As summer comes to an end, and that beautiful Fall weather kicks in, you may find yourself hiking, walking, or running more. I for one love finding unique hiking spots in the Cedar Valley, and in Waterloo. There are so many "hidden spots" That truly show off Iowa's natural beauty.

While you are enjoying that natural Iowa beauty you might see trees painted with purple paint. Do you know what that means? Many don't realize how important the markings are, and how important it is to keep an eye out for them.

The shortest answer is that these markings can, and do represent a "no trespassing" sign. Iowa laws with this. According to Iowa.Gov,

Senate File 2101 makes changes to Iowa’s trespassing law. If a property owner living in an unincorporated area places purple paint around their property on trees or fence posts, entering the property is forbidden and constitutes trespassing, effective July 1, 2019. The departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources must conduct an information campaign to educate the public and property owners about this change.

The Purple Paint Law gives landowners the option of marking trees or posts to prevent trespassing. One of the biggest benefits of the purple paint being used for no trespassing is that, unlike signs that can be removed or destroyed, the purple paint is pretty permanent.

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While signs are still used by some in Iowa, it is important to remember that if you walk past purple paint then you are trespassing, it's important to stay aware of your surrounding as you're having fun this Summer here in Iowa!

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