Travel
Guide

Upper Iowa River Water Trail

Perhaps the most widely-recognized river in Iowa and one of the first in the nation to be nominated as a national Wild and Scenic River, the Upper Iowa River offers an ideal place for paddling, angling, camping, bird watching and hiking. 

The river originates in LeRoy, Minnesota before meandering 136 miles to the Mississippi River near New Albin, Iowa. The river and corridor change along its length, going from a narrow and winding savanna river to a wider and more dynamic river flanked by dramatic vertical limestone palisades and forested bluffs. 

Download an Upper Iowa River Paddler's Guide here.

Information

TRAIL USES: Paddlers

LENGTH: 136 miles

SURFACE: Water

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