Loess Hills National Scenic Byway: Waubonsie Loop
Loess Hills National Scenic Byway: Waubonsie Loop is a National Scenic Byway in Iowa. Within Iowa it covers roughly 12 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Loess Hills National Scenic Byway: Waubonsie Loop with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Waubonsie Loop detours to Waubonsie State Park near Hamburg, Iowa, a nearly 2,000-acre reserve on the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway. Its bluffs open onto some of the byway's widest views, south into Nebraska and Missouri. Eleven miles of trails cross the park, split almost evenly between hikers and equestrians, and the Sunset Ridge Nature Trail is the signature route: it cuts through stretches of mature hardwood timber before opening onto native prairie ridgetops with sweeping views of the Missouri River valley. The park sits on the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail, and its bluffs offer some of the same vistas the expedition would have crossed in 1804. Fall brings some of the best foliage color on the whole byway. The nearby town of Sidney hosts Iowa's largest continuous outdoor rodeo each July, a popular pairing with a Waubonsie visit for travelers timing a summer trip.
- Waubonsie State Park, ~2,000 acres
- near Hamburg, Mills County
- Sunset Ridge Nature Trail
- Lewis and Clark Historic Trail site
- 11 miles hiking & equestrian trails
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What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.
Where to Stay along Loess Hills National Scenic Byway: Waubonsie Loop
No campgrounds are listed close to Loess Hills National Scenic Byway: Waubonsie Loop yet, but there are rooms near the route.
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