Three Iowa Road Trips for the 2026 Choose Iowa Fall Crawl

NOTE: Choose Iowa sponsored this content with Iowa Road Trip to help promote the 2026 Choose Iowa Fall Crawl.

October 9–10, 2026

Looking for a reason to take the back roads this fall? The Choose Iowa Fall Crawl brings together more than 120 farms, orchards, markets and other Iowa businesses for two days of exploring on Friday and Saturday, October 9–10.

You don’t need to visit every stop to join in. Pick a part of the state, choose a few places that sound good, and make a day of it. Here are three routes to get you started, from northwest Iowa to the southeast corner of the state.

Northwest Iowa: Alvord and Rock Rapids

Start at 2Gather Meats & Market in Alvord. The Eckardt and Van Roekel families started 2Gather to bring locally raised meats to their community. It’s a good stop if you’d like to shop for beef, pork or other farm products and learn more about the families behind them.

📍 2Gather Meats & Market: 2344 Elmwood Ave., Alvord

When you’re ready for a meal, head to Dreamerz in Rock Rapids. The family-friendly restaurant serves lunch and supper, plus breakfast on weekends, with a focus on local farm-to-table ingredients.

📍 Dreamerz: 215 First Ave., Rock Rapids

Want to extend the trip? Little Sioux Stems is a cut-flower farm in Milford. Its flowers, farm animals and country setting offer a different kind of farm stop, but Milford is well beyond the Alvord–Rock Rapids area. Check its Fall Crawl listing and hours in the Passport before adding it to your route.

📍 Little Sioux Stems: 1648 260th St., Milford

North-central Iowa: Nora Springs, Mitchell and Osage

If you like finding Iowa food to take home, begin at SkyView Market, just north of Nora Springs. The market occupies a renovated 1902 dairy barn and carries Black Angus beef along with products from more than 60 other area producers. Bring a cooler if you plan to stock up.

📍 SkyView Market: 1175 Balsam Ave., Nora Springs

From there, consider Twisted River Farm in Mitchell. The farm grows a wide range of vegetables, including seasonal favorites such as pumpkins and squash. Check the Passport for what the farm plans to offer during the Fall Crawl.

📍 Twisted River Farm: 195 S. Madison St., Mitchell

Finish in Osage at the Market – Osage, where you can browse seasonal products from local farmers and makers. It shares a Choose Iowa listing with t a s t e ., a reservation-only farm-to-table restaurant. If you’re hoping to eat there, make plans ahead rather than counting on a walk-in table.

📍 the Market – Osage: 715 Main St., Osage

Southeast Iowa: Donnellson and West Point

This route packs several different fall experiences into the Donnellson area. At Harvestville Farm, look for homegrown pumpkins, squash and gourds, along with the farm’s seasonal activities. It’s a natural place to begin if you’re traveling with kids or want the classic pumpkin-patch part of a fall outing.

📍 Harvestville Farm: 1977 Highway 2, Donnellson

Then stop at Hinterland Dairy, a family dairy that makes cheese and ice cream on the farm. Its retail store gives you a chance to bring some home, though ice cream might call for an immediate taste test.

📍 Hinterland Dairy: 2149 Franklin Road, Donnellson

Save room for Appleberry Orchard. You can browse apples and other fall produce in the farm market, pick up cider and visit the bakery for apple cider donuts. The orchard also lists a children’s play area and petting farm, with additional activities offered seasonally.

📍 Appleberry Orchard: 2469 Highway 2, Donnellson

If you’d like to add a flower stop, head north toward West Point for Wendland Family Farm. The family farm grows seasonal flowers, vegetables and pumpkins and offers hands-on experiences at select times. Check what will be available on the day you go.

📍 Wendland Family Farm: 1172 240th Ave., West Point

Plan your Fall Crawl with the Choose Iowa Passport

The Choose Iowa Passport is free and works on your phone without downloading an app. Use it to find participating stops and plan your route. When you visit, check in through the Passport to earn points toward prizes. Choose Iowa says each Fall Crawl stop also has a bonus Fall Crawl check-in worth 50 points.

To see the complete Fall Crawl list and regional routes, open the Passport and select Filters. Each business sets its own hours and activities, so check the individual listings before you leave. You can visit one stop or spend the day exploring several. Either way, it’s a chance to meet the people growing, raising and making things here in Iowa.