Pilot Mound State Forest is located in Boone County, Iowa

Boone County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 26,306 in the county, with a population density of . There were 11,756 housing units, of which 10,728 were occupied.-2000 census:...

, about 1 miles (1.6 km) southeast of Pilot Mound

Pilot Mound, Iowa

Pilot Mound is a city in Pilot Mound Township, Boone County, Iowa, United States. The population was 215 at the 2000 census. It is part of the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area', which is a part of the larger 'Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area'.-Geography:Pilot Mound is located at...

 and 8 miles (12.9 km) northwest of Boone

Boone, Iowa

Boone is a city in and the county seat of Des Moines Township, Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area', which encompasses all of Boone County. This micropolitan statistical area, along with the 'Ames, Iowa Metropolitan...

. The forest sits atop a 70ft glacial mound of the same name.

History

The land that would become Pilot Mound State Forest was donated to the state of Iowa in 1939 by B. P. Holst. The mound of the same name within the forest was once used as a natural water tower for the city of Pilot Mound. The land is used for study and research of forest growth.

Access to the Forest

Pilot Mound State Forest lies near the intersection of I Avenue and 140th Street in Boone County. A narrow access road to the since-removed water tower starts begins at 140th Street and ends at the top of the mound, which is the second-highest point in the county. Picnicking, hiking, and hunting are permitted within the boundaries of the forest.