James Enright is a Sioux City native, avid hiker, fish keeper, and prairie enthusiast.
The 36-mile Glacial Trail Scenic Byway loops through the Little Sioux River valley, covering parts of O’Brien, Buena Vista, Clay, and Cherokee counties. Along the way, it reveals prairie bluffs, oak savanna, timber, deep ravines, and fertile farmland. I first visited with my wife several years ago and was immediately struck by the landscape. I didn’t return until May of 2025, when a new job required travel throughout northwest Iowa. Since then, I’ve driven at least one stretch of the byway more than 50 times this summer.
There is a sense of familiarity in these glacial hills that reminds me of my native Loess Hills. The prairie mostly occupies hillsides too steep to plow, tile, or even graze. Some lower regions also contain mixes of remnant and restored prairie. The ridges are generally dry, open, and exposed to near-constant wind. I encounter many drought-tolerant plants here that I see back home, including rough and dotted blazing stars, spiny golden asters, silky asters, and various drought-tolerant grasses like dropseed and muhly.
If I didn’t know better, I might expect to see yucca, skeletonweed, or prairie bluets on the west- or southwest-facing ridges. This region contains more remnant prairie than anywhere else in Iowa outside of the Loess Hills.
The geological processes that formed these hills differ significantly from those that created the Loess Hills. The Loess Hills developed over thousands of years in a narrow band, with wind-blown silt accumulating upward to form deposits up to 200 feet thick in some places.
In contrast, these glacial hills were formed by rapidly melting glaciers and by the outflow of Glacial Lake Spencer. This water carved deeply into the soft valley substrate, reaching down to the current valley floor. The deep, narrow valley was perhaps formed in a way geologically more similar to that of the Driftless Area, though the process here was much more rapid and on a softer substrate than in the rocky, karst Driftless.
Little Sioux River near Peterson
Bluff above Waterman Creek
The prairies throughout this gorge share some similar characteristics aside from the steep hillsides. The soil composition here is unique and unlike anything I have seen outside of a handful of highly localized kettle lake and glacial moraine prairies in Dickinson and Palo Alto Counties.
The soil contains a significant amount of gravel of various shapes, sizes, and compositions, with large glacial erratics appearing almost anywhere.
Rocky soil compositions at Waterman Prairie
I don’t often see glacial erratics in the Loess Hills; most are likely buried dozens of meters beneath the loose, powdery Loess soil. When they do appear, they are usually piled near the bottoms of deep ravines. I see them everywhere on the Glacial Trail Scenic Byway, and it’s not uncommon to find large Sioux quartzite boulders right next to granite boulders or erratics with traces of iron.
Glacial erratic at Bertram Reservation
There are numerous public lands along the 36-mile byway loop, with various preserves located in almost every sizable creek valley and on every ridgetop. These lands are managed by various county agencies, the state of Iowa, and The Nature Conservancy, with some areas managed by multiple agencies. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to drive parts of the byway during my workday.
Looking down toward Peterson
Abandoned bridge over Brooke Creek
I have visited nearly every public property along the byway at least once, with the notable exception of Brown’s Prairie. I attempted to get there twice, but the access road was completely impassable due to recent heavy rain. There is no formal beginning or end to the byway loop, and various spurs and side loops can be explored to enhance the experience.
Hence, I intend to highlight what I believe are the most significant “must-see” prairies, rather than describing every tract or any specific route or stretch of the byway.
WATERMAN PRAIRIE
The Waterman Prairie Wildlife Complex is the crown jewel of the Glacial Trail Scenic Byway. Covering over 1,500 acres, it consists of several mostly contiguous units featuring both remnant and restored prairie, oak savanna, and forests, and some of the most intriguing geological features you’ll find anywhere else on the byway, including the Hanging Valley and Austin Hill Prairie. After making more than a dozen visits to Waterman, I would rank it among my top five hiking spots in Iowa. It is undoubtedly my favorite prairie outside of my native Loess Hills.
The Hanging Valley area of Waterman is likely my favorite unit, although I’m not sure if that’s its official name. The Little Sioux River once flowed through this valley on its way east to the Mississippi River. However, when Glacial Lake Spencer breached its natural dam, it cut a deep valley westward toward the Missouri River, leaving a remnant of the original channel high and dry on the hillside. This section can be accessed from Wilson Avenue off Highway 10, which leads to a parking lot and offers easy access to various ridges, the hanging valley, and Dutch Fred’s Grave.
Waterman Prairie hanging valley
Inside the hanging valley
Looking down a ridge toward Dutch Fred’s grave
The native plant life throughout the complex is remarkable, with an abundance of wildflowers that are almost too numerous to list. In the Hanging Valley area alone, I have found rough and dotted blazing star, silky aromatic asters, sky blue frost asters, white heath asters, stiff goldenrod, showy goldenrod, great blue lobelia, white and blue sage, prairie and nodding onion, wild roses, common and butterfly milkweed, white and purple prairie clover, false and common boneset, and plenty of sunflowers, among many others.
Rough blazing star at Waterman Prairie
Various flowers and grasses
New England asters at Waterman Prairie
Despite my frequent visits, I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the Waterman Complex. There are still units I haven’t explored. I plan to return as often as I can next year.
Wild turkey in flight at Waterman Prairie
AUSTIN HILL PRAIRIE
I first encountered the Austin Hill Prairie several years ago on my first trip along the byway, and it left a lasting impression that drew me back to these prairie hills. Traveling west from the Prairie Heritage Center on Highway 10, the Austin Hill Prairie rises steeply on the west side of the river. Back in June, during one of my early work trips to the area, I spotted the prairie as I headed west on Highway 10 toward Orange City.
I stopped to take pictures and shared them with the Iowa Prairie Network Facebook group, hoping to learn more about the preserve. According to my search, it was temporarily closed, but responses reassured me that it was open to the public and offered helpful insights. Several descendants of the family who homesteaded the land also replied, which I enjoyed.
Around that time, I decided to visit as many prairies as possible throughout northwest Iowa, which led me to delay my return to Austin Hill. Eventually, I took the time to explore the prairie for about an hour in late July. I almost expected to be disappointed, given my high expectations, but I left feeling grateful for the visit and regretted not coming a month earlier.
The prairie was adorned with wide swaths of gold from sunflowers, false sunflowers, yellow coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and compass plants, interspersed with patches of purple from hoary vervain, purple prairie clover, and narrow-leaved purple coneflower.
Mix of wildflowers at Austin Hill Prairie
Hoary vervain (purple flowers); the yellow include ox-eye and coneflowers
I was particularly excited about the coneflowers because I often see purple coneflowers throughout northwest Iowa; however, most of the specimens I encounter are not native to the region—unlike the narrow-leaved purple coneflower, which is native to the Loess Hills and these glacial hills. While it may be a minor complaint, I would prefer to see the native pale, narrow-leaved purple coneflower rather than the vibrant, broad-leaved coneflowers commonly found in nearly every prairie restoration I visit.
Narrow-leaf pale purple coneflower at Austin Hill Prairie
I discovered one green comet milkweed specimen, which was a delightful surprise, as I had not seen them anywhere outside of the Loess Hills this year.
Green comet milkweed
Additionally, I found whorled, common, and butterfly milkweeds, along with plenty of goldenrod, which had not yet begun to bloom.
I drive by the Austin Hill Prairie maybe twice a week and think about stopping to explore every time. There is something about this place that feels familiar yet distinctly different from my usual hiking spots in the Loess Hills. I plan to return in the spring to see what I may have missed this year.
Landscapes at Austin Hill
BERTRAM RESERVATION
Bertram Reservation is located just off Highway 10. The 240-acre parcel of land features steep bluffs, deep wooded ravines, and an oak forest and savanna. Bertram isn’t technically a prairie, but there are patches of remnant prairie with side oats grama, big blue stem, Indian grass, and prairie dropseed in the openings of the oak forest. I made just one brief visit there in September, and it’s one of the places I regret not visiting sooner.
Prairie opening at Bertram
Side oats grama
This preserve attracts more visitors than many others, including those who enjoy equestrian activities. When I visited, there were not many flowers in bloom, but I did find leadplant, silky aster, rough blazing star, hairy wild four o’clock, and stiff goldenrod.
Stiff goldenrod at Bertram
I also noticed a good number of black raspberries along the trails, which offer an opportunity for foraging earlier in the season. I didn’t venture far enough into the park to see if there are management plans for the eastern red cedar, which is quite common on south-facing slopes. I hope one day the majority of these cedars can be removed, as the area has great potential for prairie restoration. Additionally, the vast oak forest in the preserve is also worth protecting.
Oaks in the Bertram Reservation
LOIS H. TIFFANY PRAIRIE
I visited the 80-acre Lois H. Tiffany Prairie on a particularly hot and windy day in June. The wind was so strong that out of the 100 pictures I took, only about 20 turned out clear enough to use. This prairie is unique among others along the byway because it is relatively level in most areas, making it suitable for farming. I was surprised and pleased to see this, especially since so much of the land has been converted into row crops.
During my visit, I noticed that the spring wildflowers were transitioning into summer blooms. Many sunflowers were present, but only a few had opened.
Ox-eye sunflower at Lois Tiffany
I saw a lot of foxglove beardtongue in ditches throughout northwest Iowa this year, but Tiffany Prairie was one of the few places where I found it in a preserve, and there was quite a bit of it.
Foxglove beardtongue at Lois Tiffany
Leadplant, white sage, white wild indigo, yarrow, black-eyed Susans, meadow anemone, prairie phlox, daisy fleabane, germander, and hoary vervain can also be found in abundance.
White wild indigo
Thimbleweed flower
White sage
This prairie can be accessed via N. River Rd just west of Linn Grove. I am especially excited to visit this preserve again later in the year, as I didn’t see it again after June.
MCCORMACK AREA
The 21-acre McCormack Area Preserve in O’Brien County is one of my favorite remnant prairies in Iowa. At 19 acres, it’s large enough to keep you busy for a while, but small enough that you can explore most of the prairie in one trip. I read that this area was previously open to equestrian use, which surprised me because it might be the least degraded prairie on the byway.
Landscape at McCormack Area
The ridge on the preserve’s northern boundary is steep and tall, with various prairie grasses exposed to wind and sun, making it an excellent habitat for plants that prefer drier conditions. I found quite a bit of rough and dotted blazing star, spiny golden aster, silky aster, purple coneflowers, butterfly milkweed, stiff goldenrod, various sunflowers, and compass plants.
White larkspur at McCormack
Butterfly milkweed at McCormack
Spiny golden aster
Other asters
Purple coneflowers on ridge
There is a considerable amount of sumac on the hillside. It looks pretty in fall color, but hopefully it can be managed effectively to prevent it from taking over entire hillsides. The view from up there is fantastic.
Stiff goldenrod (yellow flowers) with sumac in the McCormack Area
The valley below was full of sunflowers on my last visit, but I also found silvery scurf pea, common boneset, false boneset, false sunflowers, and field mint. There is a small seep on the southern boundary that was mostly obscured by sunflowers, which I found out the hard way, and left with wet shoes.
I made my final trip there in September, hoping to find downy gentian, but I was unfortunately unsuccessful. But the prairie had an almost violet look to it as the bluestem had fully matured, which made up for it.
Purple hills at McCormack
The only drawback with McCormack is that the part of Wilson Ave you have to drive to access it is minimum-maintenance and can be very tricky to navigate after even light precipitation. If I had to recommend one prairie to visit for someone who has never been on the byway, this would be it.
THE ELK WILDLIFE AREA
I recently visited the Elk Wildlife Area to evaluate whether it would be worth a trip next year, as it was too late in the season to see any wildflowers. This preserve is located just a few miles south of the C-16 section of the byway. Although I had driven within a mile of this area several times before, I finally decided to stop in early November.
The Elk Wildlife Area features prairie bluffs, wetlands, and oak timber on the ridge’s summit. Brooke Creek has been diverted into a dredge ditch that flows through the valley, while the old channel still retains water fed by a nearby spring. I noticed a few plants seeding, including common milkweed, goldenrod, and sunflowers. However, I suspect that the ridge is a remnant prairie and likely supports many unique wildflowers that had already faded by the time I visited.
This valley is believed to have served as a bison kill site for Native Americans, and a friend discovered a fossilized peccary tooth there last fall. I plan to return next spring to explore the wildflowers and possibly search for artifacts and bones.
Prairie at the Elk Wildlife Area
Wetlands at the Elk Wildlife area
DONAHOO AREA/WANATA COUNTY PARK
I visited the 171-acre Donahoo Wildlife Area in Buena Vista County, near Peterson, on consecutive days in late August. This preserve spans the Buena Vista/Clay County line and is managed collaboratively by both counties.
As a bonus, the route I took went through Wanata Park, a scenic forested area along the banks of the Little Sioux River. Both locations were impressive, but Donahoo truly stood out with its oak savanna habitat and prairie bluffs. The prairie had been previously grazed, which affected its plant diversity compared to other areas I’ve visited. I noticed evidence of a controlled burn, with eastern red cedar skeletons scattered across the hillside.
Little Sioux River valley at Donahoo
Prairie onion was abundant on the ridge. I’ve explored many prairies this summer, but I have never seen as many prairie onions as I did at Donahoo—there were hundreds, if not thousands. Additionally, I found hoary vervain, rough blazing star, and stiff goldenrod.
Prairie onion on a ridge at Donahoo
Rough blazing star
Down below, a small stream meanders through the preserve. Its banks and the surrounding woodlands were rich in diversity, perhaps even more so than the ridge. There, I discovered pale jewelweed, American bellflower, cut-leaf coneflower, pointed-leaf ticktrefoil, sweet Joe-Pye weed, horsenettle, tall boneset, and yellow coneflowers. You can easily access this preserve by taking 125th Avenue south from the Highway 10 portion of the byway right in the heart of Peterson.
Pale jewelweed at Donahoo
WITTROCK INDIAN VILLAGE STATE PRESERVE
I had wanted to visit Indian Village State Preserve near Sutherland all summer, but I wanted to wait until I could go without feeling rushed. My wife and I finally stopped by on a Saturday afternoon in September, one of several stops we made at various prairies that day.
The village is situated on a terrace that rises high on a ridge above Waterman Creek, accessible by a steep climb on three sides. Today, the area consists entirely of remnant prairie. Although the valley below has been cultivated, the prairie along the ridge likely resembles the landscape from several hundred years ago when the Mill Creek Culture inhabited this region.
Given the abundance of bison at that time, this site would have made an excellent campsite worth defending.
Another landscape at Wittrock Indian Village Preserve
My interest in this land is partly due to my heritage as a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. There aren’t many sites like this in my area, so I was really excited to visit, and I wasn’t disappointed. Although peak wildflower season had passed by the time we arrived, we saw silky aster, black-eyed Susan, compass plant, dotted blazing star, false gromwell, and various types of thistles.
Dotted blazing star
White sage
I was pleased to see that the invasive knapweed had been treated and that significant cedar removal work had been done on the land. This is a wonderful preserve that offers visitors an opportunity to explore pristine remnant prairie and experience a unique cultural site.
Cedars removed
PRAIRIE HERITAGE CENTER
The Prairie Heritage Center is located directly off Highway 10, with clear signage directing visitors one mile down the road to the parking area. It has been open to the public for nearly 20 years, educating tens of thousands about the area’s prairies and cultural heritage. We first visited several years ago on a Sunday evening when the center was closed, but we enjoyed the beautiful scenery, wildflowers, and the captive herd of bison.
Mother and baby bison (photo by Lorenne Enright)
In September, we returned and spent an entire day hiking the Little Sioux River valley prairies in Cherokee and O’Brien Counties. We didn’t realize at the time, but it would be the last weekend of vibrant prairie color in 2025. Surrounding the center is restored prairie, including the Hannibal Waterman Wildlife Area directly across the road. I have heard there is still remnant prairie near a pond on the tract, but we were short on time and will have to explore that another day.
Inside the center, there are well-done exhibits, a full-bodied mount of an adult male bison, aquariums featuring native fish, and an area where younger visitors can learn through play. We really enjoyed this place and hope to return in the spring with our kids.
Outside, a wide variety of wildflowers bloom, including New England asters, frost asters, compass plants, great blue lobelia, sneezeweed, ironweed, common evening primrose, mountain mint, leadplant, goldenrod, and many others.
Sneezeweed
Asters and sunflowers
White heath asters on a ridge
White heath asters and bluestem grass
Jerusalem artichoke (photo by Lorenne Enright)
The Prairie Heritage Center offers spectacular views of the Little Sioux River and surrounding prairie bluffs, with a range of enjoyable activities suitable for all ages and fitness levels. It’s one of the finest nature centers in all of northwest Iowa.
Open prairie at the Prairie Heritage Center
DOG CREEK PARK
I visited the 110-acre Dog Creek Park for the first time in several years in early November. It had been quite a while since I last explored the prairie, so I decided to stop by and see if it was even better than I remembered. Sometimes, I discover hidden gems in the prairies or come across locations that pleasantly surprise me. Other times, I skip visiting certain preserves, only to realize later that I should have gone sooner. Dog Creek is a perfect example of this.
Like much of the surrounding area, Dog Creek Park features steep, remnant prairie-draped bluffs that rise abruptly over the Dog Creek valley.
Contoured hills at Dog Creek Park
There is a small man-made lake stocked with typical fish, giving anglers the chance to try their luck. While it’s a beautiful lake, I feel a twinge of sadness knowing that some of the remnant prairie was submerged to create it.
Goldenrod near the lake at Dog Creek
My friend and fellow Bleeding Heartland contributor, Bruce Morrison, is well-acquainted with the area and has informed me that some of the remaining prairie has been lost to encroachment by eastern red cedar and plum thickets. Fortunately, modern prairie management and conservation methods may have helped prevent further loss, a trend we noted during the lake’s construction.
The steep, well-drained hillsides were incredibly diverse, particularly in terms of grasses. I observed Indian grass, big and little bluestem, prairie dropseed, side-oats grama, and switchgrass, among others. The abundance of forbs was impressive, including rose hips, rough blazing star, false gromwell, purple coneflowers, compass plant, and yellow coneflowers.
Little bluestem at Dog Creek
Rough blazing star and stiff goldenrod
Prairie dropseed
Dog Creek Park is conveniently located just one mile off the byway on County Road M12, a couple of miles southeast of Sutherland.
GARY CHRISTIANSEN WILDLIFE AREA/BUR OAK WILDLIFE AREA
I discovered the Gary Christiansen Wildlife Area (formerly known as the Bur Oak Wildlife Area) by accident while returning from a trip to the Glacial Hills Preserve. It looked interesting enough from the road that I decided to abandon my plans for the Glacial Hills and spend some time exploring the tall grasses and oak trees instead. Although it was bitterly cold, windy, and misty that afternoon, I was impressed by what I saw during my brief visit.
There is a remnant prairie located on the slopes above a small stream, but the majority of the area is oak forest.
Oak forest in the Gary Christiansen Wildlife Area
By the time I visited, there were virtually no wildflowers left, but I did come across remnants of goldenrod, sunflower, hoary vervain, rattlesnake master, and yellow and purple coneflowers scattered throughout.
Stiff goldenrod
Goldenrod seeding
It was evident that the area had experienced heavy grazing in the past, but it appeared to be on the path to recovery.
Looking toward Peterson
I plan to return to this preserve in the spring, hoping to find prairie phlox, pasque flowers, or anything else that might be blooming in the steeper, remnant areas. The preserve is located on the corner of 30th Avenue and 430th Street, south of Peterson.
GLACIAL HILLS PRESERVE
I visited the Glacial Hills Preserve in Clay County on a hot, smoky day in early August. There were wildfires to the north and west, and the air quality was poor, a common issue this summer. However, I prioritized this visit because I learned that The Nature Conservancy had been involved with this property in the past, and I have always admired their work in northwest Iowa.
At first glance, I had to lower my expectations significantly, as the area I entered was overrun with Queen Anne’s lace and thistle. There was buffalo bur near the gate, indicating the land had likely been grazed at some point. Fortunately, as I ventured up the ridge, I saw much more native plant life and far fewer aggressive invasive species.
Landscape at Glacial Hills Preserve
One of the first things I noticed was the significant amount of cedar removal work that had been done in the preserve. This effort had opened up the hilltops and protected the prairie from woody encroachment. While I have observed cedar removal in other parts of the hills, it was particularly noticeable here, where an entire hilltop had been cleared.
Cedar removal at Glacial Hill preserve
The terrain is rugged and steep, offering some of the best views of the river valley along the byway. I noticed an abundance of native wildflowers, including purple prairie clover, wild bergamot, leadplant, round-headed bush clover, prairie onion, woodland sunflowers, and yellow coneflowers, among many others. Butterfly milkweed was still in bloom, standing out against an otherwise predominantly green landscape.
Butterfly milkweed blooming
Stiff goldenrod
This was the first preserve I visited outside of the Loess Hills where stiff goldenrod and rough blazing star were simultaneously in bloom, and they looked gorgeous on the edge of the bluff. The Glacial Hills Preserve is a fantastic preserve with quite a bit of remnant prairie, and it would be a great counterpart with trips to the Buena Vista County Park or the Gary Christiansen Wildlife Area.
WELSH PIONEER CEMETERY
On the last day of June, I visited the McCormack Area and posted pictures and a brief summary of my visit in the Iowa Prairie Network Facebook group that evening. Almost instantly, that post was shared by group members and generated more reactions and comments than anything I had posted before or since (although a few have come close).
I received a message from group member and friend Lynn Graesing, who recommended that I visit Welsh Cemetery—a small pioneer prairie cemetery located just northeast of Linn Grove and 4 miles west of the intersection of Highway 10 and Highway 71, with native remnant prairie. I visited the following afternoon, and it inspired the first piece I wrote for Bleeding Heartland, which featured northwest Iowa’s prairie cemeteries.
I was shocked by the diversity in this small prairie remnant. I’ve visited about a dozen times since, and every time I am there, I see something new or rare. The prairie was cloaked in vibrant pink and white colors from prairie phlox, wild roses, yarrow, showy ticktrefoil, wild licorice, meadow anemone, and native vetch. Inch for inch, it may be the most diverse prairie that I visited this summer—and I visited a lot of prairies.
Wild licorice at the Welsh Pioneer Cemetery
Rattlesnake master
All told, I found dozens of species of wildflowers there this summer, including goldenrod, leadplant, asters, anemones, sunflowers, prairie clover, and many more. The diversity, ease of access, and historical significance make this one of the best prairies in all of northwest Iowa, in my opinion.
OTHER WORTHWHILE STOPS NEAR THE GLACIAL TRAIL SCENIC BYWAY
A few nearby remnant prairies in Cherokee County are worth mentioning for their proximity, diversity, and scenery.
Steele Prairie
Steele Prairie was the first prairie I visited while working on the road this summer, and it inspired me to visit close to 100 preserves in search of wildflowers and other native plant life. I made eight trips there this summer, and I will probably visit as often next summer. It’s a borderline miracle that this ground was never broken.
Prairie sage at Steele
More sage (and a thunderstorm approaching)
Asters
Stiff goldenrod blooming at Steele
Nestor Stiles Prairie
Nestor Stiles Prairie near Aurelia wasn’t very impressive from the gravel road, but once I worked my way back to the small knoll on the southwest corner of the preserve, I found one of the more impressive remnant prairies in the area.
Blazing star (pink) and various other flowers, including gray-headed coneflower
White wild indigo at Nestor Stiles
Prescott Prairie
Prescott Prairie is a remnant prairie east of Cherokee along state Highway 3.
Meadow anemone (white flowers) and prairie phlox at Prescott Prairie
Prairie phlox with other native plants
Sunflowers at Prescott Prairie
Brewer Prairie
Brewer Prairie, just south of Cherokee, is similar to the Glacial Trail prairies in its diversity and its hillside location above the Little Sioux River.
Prairie phlox and wild roses dot the Brewer Prairie hillside with pink
Kindlespire Complex
The Glacial Hills begin near the Kindlespire Complex just east of Sioux Rapids. There is a mix of restored and remnant prairie, oak savanna, and oak timber habitats. It was arguably the most colorful prairie I visited this summer.
Many wildflowers in full bloom at Kindlespire
I have grown to cherish these glacial hills, much as I do the northern Loess Hills. Every time I traverse the byway, I discover something new.
One warm afternoon in late September, I paused to explore a Clay County remnant just about 50 yards off the byway. To my surprise, I spotted downy gentian—a beautiful fall wildflower I had long hoped to encounter since first hearing about it a few years back.
Who knows what exciting discoveries next year might hold? This summer, Bruce Morrison encountered rough false foxglove in these hills, and I’d love to find some myself, come September.
Brown’s Prairie is reputed to boast stunning prairie bluffs and a beautifully clear, gravel-bottomed stream meandering through the valley. Visiting there is at the top of my list for next year. I’ve heard rumors of hidden preserves in these hills that aren’t open to the public. Perhaps, a generous conservationist might someday extend an invitation to explore.
No matter what, I plan to return early and frequently.