People Live Their Whole Lives in Iowa and Somehow Miss These 3 Places

 After a decade of road tripping across the Americas, I noticed an overwhelming need to get up high everywhere I went. Not exactly jumping out of planes or skiing down alpine peaks high, but more like repeated attempts to get a birds-eye view everywhere I went. I found myself constantly looking for overlooks and viewpoints, or any variation of them. When I returned home after more than a decade away, I thought I wouldn’t find any here, and certainly not any considered must-visit places in Iowa. 

1. Loveland Overlook Tower - Honey Creek

But we all know that saying about assuming things, and somehow, despite the widespread knowledge of how notoriously flat Iowa is,  a few other people have been thinking about viewpoints, too. The first one I came across while scanning Iowa’s topography maps is way out in western Iowa, nowhere near mountains, valleys, a canyon, or an ocean. Instead, it’s creatively wedged between a corn field and Interstate 880. If you haven’t heard of I-880, it’s a 20-mile flood escape route for the better-known Interstate 80, north of Council Bluffs. I love this “secret” road for its scenic route through the Loess Hills. And while you can’t see the hills from the Loveland Overlook Tower, there’s still an excellent rural Iowa view at the top of this 120-foot wooden tower. 

2. Cordova Observation Tower - Otley

After months of asking around for more of these rare but must-visit places in Iowa, I got a tip about a repurposed water tower turned into an observation tower in central Iowa. This piqued my interest, as some of my favorite stories from my Iowa dad are about his youth, climbing water towers for cheap thrills. Of course, that was many decades ago, and it’s not a legal form of fun. But if this was legit, I could hope to capture a bit of generational nostalgia. Perched above the north shore of Lake Red Rock, the Cordova Observation Tower rises 106 feet into the sky via 170 steps spiraling around the former water tower. It’s a steep climb up a fully enclosed staircase that opens onto an expansive, fully enclosed observation deck. It feels a lot like standing inside a giant bird cage, with panoramic views of Lake Red Rock, the Des Moines River, and the Mile-long Bridge in the distance. Cordova Tower is open year-round, and I especially love the views during winter. 

3. Historic Mehaffey Bridge - North Liberty

My third favorite overlook in Iowa was discovered entirely by accident, a place I’ve driven over at least a few dozen times throughout my life. Hidden in plain sight, I never understood the treasure that the Historic Mehaffy Bridge is until I was out of the car. Late last summer, my husband saved this spot on the map as a great place to go fishing on the Iowa River. What I didn’t expect was that we would stand on the bridge, steps from traffic, and some 30 feet above the water. Turns out, it wasn’t such a great spot to cast a line, but the pedestrian path with overhanging balconies offered a phenomenal perspective of the Iowa River, boats passing beneath, and bald eagles soaring overhead. The foot-traffic portion of the Mehaffey Bridge is part of the Iowa River Corridor Trail, best accessed from the Mehaffey Boat Ramp parking lot.

Each of these overlooks is free to visit and offers a surprising perspective of our state, making them must-visit places in Iowa that most people miss. To find more hidden gems in Iowa, try searching with Only In Your State's AI-powered itinerary planner.