Trail Report: First Day Hike to the Indian Fish Dam

Far below the trail, under the Iowa River, are the remains of an old fish dam

Seeing a long distance into the woods only captures the imagination

The winter sun felt muted on New Year's Day, but my anticipation started building the moment we parked the car, and headed out on the trail. The dried winter grasses bristled in the wind, but I couldn't wait to get into the forest.

We celebrated January 1 by hiking Amana Colonies Nature Trail for our official First Day Hike.  Just outside Homestead, Iowa, the trail begins at the intersection of Hwys 151 and 6. The trail is sponsored by the Amana Society Conservation Committee and is a satisfying excursion, even in the middle of the winter.



Distance options range from 1 mile to 3.5 miles round trip, all over relatively easy terrain.

Imagination Factor: High

Frozen stream below the trail

The trail's signage clearly indicates the presence of Indian mounds, yet for the casual visitor, they're impossible to detect.  That's okay, though.  I'd rather imagine Meskwaki or the Ioway people living in these woods, and I'd rather know what remains of their culture is buried deep beneath the trail, safe from the curious and poachers.  The lack of underbrush lets you see far into the woods, and you can imagine a tribe of people making a home here.

Far below the trail is the fish weir (or fish dam) built as early as 300 years ago.  Rivers never remain the same, and the structure of boulders was covered by water during the flood years.  It remains below the water, safe from poachers. And the fish dam made it onto the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Here's a great article on the Indian mounds and fish dam.

Snow on a mossy log

Who said there's no color in the winter?  In the birds, the leaves, the soil, water, sky, trees we saw: white, gray, beige, buff, mahogany, umber, sienna, black, olive, khaki, buff, chestnut, sand, russet, taupe, blue, topaz, tan, periwinkle, ice, salmon, mauve, brick, crimson, mulberry, green. 

Did we see birds? A few--raptors, woodpeckers, chickadees, cardinals--but we chose to hike during the day when temperatures were warmer, and birds are harder to spot.
Trail Condition:  Fair In a few places, there were signs of erosion and vandalism, but overall the trail was easy to navigate and very satisfying to traverse.  The markers and maps were plentiful and easy to read.

Difficulty: Easy
Unpaved path of soft packed earth and sand, covered with last fall's leaf litter.  There's a satisfying crunch underfoot this time of year.

Color coded trail markers
are easy to follow

Here's a link to information on the trail posted by the local Sierra Club.

Proximity to food and drink: Lots of options
Since we did our hike on January 1, there weren't too many places open.  However, just about any other day of the year, you can find food and drink in nearby Homestead (less than a mile), Amana (about 3 miles) and Coralville/Iowa City (14 miles).  The area's specialty is German food, and Amana has a microbrewery for beer drinkers to enjoy.  Of course, many more options exist in Tiffin, and Iowa City and Coralville, east on Highway 6.

Getting there: 
From Interstate 80, take Exit 225, turning north on Hwy 151. Travel along Hwy 151 for five miles until you reach the intersection of Hwy 151 and Hwy 6.
From Iowa City/Coralville, take Hwy 6 west out of Coralville for about 14 miles.