State Forests

The Gifford State Forest is a 40-acre timber located in Section 21 of Lewis Township in Pottawattamie County. Since the area is within the Council Bluffs city limits, it is closed to hunting. The area is easily accessible by a gravel road along its east side.

The area was donated to the state by Dr. Gifford in 1944 as a blue heron rookery. Later the property was transferred to the Forestry Bureau after biologists determined that, because of changes in surrounding land use, herons no longer used the area.

Cottonwood is the primary tree species found in the area. American Elm, Green Ash, Silver Maple, Boxelder, Mulberry, European Black Alder and Honey Locust also grow there.

The area is an excellent wildlife refuge because it is the only forested area in the immediate vicinity.

Contact Information Loess Hills State Forest, Box 158 Pisgah, Iowa 51564 712-456-2924 loesshills_forest@dnr.iowa.gov

Backbone State Forest is adjacent to the northeast corner of Backbone State Park, 4 miles south of Strawberry Point. Access to these 186 acres of pine plantations and upland hardwood forest is from a parking lot located just east of the north entrance to Backbone State Park. This parking lot is a convenient place to unload horses or snowmobiles. Although the area is not open to snowmobiling in Backbone State Forest, sleds may be unloaded in the parking lot and ridden the short distance to the park entrance on the road or in the road ditch. Backbone State Park is open to snowmobiling.

Backbone State Forest is open to hunting, hiking, horseback riding and cross country skiing.

Backbone State Forest was acquired for the purpose of protecting the watershed of the lake at Backbone State Park. Most of the land being farmed at the time of acquisition was planted to Red, White, Jack, and Scotch pine. The extensive trail system rose out of a system of fire breaks that were developed to protect these plantings.

Users should be aware that hunting and horseback riding are legal on Backbone State Forest but not on Backbone State Park. We have made every effort to plainly mark boundaries between the two areas.

Contact information: Yellow River State Forest 729 State Forest Road Harpers Ferry, IA 52146 563-586-2254 Bruce.Blair@dnr.iowa.gov

White Pine Hollow is located in northwest Dubuque County, just northwest of the town of Luxemburg. This 944-acre area consists of a 712-acre state preserve, dedicated in 1968 and 232 acres of state forest. The area was given preserve status to protect one of Iowa's oldest and largest natural stands of White Pine. In 1972 the National Park Service designated the area a National Natural Landmark.

While it is understood that the unique white pine forest needs protection, it is also clear that it cannot sustain itself without intervention. In several places within the preserve, the white pine has succumbed to natural forces and has been replaced by later successional species such as sugar maple. Some attempts at pine regeneration were made, but without severe site disturbance, the pine component will eventually disappear. 

The 232 acres not included in the preserve are a mixture of open land and oak-hickory forest. This portion is managed for timber and wildlife. 

Two federally listed threatened or endangered animals, the Indiana bat and the Pleistocene snail have been recorded in the area. The area is home to several species of deep woods migratory birds and wildlife normally found in northeast Iowa. The area is open to hunting and provides good turkey and deer hunting.

The endangered northern wild monkshood is known to occur in the area, as well as a number of other rare plants including mermaid weed, golden saxifrage, highbush cranberry, nodding onion, and spotted coral root. Recently garlic mustard, an invasive woodland species, has been found on the preserve. Collection of plants and mushrooms is prohibited within the preserve.

Numerous deep sinks and caverns occur in the limestone bedrock in the area. Springs welling out of the bluffs contribute to the cold water stream that runs through the area. Many limestone outcrops, the result of erosion over thousands of years, have created the rock city in the northern part of the preserve. Several algid slopes occur in the area adding to the area's unique natural value. A number of caves in the limestone outcrops provide sites for several species of bats to hibernate.

White Pine Hollow is accessed by a road from the east and a road from the south. Small parking areas are provided at the end of each road and next to the county road on the east. The area offers hiking and hunting. Equestrians, ATV's and off road vehicles are prohibited.

Contact Information: Yellow River State Forest 729 State Forest Road Harpers Ferry, IA. 52146 563-586-2254 Bruce.Blair@dnr.iowa.gov