Yellow River Backpacking Route:

It’s a 3-hour trip to Yellow River State Forest from Muscatine, IA.  Plan on meeting at the Headquarter’s Building in Yellow River State Forest along State Forest Road in the Paint Creek Unit at 1:00 pm.  Here we will sign in with the forest and divvy up gear. 

Day 1: Park car at Forester Trail Parking off State Forest Road. Throw the pack on and Hike!  I anticipate being on the trail by 2:30 pm. 

Take Forester Trail to White Pine Trail to Forester Trail to Brown’s Hollow Trail. 2.3 miles total to Camp John Schultz.

Day2:  From Camp John Schutz, hike to Red Oak Loop Trail (stay right on trail), then Saddle Loop Trail (stay Right), then turn Right off of Saddle Loop towards Heffern’s Hill Camp.  4.1 miles.

Day 3:  From Heffern’s Hill Camp to Paint Creek Trail, to Saddle Loop Trail, then stay right on Saddle Loop Trail, then stay left, then Left on Firetower Trail, then Right on Donahue Road trail, past parking lot, then follow Brown’s Hollow Trail to the Brown’s Hollow Camp.  4.7 miles.

Day 4:  From Brown’s Hollow Camp, hike Brown Hollow Trail past John Schultz camp, continue on Brown’s Hollow Trail to Forester Trail stay Left on Forester’s Trail towards Camp Glen Wendel, to the parking lot.   3.6 miles to car. 

Divvy up gear to proper owners, perhaps grab lunch as a group someplace and head back home.  We did it!  14.7miles total.

 I will prepare three suppers and three morning coffees and 2 hot breakfasts and 1 cold breakfast.  All the lunches and snacks are your own responsibility.