Get outdoors. Visit an art gallery. Eat local food. Our region has myriad opportunities for everyone to discover and enjoy. Start your exploration here! Hover above any of the choices below to learn more about that particular area. Click for a more indepth look at that particular category.
You and your family have preferences when choosing a place to stay, and Iowa accommodates. From primitive camping to luxury hotels, we have it all in WanderLoess country!
The links below have comprehensive listings of hotels, motels, and bed & breakfast options:
If its the simple life you need, there’s no place to connect with the great outdoors than the Hills of Iowa.
The Map and Directory page also includes camping options, from tent to RV to cabins.
There is always something going on in Iowa, whatever the season! Head to a local festival, or check out the local concert scene. See below for postings, happenings, and events going on in the area. Click each event for more information.
Welcome to Iowa, and our new website for the WanderLoess Hills and surrounding community! We’re
There are no upcoming events at this time.
Search for your perfect spot using the locator map below. Results are shown in colorful markers on the map, as well as list below. Clicking on a marker or list location will give more information about that particular area, along with options to open in Google Maps for directions. You can use the filter dropdown to select only those categories you wish to view in your particular region.
It all started with an Instagram hashtag by some local bicycle riders. WanderLoess is a play on words–“wanderlust” meaning a desire to travel and explore, and “loess” (pronounced ‘luss,’ rhyming with ‘bus’) being our local soils. Wander evokes exploration, curiosity, and learning about local places. We are focused on our local communities which are unlike anywhere else in the world.
Soil is important to every place, but especially so in rural, agricultural areas like Western Iowa. Loess is a German word for “loose” and describes the soils throughout our region. In addition to the globally-significant Loess Hills landform on the eastern edge of the Missouri River Alluvial Plain (floodplain), the Southern Iowa Drift Plain landform to the east of the Loess Hills also consists of deep loess soil deposits.
WanderLoess was conceptualized in 2015 during a planning process for Harrison, Pottawattamie, and Mills counties. The project, called the Loess Hills Missouri River Region Parks to People Plan, identified rural arts and cultural program development as a priority for Southwest Iowa.
The program was initially called “Porchlights” and was envisioned to include “Coordination of talented artisans, naturalists, chefs and performers translates into an exceptional online and off-line events calendar which delivers education, recreation, local food experiences, arts, and entertainment.”
WanderLoess is a “museum and folk school without walls,” where local residents and visitors can learn about the myriad arts and cultural activities happening throughout the region. We aggregate sites and events in a one-stop shop for all things arts and culture in Southwest Iowa, in addition to hosting a few events of our own.
Our Mission: To create and promote enhanced connections and destinations of culture, nature, and community for the betterment of all.
Our Vision: An exceptional, preserved landscape framing communities that embrace and integrate culture, history, agriculture, nature, and recreation.
WanderLoess is coordinated by Golden Hills RC&D, a grassroots nonprofit based in Oakland, Iowa, as part of the Loess Hills Missouri River Region Parks to People plan. Funding for coordination is provided by Harrison, Pottawattamie, and Mills counties and Iowa West Foundation.
We would love to hear from you with any suggested sites or areas to add to our new site. Feel free to drop us an email, give us a ring, or just drop by!
Get outdoors. Visit an art gallery. Eat local food. Our region has myriad opportunities for everyone to discover and enjoy. Start your exploration here! Hover above any of the choices below to learn more about that particular area. Click for a more indepth look at that particular category.
You and your family have preferences when choosing a place to stay, and Iowa accommodates. From primitive camping to luxury hotels, we have it all in WanderLoess country!
The links below have comprehensive listings of hotels, motels, and bed & breakfast options:
If its the simple life you need, there’s no place to connect with the great outdoors than the Hills of Iowa.
The Map and Directory page also includes camping options, from tent to RV to cabins.
There is always something going on in Iowa, whatever the season! Head to a local festival, or check out the local concert scene. See below for postings, happenings, and events going on in the area. Click each event for more information.
Welcome to Iowa, and our new website for the WanderLoess Hills and surrounding community! We’re
There are no upcoming events at this time.
It all started with an Instagram hashtag by some local bicycle riders. WanderLoess is a play on words–“wanderlust” meaning a desire to travel and explore, and “loess” (pronounced ‘luss,’ rhyming with ‘bus’) being our local soils. Wander evokes exploration, curiosity, and learning about local places. We are focused on our local communities which are unlike anywhere else in the world.
Soil is important to every place, but especially so in rural, agricultural areas like Western Iowa. Loess is a German word for “loose” and describes the soils throughout our region. In addition to the globally-significant Loess Hills landform on the eastern edge of the Missouri River Alluvial Plain (floodplain), the Southern Iowa Drift Plain landform to the east of the Loess Hills also consists of deep loess soil deposits.
WanderLoess was conceptualized in 2015 during a planning process for Harrison, Pottawattamie, and Mills counties. The project, called the Loess Hills Missouri River Region Parks to People Plan, identified rural arts and cultural program development as a priority for Southwest Iowa.
The program was initially called “Porchlights” and was envisioned to include “Coordination of talented artisans, naturalists, chefs and performers translates into an exceptional online and off-line events calendar which delivers education, recreation, local food experiences, arts, and entertainment.”
WanderLoess is a “museum and folk school without walls,” where local residents and visitors can learn about the myriad arts and cultural activities happening throughout the region. We aggregate sites and events in a one-stop shop for all things arts and culture in Southwest Iowa, in addition to hosting a few events of our own.
Our Mission: To create and promote enhanced connections and destinations of culture, nature, and community for the betterment of all.
Our Vision: An exceptional, preserved landscape framing communities that embrace and integrate culture, history, agriculture, nature, and recreation.
WanderLoess is coordinated by Golden Hills RC&D, a grassroots nonprofit based in Oakland, Iowa, as part of the Loess Hills Missouri River Region Parks to People plan. Funding for coordination is provided by Harrison, Pottawattamie, and Mills counties and Iowa West Foundation.
We would love to hear from you with any suggested sites or areas to add to our new site. Feel free to drop us an email, give us a ring, or just drop by!
WanderLoess is coordinated by Golden Hills RC&D, a grassroots nonprofit based in Oakland, Iowa, as part of the Loess Hills Missouri River Region Parks to People plan. Funding for coordination is provided by Harrison, Pottawattamie, and Mills counties and Iowa West Foundation. With the help of our many partners making this destination dream a reality.
Site Design branded by Hyperion Creative Agency
