# Event Details - **Event Name**: First Day Hike - Loess Hills State Forest - **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 01 Jan, 2026 at 10:00 am – Thu, 01 Jan, 2026 at 01:00 pm - **Event Description**: The Friends of Loess HIlls State Forest and Preparation Canyon State Park are hosting a guided 2026 First Day Hike on New Year’s Day, with pizza and refreshments available at the Brent S. Olson Visitor Center in Pisgah available following the hike. When: Thursday, January 1, 2026 10:00 AM start time Where: Loess Hills State Forest - Preparation Canyon Unit Little Sioux Scout Ranch Addition 32977 Larpenteur Memorial Rd. Little Sioux, IA 51545 Our goal is to introduce the hiking community to the newest addition to your Loess HIlls State Forest. The Little Sioux Scout Ranch was purchased by the Iowa DNR this summer and added to the Preparation Canyon Unit. This 1,776 acre addition has approximately 9.3 miles of natural surface, maintained hiking trails. The history of the Little Sioux Scout Ranch is rich and is now available for everyone's enjoyment. We would like everyone to come and join us regardless of your perceived hiking skill level. The path to the lake is an easy to moderate hike consisting of approximately 0.8 miles of gently rolling road bed and provides a beautiful view of the lake, forests and prairies to the north. You may turn around and backtrack to the parking lot at any point along the hike. Short Loop (3.2 miles): this loop will follow a 9 foot wide mowed path through the forests of the Little SIoux Scout Ranch addition. The first 1.5 miles is gentle to moderately steep followed by 1/4 mile that is steep to very steep and is sure to elevate your heart rate. Then it is almost all downhill back to the parking area with some steep downhill sections present. Long Loop (6.1 miles): this long loop is likely to be very difficult for hikers who don't have recent experience with steep hikes through rugged terrain and will be a great way to start your New Year's exercise program! The Long Loop follows the short loop for the first 1 1/4 miles. Hikers will know if they are prepared for the remainder of this hike once they reach the east ridge summit and may join the short loop if they are not certain they can complete the rest of this hike. Once you reach the summit, this hike then turns to the north and traverses nearly 1 1/2 miles of the high ridge on the east side of the addition. This section provides some stunning vistas. The next 3/4 of a mile follows an animal trail on the top of an amazing prairie ridge. The remainder of the hike follows a mowed path along the lake and back to the parking area. Details & maps available at goldenhillsrcd.org/lhsf - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/little-sioux/first-day-hike-loess-hills-state-forest/200029344496240 - **Event Categories**: trips-adventures, new-year, trekking, business - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 286 ## Ticket Details ## Event venue details - **city**: Little Sioux - **state**: IA - **country**: United States - **location**: 32977 Larpenteur Memorial Rd. Little Sioux, IA 51545 - **lat**: 41.79132 - **long**: -96.04982 - **full address**: 32977 Larpenteur Memorial Rd. Little Sioux, IA 51545, 32977 Larpenteur Memorial Rd, Little Sioux, IA 51545-4017, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: First Day Hike - Loess Hills State Forest - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/ef7e2fd4d1f0a935cbda622d523132767148d42176bf4dabf985be6d0fa29964-rimg-w1200-h676-dc8c94a5-gmir?v=1767047474 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is First Day Hike - Loess Hills State Forest being held? - **A:** First Day Hike - Loess Hills State Forest takes place on Thu, 01 Jan, 2026 at 10:00 am to Thu, 01 Jan, 2026 at 01:00 pm at 32977 Larpenteur Memorial Rd. Little Sioux, IA 51545, 32977 Larpenteur Memorial Rd, Little Sioux, IA 51545-4017, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing First Day Hike - Loess Hills State Forest? - **A:** First Day Hike - Loess Hills State Forest is organized by Friends Of The Loess Hills State Forest And Preparation Canyon State Park. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** First Day Hike - Loess Hills State Forest is ideal for professionals, entrepreneurs, startup founders, and networking enthusiasts eager to grow their connections. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Little Sioux, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. With 280+ people already showing interest, this is clearly an event worth adding to your calendar - don't miss out. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "First Day Hike - Loess Hills State Forest", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/ef7e2fd4d1f0a935cbda622d523132767148d42176bf4dabf985be6d0fa29964-rimg-w1200-h676-dc8c94a5-gmir?v=1767047474", "startDate": "2026-01-01", "endDate": "2026-01-01", "url": "https://allevents.in/little-sioux/first-day-hike-loess-hills-state-forest/200029344496240", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "32977 Larpenteur Memorial Rd. Little Sioux, IA 51545", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "32977 Larpenteur Memorial Rd, Little Sioux, IA 51545-4017, United States", "addressLocality": "Little Sioux", "addressRegion": "IA", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "41.79132", "longitude": "-96.04982" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "The Friends of Loess HIlls State Forest and Preparation Canyon State Park are hosting a guided 2026 First Day Hike on New Year’s Day, with pizza and refreshments available at the Brent S. Olson Visitor Center in Pisgah available following the hike.\n\nWhen: Thursday, January 1, 2026\n10:00 AM start tim", "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Friends Of The Loess Hills State Forest And Preparation Canyon State Park", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/friends-of-the-loess-hills-state-forest-and-preparation-canyon-state-park/27227484" } ] } ] ```