Our Nature Trail is located just outside the Homestead village at the junction of Highways 6 and 151. It provides a winding walk through the Amana forest to a bluff overlooking the Iowa River. Located on land owned by the Amana Society, it features three different trails, the longest of which is three miles. It is open most of the year except during the Iowa Deer Shotgun season. It is perfect for hiking and, in the winter, cross-country skiing.

The trail winds through the Amana Society’s forest, and you can expect to see a variety of wildflowers, shrubs, hardwood trees, and many birds, including wild turkey. The timber is home to several deer, so if you are quiet, you might see one or two. From an archaeological standpoint, there are three Indian burial mounds just off the trail that date back about 1,000 years.

The trail leads to a lookout from a small bluff overlooking the Iowa River. The river below is the location of an Indian fish weir, which is made of rocks, to trap fish during the shallow times of the river. Due to the change in the river’s course, it is no longer visible. In 2018, a grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa Historical Resource Development Program funded a survey of the area to locate the fish weir. The Office of the State Archaeologist conducted the study and found the weir intact but buried under about 8 feet of silt and sand.

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Amana Nature Trail

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