Canyon Trail – Ledges Sp

Distance: 2.5 miles Elevation Gain: 300 ft Difficulty: Moderate Type: Loop Surface: Dirt/Rock Activity: Hiking Best Season: Year-round Typical Time: 1-2 hours Fee: Free Dogs: Yes, on leash Permit: No

The Canyon Trail at Ledges State Park follows Pease Creek through a sandstone canyon whose walls were carved by flash floods following the last glaciation. The buff-colored Dakota Sandstone canyon walls reach 70 feet in some sections, creating a surprisingly dramatic landscape in the middle of Iowa's gentle farmland. Cottonwoods and silver maples crowd the canyon bottom while prairie grasses grow on the exposed upper rims.