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Preparation Canyon State Park, in the heart of the Loess Hills in western Iowa, encompasses 344 acres, including what used to be the town of Preparation. Today, Preparation Canyon is a quiet enclave offering backcountry hiking, picnicking and beautiful views of the unique Loess Hills.
Camp in one of ten hike-in camping sites, which are some of the only hike-in sites in the Iowa state park system. The trailhead to the hike-in sites is located in the southeast corner of the park. The sites each have a table and fire ring, but no bathroom facilities. Registration is on a first-come first-served basis with self-registration in the east parking lot.
A little buggy and it's a hike-in location. But it's quiet, scenic, and well-maintained. A nice weekend camping spot. Note that there are no facilities, limited parking, and everything is carry in/carry out
We wanted to try more primitive camping, so we selected this park. You have to pack your gear to the sites. The nearest site to parking lot is about 1/3 mile and several are over a mile in. The sites were much better than we expected. There is only one outhouse and it is on the opposite side of the park from the campsites and, due to covid-19, the only outhouse is closed. The paths are in excellent shape and easy to follow. Those that go down into the canyon are steep. The pond at the bottom is stagnant. The trails around the rim of the canyon are much easier to walk.
This place is midwest paradise! Absolutely loved it! To get to the picturesque ridge top area you see in a lot of the pictures, turn right when entering the park. If you turn left, there is an area to grab trail maps. There are extensive trails throughout the park! It is worth the drive from Omaha! My dog and I got a great work out!
Great hiking trails. This one is about a 4-mile loop. Inclines we're challenging but worth it. Don't go when it's muddy and some of the trails we'll be tough to get through.
Great hike in camping. Multiple unique spots to set up and great views. Well kept trails and campsites, the further back you go the less likely you are to have people walk past your site. Only issue was there was some kind of farm equipment running at 1 am which sent a high pitch noise through the entire place. Bring ear plugs if you're sensitive to noise while sleeping.
