Yellow River State Forest Backpack Trail

Yellow River State Forest, Paint Creek Unit (Allamakee County, near Harpers Ferry)

Yellow River State Forest sits in Iowa’s Driftless Area, where trout streams cut between limestone and sandstone bluffs. Its Paint Creek Unit holds the state’s best-known backpacking trail, with hike-in camps spread through hardwood forest. Backpacker describes a route that winds “up and down among limestone bluffs, past scattered camps, and along trout-stocked streams.”

The Iowa DNR says the five backpack areas along the trail are first come, first served, with four sites each, and every camper has to sign in at forest headquarters first.

The hike

Backpacker’s 2012 Rip & Go describes a 14.3-mile counterclockwise loop from the Forester Trailhead through what it calls “crinkled-carpet topography, plunging ravines, and sandstone bluffs.” The first camp comes early: Camp Glen Wendel, a grassy clearing at mile 0.7 that Backpacker suggests for a late arrival. The DNR’s 2019 release places Camp Glenn Wendel near a pond with a forest overlook.

From there the route turns onto the Ash Trail at mile 1.3, then follows Brown’s Hollow Trail through bottomland elm, cottonwood, and ash to Donahue Road at mile 4.0, near Paint Creek. A short road walk leads to the Firetower Trail, and an optional spur of about 1.5 miles at mile 5 goes out to Cedar Point Overlook. Islands.com says the forest’s fire tower, built in 1963, is Iowa’s only one.

Backpacker puts Heffern’s Hill Camp at mile 7.8, “a broad, grassy clearing tucked amid the oaks,” with a 300-foot climb to Heffern’s Hill at mile 9.2. The loop then picks up the Maple Trail at 11.9 and the Paint Creek Trail at 12.9, finishing across Big Paint Creek on White Pine Road at 14.3.

For a shorter overnight, Backpacker’s “Call Your Bluff” trip is an 8.9-mile out-and-back from the backpacking trailhead. It links the White Pine and Forester Trails for 1.6 miles, follows Brown’s Hollow Trail and a stretch of Fire Tower Road, then drops to Brown’s Hollow camp at mile 4.4, on the north side of Paint Creek in a grove of hickories, oaks, and walnuts. Backpacker notes that Camp John Shultz is 1.7 miles back if Brown’s Hollow is full, and the DNR describes the Schultz camp as a strenuous hike into a white pine grove. Of Paint Creek in fall, Backpacker writes: “it feels as if even speaking would mar the beauty.”

The forest was established in 1935, according to Islands.com, which credits the Civilian Conservation Corps. The DNR says the forest has more than 50 miles of multi-use trails, and its trail map marks some routes hiking-only and others shared with horses and bikes. For a short overnight in the same forest, with Mississippi River views, see Paint Rock and Camp Hennessy.

Tips

Sign in first. The DNR requires backpackers to sign in at forest headquarters, 729 State Forest Road, Harpers Ferry, before camping.
Plan on climbs. Backpacker calls the terrain relentless, with steep bluffs and rutted bedrock.
Treat stream water. The DNR mentions clear streams but tells hikers to bring containers. Paint Creek and Big Paint Creek are on the loop.
Wear blaze orange in season. The DNR says hunting is allowed everywhere in the forest except the campgrounds.
October color. Backpacker suggests mid-October for peak foliage.
Muddy after rain. A 2019 DNR flood release warned that trails could be slippery after storms, and a Dyrt reviewer describes mud and rain on a shakedown trip.

Camping

The DNR says the five backpack areas are first come, first served, with no reservations, with four individual sites in each area. There are no restrooms at the backpack sites, and everything is carry in, carry out. Firewood may be gathered only if it’s down and dead, cut with hand saws; chainsaws and cutting trees are prohibited. Iowa’s rules for state forests say backpack camping areas are marked with signs and have fire rings.

Inside Intel: Brown’s Hollow is the camp that comes up most in published accounts. Backpacker chose it for its overnight, noting room for multiple groups in the hardwoods above Paint Creek, and a reviewer on The Dyrt used it for a gear shakedown and wrote that it gave “a great feeling of isolation and wilderness.”

Trail facts

Distance: 14.3-mile loop (Backpacker, 2012); 8.9-mile out-and-back to Brown’s Hollow
Route type: Loop, with shorter out-and-back options
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Campsites: Five backpack areas, four sites each (DNR); named camps include Glenn Wendel, Brown’s Hollow, John Schultz, and Heffern’s Hill
Water: Paint Creek, Big Paint Creek, and smaller streams; treat everything
Permits: Sign in at forest headquarters
Toilets: None at backpack sites
Hunting: Allowed throughout the forest except campgrounds
Trailhead: Forester/backpacking trailhead in the Paint Creek Unit, near forest headquarters
Contact: Forest office, 563-586-2254
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

A tent in the hardwoods above Paint Creek:

Driftless storms can roll through fast, and Yellow River's camps sit in open clearings and creek bottoms. A shelter that sheds rain is worth carrying. See the tents testers like.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.