Wild Driftless
Adventure Race

RACE DAY:

October 3, 2026

Elkader, IOWA

Registration is open!

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

RACE DAY is HERE!

CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE in Northeast Iowa:

The Wild Driftless is a race for teams of 2-4 who complete the entire race together (not a relay) or for soloists who go it alone
The race is on a secret course you will discover on race day.
You will have to navigate the course using only provided maps and a compass.
You will bike, paddle, and trek your way through the course, following the race instructions.
The course will has a time limit (9-hours for the Wild Driftless; 5 hours for the Lite version)
Most checkpoints are optional-- you choose how much you can achieve in the time limit.

WILD DRIFTLESS
(9 Hour AR)

Trekking (on foot) 5-13 miles (8-22 km)
Biking (gravel roads, paved roads, and trails) 18-34 miles (30-55 km)
Paddling (canoes in flat-water and/or rivers/streams) 2-8 miles (3-13 km)
Special tasks

REGISTRATION COSTS:

$115 by July 31

$130 by August 31
$140 by September 26

USARA membership required (single race for $8 or yearly for $35), available at registration portal.

WILD DRIFTLESS LITE
(5 Hour AR)

Trekking (on foot) 2-8 miles (3-13 km)
Biking (gravel roads, paved roads, and trails) 10-15 miles (16-25 km)
Special tasks
No paddling

REGISTRATION COSTS:

$80 by July 31

$95 by August 31
$105 by September 26

USARA membership required (single race for $8 or yearly for $35), available at registration portal.

For 2026, the Wild Driftless is open to 350 participants between the two races.
Don't miss out!

REGISTRATION is open now!

2026 Host:

The 2026 Wild Driftless Adventure Race will be hosted in Elkader, Iowa at the Elkader City Park

Elkader City Park

707 S High St

Elkader, IA 52043

Race Information

Soaring limestone bluffs, crystal-clear trout streams and fast-moving rivers, old-growth forests, single-track mountain biking, and some of the most scenic gravel roads you’ll find anywhere in the world.

This isn’t just the Iowa cornfields you expect—this is the Driftless Region!

The Wild Driftless Adventure Race will take you into some of the most scenic areas of NE Iowa, featuring trekking, biking, and paddling for teams of 2-4 or soloists. The course is designed for all ability levels with an eye toward serving as a fantastic entry-level event for first-timers AND challenging the most seasoned adventure racers.

RACE INFORMATION PAGE

MANDATORY GEAR (PDF)

RULES & REGULATIONS (PDF)

Follow along on Facebook

Look for more information on upcoming navigation and AR skills clinics, side events, and more.

Wild Driftless AR featured on "The Dark Zone" podcast

Click here to hear Episode 128 featuring Frank Johnson, race director for Wild Driftless. A longtime racer turned first-time race director, Frank is stepping up to give something back to the sport he loves. On this episode of "The Dark Zone," host Brian Gatens talks with Frank about what it means to start something new, why smaller races matter, and how community fuels everything.

LISTEN NOW!