Sandstone cliffs and dense woodlands make Ledges State Park one of Iowa’s signature parks. Driving in from the east on 250th street you will see the campground. This is a modern full featured campground designed to accommodate campers on busy weekends. Moving past the campground you will start the decent into the park valley. This route offers many car stopping vistas. The stunning park valley is walled in by forest and rocky outcroppings. The park road allows you to drive through the meandering creeks with a dramatic splash at several locations. Children are often playing at the creek crossings so watch your speed. The best way to enjoy the Ledges is to get out and hike. The trail system is well maintained but can be challenging if you’re not in good physical condition. Structures such as a stone bridge and timber frame shelters are 1930’s era Civilian Conservation Corps projects that can be seen as you hike.
Campground
The Ledges offers 95 campsites; 40 with electrical hookups (1 of which is fully accessible), 42 non-electric (1 of which is fully accessible), and 12 hike-in. Half of these can be reserved online through the Online Reservation System. The camp ground is well designed and spread out. You can find a quite private spot tucked into the tress or a more public group site next to the playground. Each camp site has a fire ring or grill and a picnic table. The camping pads are gravel and level. Most sites are back-in but a few are pull-through for lager campers.
The entire campground is under a canopy of trees. The trees help baffle the noise and keep strong winds calm at the sites. If you want to get deeper into the woods then you may want to try one of the hike-in tent sites. These are primitive sites that are generously space apart. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. The furthest spots are ¼ mile or more back into the woods so be prepared to pack-in your gear.
There are two bath houses and they are your typical state park structures. Each facility is well maintained for the traffic they receive in the peak season.
Trails
The trails at Ledges State Park are scenic and varied. The northeast area of the park offers level prairie hikes and manageable wooded hikes on trails along the valley rim.
In the park valley, an extensive system of trails navigates sandstone walls up to the valley rim and down. The elevation gain from the lowest point in the valley to the highest point near the campground is approximately 280 feet. Be prepared for a workout in this area of the Ledges.
Another manageable hike is the trail around Lost Lake on the southwest side of the park. Bring your camera to photograph the best views of the Des Moines River valley. Hiking the loop around Lost Lake is picturesque and tranquil. The trail can be buggy in the summer so hike it in the spring or fall to really enjoy the lake.
Final Impressions
The Ledges has a place for everyone. The park valley is suited for large gatherings and family outings. If you’re looking for a solitary adventure then take a creek walk deep into the park or paddle by on the Des Moines River in a kayak.
Unique terrain and access to water and wildlife are features that drew native people to this area for thousands of years. Those same assets are what continue to attract people to the Ledges today.
Map
Pros:
Unique terrain, challenging hiking trails, water access, densely wooded, campground, picnic areas.
Cons:
Park valley may be closed due to flooding. The park can get very busy.
Contact:
1515 P Ave.
Madrid, IA 50156
P: (515) 432-1852
E: Ledges@dnr.iowa.gov
Links:
Iowa DNR
DNR Park Reservation System
Private Photo Set
Weather Forecast
Gallery:
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Christine Lebron Dykeman, 2 years ago
Do you have snowshoeing trails?
Thanks,
Christine
mscott, 1 year ago
I’m sure you can snowshow on the trails in winter. The ridge lines might offer some good views in the winter.
Christina, 1 year ago
When you went to Pea’s Creek where did you start out at? I’m wanting to explore the area but I don’t know where I should start out at.
mscott, 1 year ago
Follow the trail for the hike-in tent sites in the main campground. At the last tent site the trail ends. Continue down the hill on a rough trail. You will have to do some mild bushwhacking. At the bottom of the valley is Pea’s Creek. We took a left and head southwest into the park towards 250th street. I would like to try to go right and northeast next time.
You could also do a loop hike starting at the first eastern water crossing on 250th street in the park valley. Hike up as far as you want and then hike out to the same point.
dmdoug, 1 year ago
That hike-in trail that goes down the hill takes you a creek not shown on that map. I took that trail to the creek in April, lost the trail at the creek but took a left and walked it until it fed into another creek which is Peas creek, and then followed Peas to 250th Street. I tracked it with my GPS. Tried it twice again this summer. Couldn’t find the trail past this creek because of the undergrowth and I had no bushwacking gear and didn’t walk through the creek because both times the water was too high. I have not tried it from the other direction.
jes lovett, 1 year ago
Is there any horseback riding at Ledges? If not, where is a good place?
mscott, 1 year ago
@jes lovett: Horseback riding is not allowed in Ledges State Park. I would recommend Yellow River State Forest or Shimek State Forest. You can also find information on equestrian trails at the DNR site.
mscott, 1 year ago
@dmdoug: I would recommend this hike in the fall or winter when the undergrowth is gone and the water is low. Maybe you hit one of the streamlets that feeds Pea’s Creek. Check out the trip report on Pea’s Creek. The water was at a perfect level the day we walked it.
Give it another shot and let me know how you like it. Hikes are never the same experience twice.
dmdooug, 1 year ago
@mscott: I went back and hiked on October 29th nearly the same hike as your Peas Creek trip report except I returned to the campground via Table Rock and Council Ring. It hadn’t rained for several weeks so it was a very small stream and I was able to stay in the creek bed the entire length. When I got to the picnic area, wow! The summer floods really did a number on the lower road. The road was closed, the road crossings were blocked with big rocks and sand, dead trees were trapped against the bridge from the flooding and a pedestrian bridge was undermined.
Dustin, 1 year ago
Just completed a winter hike in mid-January. I followed the hike-in campsite trail and continued on to Pea’s Creek (thanks to dmdoug!) This is a perfect time to hike Ledges. There were some worn trails from hikers past, which made it nice since I did not have snowshoes. (Though as long as snow-depth is under 8-10″, this shouldn’t be a problem.) I continued along Pea’s until I reached the base of the Crow’s Nest. Follow the trail up the ridge and you’ll find your way back down to the Des Moines River valley. Since it is winter, I was able to hike into and onto the Des Moines River basin, avoiding the boring road back to Lost Lake. Hike as high as you can in the Lost Lake area, and you’ll be rewarded with the best views in the park. Back around the Lost Lake trails, along the trail near the stone shelther, and back up into the woods to Table Rock and the Council Ring. Follow this to the prairie trails at the north part of the park…then just a short walk up the road back to the camp parking area. A nice long, loop hike (approx. 7-8 miles) that is challenging and, in winter on a weekday, completely solitary.
mscott, 1 year ago
@dmdoug: Yeah the park is a real mess. The upside is that it keeps all the traffic down and makes for some good hiking. Wow, I’m jealous that you took advantage of the dry fall to hike.
@Dustin: Nice winter hike report. I haven’t done that yet. I like that you took the river basin to Lost Lake. I agree, that road to Lost Lake is a buzz-kill.