We have been longing to return to Western Iowa. It’s been over five years since we visited and published our popular post about hiking in the Loess Hills, and once again, we were not disappointed!
Tag along and make plans for your own family’s amazing 48-hours of adventure in western Iowa. For this trip, we started in Council Bluffs and made our way north to Sioux City.
Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs is home to not one, but two railroad museums, the eccentric Pottawattamie County Squirrel Cage Jail and Museum, artistic Bayliss Park, and the historic Lewis and Clark Monument and Scenic Overlook.
Spend the day exploring and learning even more at the Western Historic Trails Center, Kanesville Tabernacle, and Ditmars Orchard. Across the river is Nebraska’s Omaha Zoo and even more fun.
Squirrel Cage Jail
Our family thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Pottawattamie County Squirrel Cage Jail and Museum. Visiting the jail has been on my bucket list for a long time and it was great to check it off the list.
This historic four-story building holds a unique custom-designed rotary jail. It’s truly something to see. The pie-shaped cells could be turned with a crank to allow prisoners to move in or out of their cells and around the secure facility.
The museum presents lots of great information. Plan to spend an hour visiting the jail to explore all four levels, and to read the educational displays and the Walking Guide. While the jail cell is the highlight, the museum also showcases the jailer’s family life, the matron’s role in cooking up to 90 meals per day, and prisoner stories.
One area that caught my attention was the Juvenile Detention quarters. From the late 1800s-mid 1900s there were no child welfare services and children as young as 3-years-old, who were without care, would stay in the jail building until proper care could be established for them.
Watching my 3-year-old walk through this section of the tour really touched my heart and reminded me how grateful I am for the wonderful families who do foster care and adoption. May is Foster Care Awareness Month and the perfect time to offer support.
Union Pacific Railroad Museum
You can find the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in a stunning old library building just across the street from the Squirrel Jail. Spread out over two floors, several hands-on displays engage students. Additional teacher resources are listed on their website.
Fun Tip: Creative UN Sculptures can be found dotted around the city. #UNsculpture
With the focus on the railway, a fascinating exhibit features President Abraham Lincoln’s contribution. The inside of a swanky coach car is on display to showcase how the president used to travel around the country by railway.
Plan to spend an hour fully enjoying this museum and taking some interesting family pictures like one on the back of the railway car.
Bayliss Park
Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs is the perfect place to enjoy a picnic, cool down on a hot day, or watch the sculpture lights at night.
Pro Tip: Bring quarters for meter parking and snag a spot along the park’s south side for easy access to both the Squirrel Cage Jail and the Union Pacific Museum.
Lewis and Clark Monument
Lewis and Clark are honored in Western Iowa from Council Bluffs to Sioux City for their contribution to the expansion of the American West. The well-maintained Lewis and Clark Monument and Scenic Overlook is located just 10 minutes north of Bayliss Park and offers expansive views of the Missouri River and downtown Omaha.
You’ll find restrooms, picnic tables, hiking trails, and informational signs.
Pro Tip: The Lewis and Clark Trail is part of the National Park Service. Several locations in Sioux City offer stamps for the blue Passport books. Children can earn their Junior Ranger Badge.
Loess Hills
After we finished our picnic in Council Bluffs, I pulled up the map on my phone and showed my husband our next stop.
“Do you want to take the interstate up or the scenic byway?” I asked him.
Grinning at me, he responded, “Always take the byway!”
The Loess Hills is a geological feature spanning several states, composed of loose windblown soils which formed during the ice age. The Loess Hills National Scenic Byway runs parallel to I29 and is well worth the detour.
Before you head out, be sure to grab an area map if cell phone reception is unavailable. Also, print off this free Loess Hills coloring book created by Pam Cates and Liz Bisbee.
Hitchcock Nature Center
Hitchcock Nature Center is situated in the middle of the hills and boasts a tall observational tower, miles of hiking, an indoor children’s learning area, and more. Pictured below is a view from the tower.
Important Tip: A $ 5-day use fee is required with exact change at the self-pay park entrance.
The indoor learning area has several hands-on exhibits and a focus on birding. Every fall, a well-established raptor counting program takes place and atracks birding enthusiasts.
We took a beautiful one-and-a-half-mile hike on Badger Ridge and Blazing Star. The trail wanders along a ridgeline with an open valley below that leads down through a cow pasture and made us feel like we were hiking in Europe. With 10-miles of trails, there are tons of options.
Hiking and exploring in the Loess Hills
After we hiked at Hitchcock Nature Center, we took the byway north to Pisgah to grab some hiking maps and hit up our favorite trails at Murray Hill Scenic Overlook and Loess Hills Scenic Overlook. Everything was just as fun and wonderful as our first trip several years ago.
You might recognize the above picture. It’s the same location as shown on our website and social media headers. We love this scenic overlook and it was the spot that inspired us to start Field Trip Iowa.
Everywhere in the Loess Hills is beautiful! We visited before the lavender plants bloomed at Loess Hill Lavender Farm. We wished we could have seen those beautiful fields of purple.
Harrison County Historical Village and Welcome Center is located between Pisgah and Hitchcock Nature Center. It’s a great educational museum for the whole family.
Sioux City Area
Tucked away in the northwestern corner of Iowa, Sioux City, the fourth-largest city in the state, offers dozens of reasons to visit. We rested at Stoney Creek Hotel which has a unique indoor/outdoor swimming pool with a waterfall feature.
Sergeant Floyd River Museum and Welcome Center
Kick-off your trip to Sioux City with a visit to the Sergeant Floyd River Museum and Welcome Center. This free museum, housed in a retired riverboat, is fascinating. We spent way longer there than we expected. There are several hands-on experiences for kids including ringing the boat bell.
Bonus Tip: Sioux City also has a free public museum, art center, children’s museum, railroad museum, and a transportation museum.
Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center
Just across the parking lot is the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. This is a smaller museum with several interesting animatronic robots that tell the story of Lewis and Clark. They even have an animatronic dog representing the gentlemen’s furry pal Seaman.
Children can stamp an Official Visitors Journal at seven stations as they work their way through the exhibits. Our son chose to be a boatman on the journey from the several job choices. He loved pressing down the large red stamp button.
Pro Tip: Stop by Lewis and Clark State Park, south of Sioux City, to walk on the full-sized keelboat replica.
Yummy Treats
You can practically eat your way through Sioux City with so many yummy treats!
Palmer’s Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe has several historical machines on display all while selling bulk candy and other goodies. The staff are really friendly and we all had so much fun taste testing and picking out candy. I highly recommend storing candy in a cooler if you are traveling.
An iconic image and flavored popcorn are found at Jolly Time Museum and Koated Kernels Shop. This small shop has a few displays and lots of popcorn choices.
Located just 30 minutes north in Le Mars is the Ice Cream Capital of the World. Wells Blue Bunny whips up more than 150 million gallons of ice cream every year.
Company history, memorabilia, and facts line the walls. An interactive children’s wall display is on the second level, and the ice cream parlor serves over 40 flavors. There is seating on both levels and a patio.
Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center
On top of the hills overlooking Sioux City, Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center offers miles of wooded hiking trails, a nature playscape, hands-on learning stations, and live animal exhibits. The indoor beehive exhibit was one of our favorites.
The hiking trails were hilly and fun with several beautiful views and lookout points. We even heard a wild turkey in the distance, which was a first for us!
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More Adventures
Our family had an amazing 48-hours of adventure in western Iowa. For us, the hiking trails are the best reason to visit but the rich history of Lewis and Clark, the educational museums, and the fun surprises along the way encourage us to linger and stay.
If you are passing through western Iowa on your way to South Dakota, be sure to grab our free South Dakota Road Trip Scavenger Hunt.
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An amazing 48-hours of adventure in western Iowa!
An amazing 48-hours of adventure in western Iowa!
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