Yellow River State Forest

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Jim Hollensbe
7 months ago
Our favorite place to camp with our horses! Beautiful trails, great scenery, and the campgrounds are well kept. Be advised that there are no water or electrical hookups, but I feel that's a non-issue if you plan ahead properly. The DNR officers are visible, friendly, and very helpful every time we've interacted with them. My family and I will continue to come back for years to come!

  Georgie Libbie
10 months ago
Such a beautiful campground! Huge sites! Dog friendly. Great hiking, fishing, and relaxing! Word of caution... this is a primitive park. No electricity, no water, no cell service! Vault toilets only. Totally off grid! Perfection!

  Linda Cervene
a year ago
We camped at Big Paint campground, it was a very quiet and beautiful setting. The trees were at the peak of their colors,almost breath taking,got several pictures. Great place to fish for trout. Only negative was no electricity and showerhouses.I'm sure we'll stay there again.

  Jess C
a year ago
We absolutely love going here. No cell service, we'll kept "outhouses", beautiful scenery and streams, trout fishing, and just overall relaxing. My only wish is that they'd get a shower house! Would be helpful since we have 2 little ones that love playing in any mud/dirt they can find and also love long walks which leads to sweating in the summer time lol

  Rose Perksen
a year ago
Went backpacking on the main Backpacker Loop, or Paint Creek Unit Loop on Alltrails. Really great views, and was quite enjoyable even though it rained for a lot of the trip.Restrooms: All the restrooms seen were pit toilets.

  Kirsten C
3 years ago
Gorgeous! And bonus points because the outhouses were super clean and very nice! Well maintained campsites. So many trails and fishing spots that you will not get bored! Its also deep in a valley so no cell service!

  Jake Vis
3 years ago
This was my first time here me and a friend went trail running on as many trails as we could. A great mix of big open trail and challenging single track that where maintained really well. The trails took you everywhere to great views and over the river a lot. I can say we will defiantly be coming back here a lot for years to come.

  Andrew Scully
a year ago
We ve been visiting this campground for years now. We love it. No cell signal and no electricity. Two creek crossings to get to the campground we like. Great memories made there.

  Tony Buck
2 years ago
The wife and I love trout fishing the Driftless. Northeast Iowa has some of the best trout streams in the world. Yellow River Forest has Paint and Little Paint creeks. Browns, Rainbows, and Brook trout. Campgrounds are excellent. There are no hook ups for RV. Cost is $9 dollars per night. Campsites are stream side. For horse lovers. They have Campsites for you as well. Over 40 miles of trails to ride on. This is a secluded forest. No cell service. Plenty of day trips near by. About 20 minutes to nearest town for supplies. Update: Cost is $12/night. Fire rings and picnic tables have been replaced or rebuilt. Stream maintenance has improved access to streams. The Iowa DNR and the Friends of Yellow River Forest do an excellent job of keeping this a jewel of Iowa.

  Nicholas Theyerl
3 years ago
Awesome forest nestled in the hills and valleys of the Mississippi valley. The many streams (paint creek, yellow river etc.) provide ample fishing opportunities and camp sites are tucked beneath the wooded bluffs. I loved the hiking.

  Rob Alaimo
6 months ago
Great views but most roads are gravel and the signage is mediocre. If you trout fish, this place is like heaven.Dog-friendliness: Must be kept on leash.

  S E (Izo)
5 months ago
Great time and amazing and beautiful day we spent hiking all over the place! Our friends from Florida were amazed by the weather and such beautiful and colourful views from all over the park. One off them was standing on the rock in the river and slipped into the water . We started fire had great barbecues and beer. Amazing time and weather on that Sunday 22nd of October 2023!Pictures coming soon.

  Krist lynn
2 years ago
I have gone camping here mainly when I was a child but it s a beautiful place and so many trails. I ll stay in Big paint camp Ground there is no electricity there snd reception sucks so it s perfect chance to put your life on hold and enjoy the family!

  Nick Chill
4 years ago
Yellow River State Forest is a beautiful area. The scenery is amazing, with Rivers and Creeks running through lush, vibrant forest. There are a handful of great camping areas, including Big Paint, Little Paint, and equestrian camps Creekside and Frontier.

  Noah Haskin
3 years ago
Paint Creek unit has some very nice trails. Camp John Schultz along the backpacking loop is nice and had multiple sites that comfortably house 2-3 tents. Strongly recommended for day hikers and overnight backpackers alike.

  Steve Halm
3 years ago
I first camped here in the early-mid 1980's and I've wanted to return ever since. And I did recently with my son when we went on a midwest camping trip. The campgrounds are nice and clean, but the pit toilets...well, they are pit toilets!! Aside from that the campgrounds are perfect for a no frills camping trip. The price is an absolute deal!The trails and scenic overlooks are incredible. It's hard to believe this is Iowa. Most people think of cornfields and cows, but this is eastern Iowa - lots of hills and bluffs and woods. It is also just up the road from the Effigy Mounds National Monument, a truly special place to visit.I hope to get back to this state forest soon. I bet it is stunning in the autumn.

  Jeff Roe
2 years ago
Beautiful views from the bluffs and roads and trails.Lots of wildlife to see. The pictures of the cavities in the rotting trees are from Pileated woodpeckers that inhabit the old growth forest there. It is one of the few places in Iowa where you will see them. These majestic woodpeckers are the size of a crow

  Nolan Jessen
3 years ago
This is a gorgeous park, excellent if you want a weekend backpacking trip! We stayed at a few of the backpacking sites, and they were absolutely beautiful. As much as I love the rest of Iowa natural areas, Yellow River State Forest is unbeatable.

  Simon Stang
5 years ago
Drove 280 miles to backpack here, and it was worth it. One of the best trail systems I've seen in a state forest, winding through valleys, and up and down 250-400 foot bluffs. Great variety of wildlife and plantlife.

  Eric Doll
3 years ago
My new favorite state managed park in Iowa. So many cool trails and lots. And the water is cold. So on a hot day it was super refreshing. Kids loved all the rocks and drive through water ways. Looked like there was a lot of forest restoration work occurring which was so cool to see. Very nice respectful campers.

  Christine Jones
a year ago
Beautiful SceneryWe didn't actually go to the parkWe have friends that have cabins in that areaAnd try to visit when we are in Iowa

  RJ Whyte
11 months ago
I drove over 2 hours to this location for the firetower. I talked to 3 different people to get the location. As I mentioned, I wanted to climb to the top. I was also told that there's a road, but because of the recent washout, I would have to walk the gravel road.I was pretty disappointed to find out the firetower was fenced off with missing stairs. I wish I had been told this when I mentioned to the 3 people I was there to climb to the top.

  Jeff Niemann
4 years ago
Beautiful state park in northeast Iowa bluff country along the Mississippi River. Park is broken into several units stretching from the bluffs among the river to several miles inland. Several hiking trails with great scenery and views. Camping, fishing, biking, and horseback riding are all available.

  Becky Sidebottom
4 years ago
Trout fishing was great! Lots of wholes to find and trails to get you to them. Trails and camps; aquestrian, ATV, or hiking, beautiful! Bridges in Little Paint camp picture perfect!!

  Annette Sherman
4 years ago
Beautiful state park. This place has us coming back every year to enjoy its beauty and tranquility. The trout fishing is an added bonus

  Joseph Ohl
5 years ago
If you love scenic veiws, horse trails and the great outdoors and camping i would recommend Yellow River State Park fun for the whole family and lots to see and do.

  Josh Heath
4 years ago
Such a beautiful place to backpack, hike, bike, horse ride and or camp! We backpacked into 2 different camps,about 9 miles round trip. So much to see!

  RiverOtter1000
3 years ago
This is my go to place for a quick weekend of camping. There are two campgrounds for car camping, some others (I believe two) for equestrian campers and if you're into backpacking, there are three (correction - four) remote "hike-in" campsites (no water or toilet facilities there). The entire park is magnificently maintained and in a beautiful location along the Big and Little Paint Creeks. There are no shower or flush toilets, but that fact keeps the demand down and makes the site more accessible for camping.

  Tim Croll
11 months ago
We went early April. Still a little cold but plenty of hiking available.

  Aaron Howard
6 months ago
Breathtaking views. Best trails in Iowa. Primitive camping. Very nicely maintained facilities. Backcountry camping options. Horse facilities trout streams. Firewood and ice for sale in summer. Hunting is allowed and active.