Saylorville Lake Corps Backcountry Trail

The Army Corps built these maintenance roads to service Saylorville Lake’s remote reaches, creating an accidental overland route through Iowa’s reconstructed tallgrass prairie and oak savanna. The main track follows the Des Moines River’s original channel, now flooded, connecting Cherry Glen and Cottonwood boat ramps via high bluffs and hidden coves where bald eagles nest above the water.

Easy to moderate difficulty suitable for any high-clearance vehicle, though spring flooding can close sections and create muddy conditions that persist into summer. The route offers excellent fishing access and primitive camping at designated sites, with the best wildflower displays in late spring. No permits required, just the daily use fee. You’ll trade dramatic scenery for quiet solitude and some of central Iowa’s best wildlife viewing — a surprising escape minutes from downtown Des Moines.