AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Saylorville Lake Project

Top Shelf

6.3 mi · ▲ 219 ft · 2 hr 13 min

Top Shelf is a 6.3-mile out-and-back in Saylorville Lake Project near Camp Dodge, IA. It is mostly level, with 219 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi801 – 994 ft6.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.69226, -93.70421
Nearest town Camp Dodge, IA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Top Shelf

6.3 mi · ▲ 219 ft · 2 hr 13 min

Elevation 802–994 ft

Out & Back · Saylorville Lake Project

Trailhead: 41.69226, -93.70421

Weather Sep 21: Drizzle, high 62°F / low 57° · precip 45% · wind 9 mph · sunrise 7:02 AM · sunset 7:16 PM

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
  2. 250 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  3. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  4. 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
  5. 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
  6. 400 ftTurn right, heading W.
  7. 50 ftBear left, heading W.
  8. 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
  9. 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
  10. 1.2 miBear right, heading SE.
  11. 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  12. 0.5 miBear left, heading SE.
  13. 0.3 miBear right onto Top Shelf, heading E.
  14. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Covid Cut, heading S.
  15. 150 ftContinue straight onto Top Shelf, heading S.
  16. 250 ftTurn right onto Covid Cut, heading SE.
  17. 50 ftContinue straight onto Top Shelf, heading SE.
  18. 0.3 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  19. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Covid Cut, heading N.
  20. 50 ftTurn left onto Top Shelf, heading N.
  21. 250 ftContinue straight onto Covid Cut, heading N.
  22. 150 ftContinue straight onto Top Shelf, heading N.
  23. 0.4 miBear left, heading N.
  24. 0.3 miBear right, heading NW.
  25. 0.5 miTurn right, heading NW.
  26. 50 ftBear left, heading NW.
  27. 1.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
  28. 0.1 miBear left, heading NW.
  29. 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
  30. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  31. 400 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  32. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  33. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  34. 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
  35. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/top-shelf-out-back-10-km-fd4a

Trail surface

61% paved22% dirt17% unspecified

Weather

DrizzleTemperature 62°F57°
Precip45%Wind9 mphUV1Humidity93%
Rained 0.3″ yesterday (1.8″ over the last week) · trails may be muddy
Hourly temperatureRain chance
65°50° 12 AM: 7% rain1 AM: 3% rain2 AM: 4% rain3 AM: 4% rain4 AM: 6% rain5 AM: 11% rain6 AM: 12% rain7 AM: 16% rain8 AM: 18% rain9 AM: 17% rain10 AM: 11% rain11 AM: 4% rain12 PM: 2% rain1 PM: 3% rain2 PM: 5% rain3 PM: 7% rain4 PM: 11% rain5 PM: 23% rain6 PM: 23% rain7 PM: 34% rain8 PM: 45% rain9 PM: 38% rain10 PM: 33% rain11 PM: 29% rain
Sunrise 7:02 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:16 PM
Tue 59°54° 22%
Wed 69°53°
Thu 59°54° 50%
Fri 61°57° 37%
Sat 65°60° 69%
Sun 76°55° 27%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.4 mi in (~11 min). Leave by 6:44 PM for the 7:16 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:40 PM — 3 min before dark. Trailhead visible from the viewpoint

More sunset hikes nearby

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Camp Dodge, Iowa