116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
You don’t have to hibernate in Iowa this winter. Here’s how to recreate outdoors and indoors
Communities in Eastern Iowa and beyond harness winter for recreation
TODDVILLE — Sneakers crunched over fallen, dead leaves as a group hiked through the trail at Wickiup Hill on the first day of winter — the shortest day and the longest night. The outdoor enthusiasts clicked off their lights, letting their eyes adjust to the moonlight to guide them on an hourlong walk through the wooded area.
Chuck Ungs, Linn County’s conservation education specialist, occasionally stopped to inform the hikers about the wildlife who inhabit the area. Ungs shined a light on the spots where deer mark their territory, the bare tree where baldface hornets, or “aerial yellow jackets,” had formed a nest. They chew plant stems and make it into a paste with their saliva “like papier-mâché,” Ungs told the group.
He shared that the Wickiup name was a nod to the domed dwellings covered with brushwood or grass that some Native American tribes used for shelter. The Wickiup Hill area was once home to the Oneota, Ioway and Meskwaki.
Sarah Helmer, of Iowa City, said she felt that Ungs created a good educational environment with the “Solstice Ramble” to mark the turning point toward the new season. And she appreciates the quiet that a winter hike carries with it.
“I don’t know much about my local parks, so I thought this was a great opportunity,” Helmer said.
In Iowa, programs like this one are increasingly drawing residents and visitors outdoors at a time of year when temperatures drop and it may be tempting to hibernate indoors. Winter recreational offerings encourage people to get outside year-round, harnessing the state’s natural assets to keep people active despite colder weather.
According to the Iowa Tourism Office, part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Iowa has seen an uptick in winter visitation from 2021-22 to 2022-23. From December 2021 to February 2022, Iowa saw 8.8 million visitors. That number rose to 9.6 million visitors from December 2022 to February 2023.
“There have always been those die-hards that get out regardless of the temperature,” said Jessica O’Riley, tourism communications manager with the Iowa Tourism Office. “You can't stop them from ice fishing or cross-country skiing or any of those things. But I do think perhaps during the pandemic when being outdoors was a safe activity for people, that maybe caused a few more to venture outside in the colder temperatures than they would have previously.”
While December provided an unseasonably warm start to the winter, delaying certain forms of winter recreation like ice skating, local officials say there are a number of ways for Iowans to enjoy the outdoors or participate in seasonal indoor programming in the cold months ahead.
Here’s how you can recreate around the state, and in especially in Eastern Iowa, this winter.
Creatively embracing winter
Many Iowa communities have embraced the winter, creating winter events and activities in addition to state, county and city parks that people can visit year-round.
For more than 40 years, the University of Okoboji has offered its Winter Games. From Jan. 25-28, people can ice skate, participate in “snoga,” listen to live music and more. Lake View offers its Arctic Open — a golf tournament on the frozen Black Hawk Lake.
In 2024, new events are coming with Ottumwa’s “On Eagles Wings” event — a partnership with Wapello County Conservation where people can watch bald eagles on the Des Moines River and learn about native species with wildlife and conservation experts. And on the eastern edge of the state, O’Riley said Clinton Community College is adding more activities coinciding with its 43rd annual B-rrry Scurry 4-Mile Run on Feb. 3.
In Woodbury, Cerro Gordo and Carroll counties, O’Riley said there is stronger winter visitation than would be expected — their winter travel ranking is stronger than their overall ranking, suggesting these counties are especially popular to visit in the winter.
Capitalizing on winter recreation can extend a community’s tourism season, O’Riley said. People can rent year-round cabins, where visitors can cozy up with a book by a fireplace, get outdoors and try snowshoeing on state or county parks trails or take a hike and enjoy wildlife viewing against a backdrop of snow.
“It's important for people to realize that there are plenty of things to do in Iowa year-round,” O’Riley said.
Counties promote outdoor access
At Wickiup Hill, the group trekked along the trails, where silhouettes of jagged storm-damaged trees jutted against the night sky, until reaching the spot for a campfire. Some hikers offered the dancing flames a note saying goodbye to the troubles of the past year or setting intentions for the year ahead.
Mary Ann Peterson, originally from Cedar Rapids, said she has Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression related to changes in seasons. If she can get outside regularly, she said she’s found that the darkness doesn’t bother her as much.
“I need alone time in Mother Nature to level myself out,” Peterson said. “I think I’m a better person as a result.”
She came to the hike with Eddy Dirks, of Marion, and said “we just love to be outside.” They love hiking, Dirks has tried ice fishing and she hopes to be able to snowshoe again if there’s enough snow this year.
“At our age, we need to stay active,” Dirks said, adding they were both in their 60s.
Ryan Schlader, the Linn County Conservation community outreach specialist, said county parks are generally open from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sometimes the roads may not be open until ice thaws or a winter storm passes, or at least until crews are able to help clear roads.
For cross-country skiing, Linn County grooms trails at Wickiup Hill, Morgan Creek Park west of Cedar Rapids, Wanatee Park in Marion and the Matsell Bridge Natural Area in Central City.
“It has to be the right kind of snow,” Schlader said. “It can't be too wet, so that's a situation where we just hope the public is patient with us.”
Plus, staff tend to the lodges people can rent throughout the year, keep roads and sidewalks clear and tend to other duties, Schlader said, so “we rely on the public sometimes to pave their way” on the trails. With about 100 miles of trail throughout Linn County, Schlader said the lengthier trails are not maintained during the winter, so people can use those at their own risk during normal operating hours.
For sledding — whenever it snows enough — Linn County maintains hills in Wanatee Park, in Pinicon Ridge Park or by the Red Cedar Lodge, which Schlader said seems to be a favorite among kids and families. People can venture out to the Cedar or Wapsipinicon rivers for ice-fishing.
“We want all people to enjoy our outdoor areas, all seasons and all months of the year, and we try to accommodate that as best as best we can,” Schlader said.
Follow Linn and Johnson County Conservation events
For Linn County Conservation, visit www.mycountyparks.com/County/Linn/Events.aspx and follow on Facebook.
For Johnson County Conservation, visit www.mycountyparks.com/County/Johnson/Events.aspx and follow on Facebook.
In Johnson County, the 1,062-acre Kent Park in Oxford features more than 13 miles of hiking trails, with many being groomed in the winter for cross-country skiing, fatbiking and snowshoeing. The Iowa City Nordic Club, a group dedicated to cross-country skiing, has groomed trails at Kent Park, Finkbine Golf Course, Ashton Field and more in years past.
People can take a winter hike at destinations including Pechman Creek Delta in Johnson or Cangleska Wakan and Big Grove Preserve in Solon. And the University of Iowa administers the MacBride Field Campus, which features hiking trails where people can cross-country ski during the winter.
Recreate year-round in your city
Parks and recreation departments in the Corridor also promote access to the outdoors all year with a balance of facilitated programs and passive recreation on parks and trails.
When the weather permits, Cedar Rapids’ Hughes Park, which opened in 2022, has concrete basketball courts with a drain that can be plugged to turn it into an ice rink that’s large enough for ice hockey or figure skating.
With the Noelridge tennis courts newly redone, there won’t be ice skating there. Instead, staff will create an ice-skating rink at Greene Square in front of the donated Christmas tree. The “Rockefeller of Iowa,” as Parks and Recreation Director Hashim Taylor calls it, will be propped up with frames with a waterproof liner that is filled with water.
“You want a photo opportunity? We have it here,” Taylor said. “You don't have to go to Chicago to go to Millennium Park. You don't have to go to the Rockefeller Center. You can go to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.”
To prepare the ice rinks, Parks Superintendent Mitch Ahrendsen said temperatures need to hover around zero degrees for a few days to get a hard freeze for the first several inches of ice to form a solid base. Immediately when temperatures drop, people may be eager to get on the ice, but they may have to wait for the ice to sufficiently thicken.
Jones Park, Bowman Woods and Shawnee Park offer large hills for sledding — and were part of Taylor’s first taste of Iowa winter when he arrived from Virginia in early 2022. Seminole Valley Park and other locations offer land for snowshoeing. The city’s municipal golf courses — Ellis, Twin Pines and Gardner — are transformed into cross-country skiing destinations, along with trails at Jones and Seminole Valley parks, the Sac and Fox Trail and the Czech Village greenway.
“You really experience all five seasons,” Taylor joked, referring to Cedar Rapids’ “City of Five Seasons” nickname.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources also stocks Prairie Park Fishery with a couple thousand rainbow trout, allowing people to ice fish. That requires a special license to fish and keep the trout, Ahrendsen said. Cedar Rapids parks staff do not track the ice conditions, so Taylor said people should check ice conditions before going out.
For a taste of warmth when the weather gets blustery, stop by Noelridge Greenhouse to admire the tropical plants during weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (noon closure on Thursdays).
Find more parks programming
For more Cedar Rapids parks programming, ranging from a Winter NERF Tactical to Winter Adult Kickball, visit crrec.org. Iowa City’s full offerings are available at icgov.org/recreation.
Other options also are available in cities throughout the Corridor, from Marion parks and trails to North Liberty’s seasonal outdoor Scheels Ice Rink at Penn Meadows Park, where people can borrow skates for free or bring their own. Check with your city’s parks and recreation department.
In Iowa City, Recreation Superintendent Brad Barker said outdoor activities in the winter can be “a mixed bag” depending on conditions. Staff look to make the most of it with events like the Feb. 4 Freeze Fest event at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area Lodge. The festival, 1-3 p.m., will offer activities including winter hiking, bird watching and survival skill building.
Iowa City’s two indoor swimming pools — the Mercer Park Aquatic Center & Scanlon Gym and the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center — remain popular for those looking to swim throughout the year, Barker said.
“The more access that people have to recreational opportunities that fit with their needs and interests is a huge thing for the community,” Barker said. “It tells people that their interests are valued and we're doing what we can to be able to provide them the means and amenities that they need to be able to recreate throughout the year.”
Josh Worrell, Iowa City’s parks facilities manager, said besides most restrooms in city parks, which are closed during the winter except for City Park’s, the facilities remain open for anyone to recreate with a variety of locations for sledding, cross-country skiing and more.
Staff transition equipment over to winter operations by mid-November, preparing for the possibility of snow to drift down from the skies at any time so they’re ready to maintain facilities.
“It's kind of at your own leisure and how you want to utilize them,” Worrell said.
Lower City Park’s pond can typically be used for hockey, but weather conditions have not been conducive for that use so far, Worrell said. When snow falls, a group of Iowa City moms has determined Hickory Hill and Happy Hollow parks, as well as area schools, have the best sledding hills.
Gear up to get outside
Where can you find gear to enjoy all the winter outdoor activities Iowa has to offer?
UI’s Outdoor Rental Center offers snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals at different rates for a day, weekend or week. SOKO Outfitters also rents those, as well as snow trekkers with poles.
Indian Creek Nature Center rents snowshoes, too, for use on the property. Sarah Botkin, the center’s interim education director, said it’s been challenging in recent years to reach the five inches of snow needed for snowshoeing.
The center offers five miles of trails where people can take winter hikes. Trails aren’t groomed there, so she encouraged users to be cautious if conditions are icy.
Along with outdoor events, indoor programs include Project FeederWatch, a winterlong survey of birds that visit feeders, and the Backcountry Film Festival.
“Whether you're outside on the trails or in the building, it's just a relaxing time out in nature and we encourage everyone to come out any time of the year,” Botkin said. “ … There’s no bad time of year to be outdoors.”
Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com
Daily Newsletters