offers several motel choices including Super 8, Days Inn and the Rath Inn which are all located at the Interstate 29 and Highway 30 interchange. The motels will offer greater comfort but are about 20 miles from the heart of the Loess Hills State Forest. You can contact the motels at the numbers below to check for vacancies. I believe Rath Inn has been most popular with the hunters and more accommodating. Onawa Iowa also has a Super 8 Motel which I will include below. Onawa is closer to northern parts of the forest, but in general Missouri Valley is closer to most of the forest.

Super 8 Missouri Valley 712.642.4788

Days Inn Missouri Valley 712.642.4003

Rath Inn Motel Missouri Valley 712.642.2723

Super 8 Motel Onawa 712.423.3480

Camping

There are several locations to camp in the area including Preparation Canyon State Park where tent camping is allowed or at the Pisgah City Park where camping by tent or camper is allowed. There are a few out of the way places in the hills that have been know to house a camper or two in a driveway or state forest parking lot.

Meals

Finding meals when you come to hunt in the Loess Hills State Forest is not hard. Pisgah offers two options including The Sportsman which is a popular convenience store/tavern/restaurant. Down the road a block you will find Daves Old Home Filler Up and Keep On Trucking Cafe. "Dave's" as its called locally offers great food and many options, and hours to fit your needs. I just had lunch at Daves Saturday and highly recommend it, their food is great.

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Loess Hills Acreages and Farms | Southwest Iowa Homes | NP Dodge Real Estate

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Homes, Acreages, Farms, Land, Building Lots and Auctions

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