Four Seasons at Backbone Adventure Series

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

In Iowa, we are fortunate to have four wonderfully distinct seasons to explore and experience the great outdoors. In this all-new adventure series, you’ll experience Backbone, Iowa’s first state park, in all four seasons! 

Each season brings new life, landscapes, and opportunities for new adventures. We’ll meet on four Sundays throughout the year, to enjoy hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, paddling, caving, repelling/rock climbing, fly fishing, birding, nature walks and more! You’ll be able to choose the seasonal activities YOU want to do each session.

We’ll meet at a designated starting point in/around Backbone State Park and divide into several small groups, to participate in the seasonal activities of your choice. Mid-day we’ll enjoy our lunches together before continuing our afternoon activities.

We encourage you to sign up for the complete Four Seasons series package in order to experience all that Backbone has to offer and to save money! If, however, you are only interested in certain seasons, you may book those days individually for a slightly higher fee. 

What’s Included: 

Professional instruction and guiding, all needed gear for seasonal activities (kayak, paddle, PFD, snowshoes, cross country skis, fly fishing gear, rock climbing equipment, first aid kit, safety gear, etc). If you’d prefer to bring your own gear, you are welcome to do so. We will communicate more specific activities closer to each date depending on weather.

Not Included:

Transportation to and from the event, lunch and snacks, and optional guide gratuities. If you require transportation in order to participate, please contact us and we may be able to transport you for an additional fee.

Activities:

Hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, paddling, caving, repelling/rock climbing, fly fishing, birding, nature walks and much more!

Skill Level: 

No experience needed. We will be physically active throughout the day. We plan to paddle in most weather conditions–rain or shine, hot or cold, windy or still.

Registration:

Registration is limited to 12 people. A minimum of 6 registrants is required to offer each session in the series.

We have intentionally limited the number of participants on our trips in order to provide a safe and rich outdoor experience. 

Date(s): Sundays, February 2, April 13, July 27, October 19, 2025

Time: 9am - 3pm

Location: Backbone State Park, Dundee, IA

Cancellation:

Please read our full Trip Cancellation Policy here.