With miles of trails and rivers to explore, Webster County offers multiple options for recreation throughout the year, from skiing and snowshoeing to hiking and paddling.

For those new to the outdoors, Webster County Conservation staff are here to help, offering both formal programs as well as rentals of outdoor gear like skis and snowshoes for people of all ages and skill levels.

“Winter programming has kind of become more pop-up programs, depending on the weather,” said Karen Hansen, environmental education coordinator, especially for guided cross-country skiing and snowshoeing programs.

But for those who want to venture out on their own, she said residents are able to rent skis from the Matt Cosgrove River’s Edge Discovery Center at 20 N. First St., while snowshoes are available at Camp WaNoKi, 2400 WaNoKi Camp Road.

“If there’s good enough snow, we’ll offer snowshoeing at Camp WaNoKi,” Hansen said. “It lays out a nice wooded environment for snowshoeing.”

Afterward, participants can go back to the cabin and get warm around the fire.

She said the one Webster County trail that will be regularly maintained this winter starts at the Discovery Center and heads south along the Des Moines River.

“People are still welcome to go other places on their own,” Hansen said, “but we won’t be grooming trails anywhere else at this point.”

For the youngest audience, County Conservation offers “Toddler Time Outdoor Days” as well as some family fun hikes, which are open to anyone and held weather permitting.

“I think the research would indicate that kids who spend more time outdoors … those are experiences that help them develop in a healthy way and lays their foundation for the future,” said Hansen. “I just believe with all my heart that it can change how people deal with life if they’re able to be outside more.”

As winter melts into spring and the sap starts to run, County Conservation will offer a maple syrup event. Hansen said that date won’t be set until the time gets closer, but it usually falls at the end of March.

“It’s part of our ‘spring into spring’ event. It’s open to the public and it’s for all ages,” Hansen said. “A lot of families come. There’s just a lot of fun things to do that day. It’s a pretty popular event.”

The county also offers a golden antler hunt, in which a deer’s shed antler is spray painted gold, and participants vie to be the first to find it.

Tuesday at Ten Hikes are another popular outdoor activity. Offered on the third Tuesday of each month, Hansen said these hikes are designed to get people outdoors while exposing them to lesser known areas of the region, such as the Skillet Creek Indian Mounds.

“It’s just a cool, small, very historical area,” Hansen said. “A lot of people aren’t aware of it.”

She said some of the Tuesday hikes follow “true trails” that are kept up, but other times they are more “wild experiences” or adventures.

In the summer, the county offers paddling programs to get people on the water safely. She said these are also often “pop-up programs,” and are held depending on the water levels.

“Lake paddling is a little easier,” Hansen said, “because there is less variability in water levels.”

In the late summer, she said the county generally does a river cleanup, which Hansen described as “a very stewardship-focused event.”

“We try to focus on the river that goes through our county and the areas we can access,” she said. When the river is high, Hansen said this can turn into “an on-land event,” rather than cleaning from the river itself.

During summer months, camps are held at Camp WaNoKi for toddlers to elementary-age kids.

Hansen said as kids get older, camp themes focus progressively more on primitive and survival skills, such as how to build a fire, how to build a shelter, how to filter water and how to use a primitive weapon safely.

“We always hope no one ever has to be in a situation to use a survival skill,” Hansen said, “but just having the confidence not to panic in that situation is great.”

Starting in March, Fireside Chats are offered the fourth Thursday evening of the month at Camp WaNoKi. These themed programs are intended to teach, while also giving participants an outdoor experience. For example, in June, participants will be able to go mushroom foraging. Other chats this year will be archeological in nature, including one on flintknapping — or creating a tool from stone. In October, one of the chats will include a night hike, which Hansen said has been popular in the past.

However residents choose to get outside this year, the experience is likely to have a positive impact on their overall well-being.

“Getting outside is so good, not just for our physical health, but our emotional health, our mental health,” said Hansen. “It can really make such a difference in our day-to-day life if we can be very intentional about getting fresh air and getting exercise.”

To Learn More

For up-to-date information on outdoor programs, follow Webster County Conservation on Facebook.