Des Moines: Jester Park Lake Shore Route
This great 5-mile lasso-loop links up several trails and is the best way to explore the NW end of Saylorville Lake.
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Des Moines: River Trail LoopEscape the daily grind: This scenic loop links fields and forests, trails and some roads for a relaxing 6.5-mile tour around the Des Moines River. Caution: This loop crosses a bridge on I-80; plan trip during low traffic hours.
Davenport, IA: Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation AreaFollow this 3-miler through glacial moraine and across a man-made dam for panoramic views of Johnson Lake, a snack-bar pit stop, and a sampling of this state recreation area's year-round attractions. Des Moines, IA: Zirbel's TrailEnjoy a quiet escape, plus fine lake and forest views, when you travel along the scenic Winnebago River on this 6.3-mile loop to an old brewery site and rock quarry. |
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Rip & Go: Backpack Trail, Yellow River State Forest, IAClimb to bluff-top views of hardwood forest and rolling farmland. Readers' Choice: SoutheastYour favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the southeast. |
Trip Finder: Great PlainsYour favorite Great Plains hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips. Readers' Choice: Great PlainsYour favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the Great Plains states. Midwest Readers' Choice HikesMississippi river vistas, ocean-size grasslands, and guaranteed solitude. |
Editors' Choice Snow Award 2012: Sierra Designs Tov and L.L. Bean Ultralite 850Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter explains the new innovations in down insulation technology |
Editors' Choice Snow Award 2012: Vasque Snow Junkie UD BootsStaff Photographer Ben Fullerton reviews the lightweight Snow Junkie boots from Vasque |
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