Saylorville Lake & Big Creek Lake via Neal Smith Trail
4 mi · ▲ 148 ft · 1 hr 24 min
Saylorville Lake & Big Creek Lake via Neal Smith Trail is a 4-mile out-and-back in Big Creek State Park near Polk City, IA. The route passes Big Creek Lake before reaching Saylorville Lake at the turnaround, 2 miles in. It is mostly level, with 148 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 6/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Saylorville Lake & Big Creek Lake via Neal Smith Trail
4 mi · ▲ 148 ft · 1 hr 24 min
Elevation 850–973 ft
Out & Back · Big Creek State Park
Trailhead: 41.79911, -93.73314
Weather Sep 20: Light rain, high 66°F / low 61° · precip 56% · wind 12 mph · sunrise 7:01 AM · sunset 7:17 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 50 ftPass Big Creek Lake.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Neal Smith Trail, heading S.
- 1.7 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.3 miReach Saylorville Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 2.1 miTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.1 mi in (~28 min). Leave by 6:30 PM for the 7:17 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:00 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
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Hikes near Polk City, Iowa