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Plan your own adventure on the Upper Iowa: VisitIowa.org or UpperIowaRiver.org

For a map and more information, check out this Upper Iowa River Paddler’s Guide

The river runs through the Driftless Area in northeast Iowa, the area that escaped glacial activity during the Ice Age. As a result, limestone bluffs, 200 to 300 feet high, tower above the river. Those bluffs are, by far, what makes the river an adventure worth taking and writing about.

Early in my float, I could see a hint of the bluffs through the trees. The height and grandeur of the Bluffton Palisades increased the farther downstream I floated.

The solitary column surrounded by trees known as Chimney Rock was soaking in the sun and came into view as I rounded one of the river’s many bends. An eagle soared above the natural landmark.

After my three-hour, 8.5-mile float, I passed the last of the craggy, tree-topped cliffs and the West Ravine Road Bridge came into view.

The journey downstream, I thought, had been like watching an Academy Award-winning movie, with the credits now rolling.

What a show.

Canoers and kayakers paddle along the Upper Iowa River near Bluffton on June 30 in northeast Iowa. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Canoers and kayakers paddle along the Upper Iowa River near Bluffton on June 30 in northeast Iowa. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Chimney Rock, a prominent landmark, pokes out from tree cover along the Upper Iowa River on June 30 near Bluffton. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Chimney Rock, a prominent landmark, pokes out from tree cover along the Upper Iowa River on June 30 near Bluffton. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
A spring cascades down a limestone bluff June 30 at Malanaphy Springs along the Upper Iowa River below Bluffton. The spring is one of those feeding the Upper Iowa River in the Driftless Area in northeast Iowa.(Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
A spring cascades down a limestone bluff June 30 at Malanaphy Springs along the Upper Iowa River below Bluffton. The spring is one of those feeding the Upper Iowa River in the Driftless Area in northeast Iowa. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Bill Lewis of Onslow paddles in the shadows near the towering limestone bluffs June 30 along the Upper Iowa River near Bluffton. He was scouting where his extended family could take a night float trip on the Fourth of July weekend. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Bill Lewis of Onslow paddles in the shadows near the towering limestone bluffs June 30 along the Upper Iowa River near Bluffton. He was scouting where his extended family could take a night float trip on the Fourth of July weekend. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Swallows fly from their nests under a bridge along the Upper Iowa River near Bluffton. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Swallows fly from their nests under a bridge along the Upper Iowa River near Bluffton. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Swallow nests dot the underside of a bridge along the Upper Iowa River near Bluffton.  (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Swallow nests dot the underside of a bridge along the Upper Iowa River near Bluffton. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
The Upper Iowa River is seen below the Daley Bridge Canoe Access at Cattle Creek Road near Bluffton. The river, though shallow earlier in this year,  was 18 to 24 inches deep June 30 when Gazette photojournalist Jim Slosiarek floated down the river -- plenty deep enough for a kayak or a canoe. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
The Upper Iowa River is seen June 30 below the Daley Bridge Canoe Access at Cattle Creek Road near Bluffton. The river, though shallow earlier in the year, , was 18 to 24 inches deep when Gazette photojournalist floated down the river — plenty deep enough for a kayak or canoe. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
A bald eagle, not yet fully mature, soars above the Upper Iowa River near Bluffton on June 30. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
A bald eagle, not yet fully mature, soars above the Upper Iowa River near Bluffton on June 30. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
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