Loess Hills Scenic Byway - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 635

beardtongue—plants found again only hundreds of miles to the west. Looping back to
I-680,thedrivecontinuesnorthtoLogan,whereitheadssouthwesttotheDeSotoNational
Wildlife Refuge.
4. DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge
Located along the “Big Muddy” Missouri River, this wetland refuge provides a haven for
wildlifeamidstthesubtleprairiegrasses,toweringcottonwoodtreesandglisteningDeSoto
Lake. Thousands of ducks and geese use the refuge for food and rest during migration.
The visitor center is a starting point for several trails and roads that lead through the
refuge. It also houses a fascinating display of Civil War-era artifacts recovered from the
Bertrand, a stern-wheeler that foundered nearby in 1865.
5. Murray Hill Scenic Overlook
After returning to Logan, the drive continues northwest on Rtes. 127 and 183, passing
through a rustic mosaic of handsome farmsteads, rustling ridge-top grasslands, and drowsy
apple orchards. In friendly towns such as Logan, Magnolia, and Pisgah, a cup of coffee at
the village café may lead to an afternoon of unhurried conversation with locals—a hall-
mark of midwestern hospitality.
Just a few miles to the west of Pisgah, the Murray Hill Scenic Overlook reminds vis-
itors how richly varied this landscape can be, as the snug valley of the Little Sioux River
gives way to the wide greenish-brown belt of the Missouri River floodplain.
6. Preparation Canyon State Park
During the 1850s a band of idealistic Mormons settled here and established the School of
Preparation for the Life Beyond. Before long, however, their leader—a con man named
Charles Thompson—robbed them of their property. Although Thompson was eventually
run out of town, many of his followers became so disillusioned that they decided to move
on as well. By the turn of the century, the community existed only in memory.
Happily, Preparation Canyon State Park, just off Rte. 183, does a far better job of
fulfilling its promises. Here you can explore over 300 acres of steep loess ter-
rain—accompanied, some say, by the ghosts of a few of the cheated settlers. Keep an eye
peeled for such creatures as wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, and red foxes.