Loess Hills State Forest

Loess Hills State Forest is located in west-central Iowa in Harrison and Monona Counties. It is comprised of 4 units totaling 11,266 acres. The Little Sioux Unit, 3,627 acres, lies between the towns of Little Sioux and Pisgah.

The Preparation Canyon Unit, 3,994 acres, is located north of the Town of Pisgah. This unit has a small lake with good fishing. An overlook, constructed in 1997 with REAP monies, provides visitors with a spectacular view of the forest, the Missouri River Bottomlands, and Nebraska.

Loess Hills Unit Information

Preparation Canyon State Park, 340 acres, is located on the northeast corner of the Preparation Canyon Unit of the state forest. This park offers picnicking and hiking trails with backpack camp sites. The site of the town of Preparation, a Mormon gathering place with an interesting history is located in the southeast corner of the park and is managed by the LHSF staff.