Banner Lakes at Summerset State Park — Attraction in Carlisle

Visited Labor Day weekend and the mosquitos at the eastern trailhead for the Riverside trail were absolutely horrendous. Even with bug spray on we were totally swarmed. Great variety of trails, though-the road that goes around the lake is a one way and is divided into a car and bike lane if you want something totally flat. Only the southern part has shade at midday-FYI. The Summerset trail that runs east of the park seems like a very well-shaded, paved bike trail.

We really enjoyed the Missing Link and New Ed Beach trails-some steeper parts but for the most part a true moderate difficulty, even for a few out of shape, middle-aged hikers. Definitely keep in mind that you’re sharing the trail with mountain bikers, though.

No trash cans that we could see, so come prepared to pack out any waste.

There is a shooting range right next to the park, and you can clearly hear the shooting wherever you’re at. Very similar to fireworks, if you’re bringing a dog sensitive to...

This remote, diverse wilderness park is a great place to go to experience nature. The site contains old mining pits that have become bodies of water with a low amount of buoyant sediment which leaves the water relatively clear. I took a kayak around the lake and stopped to watch little fish swimming through the forest of water weeds. It was very peaceful, although there is a gun range within earshot. The frequent pop of gunfire probably takes away from the relaxing wilderness experience, but eventually it faded to the background. There were several bikes riding around the park. It has much less traffic than parks nearer to populated areas, and the people who discover Banner seem to come back. There are not a lot of amenities, but if you come prepared for that, and have an adventurous personality, this park will be...

These singletrack MTB trails are absolutely within the top 3 that I've personally ridden around the world and, so far, they're #1 in Iowa for me. There are some great trails in Iowa but these are the most challenging (and I've been riding MTB since 2009). Lots of very tight, technical lines with a lot of switchbacks. Make sure your balance skills are dialed because you're going to need them on these blue and black trails. As challenging as they are, they are super rewarding and the scenery is just amazing, especially right now during fall. Seriously some of the most fun I've had on a singletrack in...