Yellow River State Forest - Heffern's Hill Camp

public land records

Agency-confirmed — The managing agency's own record names this as a campsite and puts it at these coordinates. About as good as it gets short of standing here.

Backcountry backpack camp in the Paint Creek Unit, on the Yellow River State Forest backpacking trail system. Designated backcountry camp - this is NOT open dispersed camping. Must sign in at forest headquarters (729 State Forest Road, Harpers Ferry) before camping. IDNR Yellow River State Forest: "Additionally, five back-packing areas along the famous 'backpacking trail' are free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Each area has four individual sites; however, no restroom facilities are available. Please carry out what you carried in. Campers using these sites must sign in at the forest headquarters prior to camping." Forest-wide rule: "Chainsaws, both electric and gas, are prohibited throughout the Forest. Firewood may be gathered if it is down and dead with hand saws only. Felling of trees is prohibited." Source: https://www.iowadnr.gov/places-go/state-forests/yellow-river-state-forest (read 2026-08-16). CAVEAT: the DNR page says FIVE back-packing areas; the DNR GIS layer publishes FOUR named backcountry camps in the Paint Creek Unit. The forest page separately describes a backpack camping area with three sites in the Paint Rock Unit, which the GIS layer does not map - that is the likely fifth area but it is NOT included here because I have no published coordinate for it. IDNR: "The backpacking campsites at the state forests are not available on the reservation system and are only available as walk-in sites." Source: https://www.iowadnr.gov/places-go/state-parks/make-reservation/overnight-camping (read 2026-08-16). Stay limit: "Campers may camp up to 14 consecutive nights in a state park, recreation area, or forest. Campers must then vacate the park (including removing the camping unit) for a minimum of 3 nights before camping in that park again." Source: https://www.iowadnr.gov/places-go/state-parks/make-reservation/overnight-camping (read 2026-08-16). Coordinates are Iowa DNR published points from the DNR Recreation Amenities GIS layer https://programs.iowadnr.gov/geospatial/rest/services/Recreation/Recreation/MapServer/8 (Type = Campground - Primitive / Campground - Remote), spatially joined to the DNR Public Areas layer https://programs.iowadnr.gov/geospatial/rest/services/Recreation/Recreation/MapServer/11 for the land manager. Both read 2026-08-16. | auto:agency-trust 2026-08-18: state agency GIS record with a source URL and coordinates, confidence not low. Fee value is the agency's own, not field-checked. Not field-verified -- confirm access, road conditions and fire rules before you go.

US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center station locator, snapshot 2026-09-16. Straight-line miles to the nearest public, open, unrestricted station; restricted and planned units are shown but never counted.

On the agency's books. The land manager inventoried this site, so its existence is not in question — current conditions are. Nobody from here has camped it recently.