"Yellow River's backpacking trails were featured in an article which appeared in the April 1996 edition of “Outside” magazine entitled “America’s Top 50 Hikes--The Finest in Every State”. The best hike in Iowa was chosen to be the Backpack Trail at Yellow River State Forest. We are honored to have been given this distinctive endorsement, and anticipate lots of usage on the backpack trails as a result.
Incidentally, if you haven’t had the opportunity to hike our trails, they are open year ‘round. Degree of difficulty ranges from relatively easy to moderate. If you have a scout or other youth group looking for a backpacking experience, or if you are planning a “real” backpacking trip out west and need some place to train, this is for you.
There are over 25 miles of marked; maintained trails in the Paint Creek Unit alone. There is no charge or registration required for the use of our backpack trail facilities. We have two camp areas along the trail which are not accessible by vehicles so you can really “get away from it all”. If you are looking for something in particular in a day hike or an overnighter, give us a call and we’ll be happy to give you some ideas and places to go.
Our backpack areas are large enough to support a large group or several small groups. They are not organized areas so you can spread out if you arrive to find a group or individuals already at the site. On nice weekends, slight but not overwhelming traffic can be expected. Our backpack trail is also part of our equestrian trail for some of its length, so horses may be encountered. On weekdays, you will seldom encounter other users.
It also contains 6 miles of trout stream stocked from April through October and a marsh from which bass and panfish may be taken."
Who: Venturing Crew 2016 Crew Members and Adults
When: June 14th-16th
Drop Off: FCC Friday June 14th, TBD, most likely mid to late afternoon
Return: Sunday late morning or early afternoon
Where: Yellow River State Forest (130 miles)
What are we doing: We will be hiking the trails of Yellow River and camping at the backcountry remote campsites.
What to bring: Everyone participating needs to bring your fully loaded packs per the Philmont Packing List. There may be the opportunity for trout fishing, so you can bring compact fishing gear but no guarantee that we will be camping close enough to trout streams. Those 16 and over who would like to fish would need a fishing license with trout stamp.
https://tinyurl.com/Crew2016PhilmontGear
Cost: $36 per participant
Deadline for Registration: Sunday June 9th.
Registration Link: Click on the link below to sign up for this campout.
https://forms.gle/12bz4quSV6t4hJ4P7