When you think of the Iowa landscape, you probably think of rich farmland or grassy, wildflower-filled prairies. Maybe your mind goes to the lush wooded areas around the state or to one of our beautiful lakes. You don’t usually think of sand dunes, though - yet that’s exactly what you’ll find at Eddyville Dunes Sand Prairie.
This 225-acre county park in southeast Iowa allows visitors to experience a unique remnant of an ecosystem now very rare in Iowa: a sand prairie. Of Iowa’s 35 million or so acres, only a few hundred can claim this classification.
Sand prairies are dry grassland regions with the primary soil type being sand that has been windswept into small dunes. The Eddyville Dunes Sand Prairie is believed to have been formed from sand left in the river bottom as glaciers melted; winds then picked the sand up and deposited it here.
This particular little spot of prairie was at the center of a big controversy a few years ago when the highway that was planned to go through the prairie had to be re-routed to preserve this important habitat.
You’ll be in for a treat if you hike the 1.4-mile interpretive trail. This sand prairie is home to some interesting and rare native species of both plants and animals.
Did you know plants can be categorized as "endangered"? The beautiful pale green orchid makes that list, but it blooms mid-summer along the edge of the wetlands within this sand prairie.
Unlike much of Iowa’s rich soil, sand is hard to raise crops in. The dunes’ dry, well-drained soil type is ideal for prickly pear cactus, however, and you’ll likely see, though hopefully not feel, these unique plants along the trail. These cacti bloom in June and early July, and their flowers are typically bright yellow, sometimes with orange or red at the center.
One creature that doesn’t avoid the prickly pear cactus is the ornate box turtle; they love to munch on the beautiful blossoms. These turtles are a threatened species and are the only completely terrestrial turtle in Iowa.
You have to look quickly to catch a glimpse of a 6-lined race runner lizard, Iowa’s fastest lizard. You’re more likely to see these speedy creatures if you visit the dunes in cooler temperatures when the lizards aren’t moving as quickly; the warmer it is, the faster they run.
And if you love snakes, there are all kinds of species just waiting to be photographed.
Next time you’re in the area, make a point to stop and explore this unique landscape. There’s a small parking lot on the north side of 182nd St right before the road is blocked off. You’ll see a small shelter with educational signage about some of the residents of the sand prairie. Or, check out another of the sand prairies in Iowa: the Marietta Sand Prairie Preserve near Marshalltown.
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