Support Current Projects

These current projects need financial support now. Each of them will become public lands with wildlife benefits.

Land Protection

Brenton Slough

In partnership with Polk County Conservation and the Brenton Family, INHF has purchased 1,113 acres located in Polk and Dallas counties commonly called the Brenton Slough. In an area undergoing rapid change and growth, conservation of such a large, established natural area are rare.
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Wildcat Bluff Addition

INHF is partnering with Benton County Conservation to purchase 184 acres of land adjacent to Wildcat Bluff Recreation Area. This addition would more than double the size of this well-liked park and protect sensitive Cedar River floodplain.
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Little Sioux Scout Ranch

Located in the Loess Hills, the Little Sioux Scout Ranch is one of the largest remaining tracts of native woodland and grassland in single ownership today in Iowa.
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Central Iowa 4-H Camp

Stretching 1,011 acres along the Des Moines River Valley, the former central Iowa 4-H Camp offers a sense of wildness in the heart of central Iowa unlike any other.
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Trail Projects

Laurens Trail Connection

This 2.2-mile former railroad corridor will extend the existing 1.9-mile Laurens Trail southeast of the City of Laurens. Both the planned and existing trail are part of the Pocahontas County Trails Plan, which seeks to connect the existing 40-mile Three Rivers Trail in Pocahontas, Humboldt and Wright counties. Once completed, the planned corridors will nearly double the trail’s length.

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Dry Run Trail

A mile of former rail corridor runs through 170 acres of woodlands and open space on Dry Run Creek. Besides being an attractive county park, Neste Valley will be a trailhead and a very scenic midway stretch for the envisioned 8-mile connection of Trout Run Trail in Decorah to the Prairie Farmer Recreational Trail (Calmar to Cresco). This would connect a 43-mile trail system in Northeast Iowa.

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Connector to link High Trestle Trail with Raccoon River Valley Trail

This 9-mile future trail between Perry and Woodward will connect two of Iowa's biggest and best trail systems! This is the connection that everyone is waiting for. While this project is in its early stages, contributions now will help Dallas County Conservation match and secure public grants to kick off the trail.

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Iowa River's Edge Trail

This 34-mile former rail corridor between Marshalltown and Steamboat Rock follows the beautiful Iowa River Greenbelt and connects with Pine Lake State Park. Through Marshalltown, this new trail will connect with the Highway 330 Trail and Heart of Iowa Trail. (Central Iowa through Hardin and Marshall counties.)

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Coon Rapids to Herndon Trail

This 17-mile connection is the last link to connect the Raccoon River Trail to Whiterock Conservancy, a 5,500-acre outdoor recreation area! The Raccoon River trail is part of the Central Iowa Trail System, a 700 mile network of continuous trail in and around Des Moines that includes the High Trestle Trail.

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A dmiral Trail

This 4-mile trail will give you another way to enjoy the Wabash Trace. The go-getter people of Farragut (pop. 485) are working hard to connect trail users with their community, and the Admiral Inn Café is eager to host events for trail enthusiasts. (Southwest Iowa in Fremont and Page counties.)

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Red Rock Prairie Trail

The development of this trail extension, connecting Monroe, Prairie City and Mitchellville, is part of the long range goal of linking the Des Moines metro with Lake Red Rock and Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.

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