Washington Union Access
Washington Union Access is located right off of Cedar-Wapsi Road (C-57) and provides access to the northern section of the Cedar River Wildlife Area. This access provides a boat ramp on the west side of the Cedar River and access to public hunting, hiking, wildlife viewing and equestrian activities on the east side of the river. The well groomed Fire Trail leads from Washington Union south all the way to the gun range within Black Hawk Park. This trail system provides excellent access for the public, winding its way through colorful prairies, lowland deciduous forests and backwaters of the Cedar River. Canoeist and boaters will find the boat ramp easily accessible and provides plenty of room to launch your watercraft into the river. Anglers will find northern pike, walleye, catfish, and small mouth bass in this stretch of the river.
The Cedar Bend Savanna
For several decades volunteers have slowly chipped away at restoration efforts, only to lose ground against natural succession. In 2011, the Cedar Bend Savanna Advisory Committee was formed - made up of representatives from Black Hawk County Conservation, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University of Northern Iowa, and the Prairie Rapids Audubon Society. Now, with a long term plan in place and refocused efforts, Black Hawk County Conservation began actively restoring approx. 15 acres of the native sand savanna named the Cedar Bend Savanna. Students from the University of Northern Iowa, Hawkeye Community College, and conservation work groups such as AmeriCorps and Conservation Corps of Iowa (CCI) have opened up the closed canopy, allowing hidden native prairie plants to expand and blossom.
Restoration efforts are ongoing but the results so far have been exciting! Savanna wildlife species such as the redheaded woodpecker and coopers hawk are now returning along with a host of native plant species such as the columbine, bent vetch, little bluestem, lead plant, bottle brush grass, and prairie bush clover to name a few. Game species such as wild turkey visit the site often, looking for acorns and insects. We encourage you to follow along as the restoration continues and better yet, visit the site to enjoy a native gem!
Cedar Bend Savanna is located a short hike south on the Fire Trail from the gates at Washington Union Access.
No camping allowed.
Park boundaries are not always clearly marked so please be aware of location within the park and respect the rights of land owners.
Location
4 miles north and 2 miles west of Cedar Falls on Cedar -Wapsi Road or C-57.
Operating Hours & Seasons
Contact Us:
Black Hawk County Conservation
1346 West Airline Hwy
Waterloo, IA 50703
Phone: (319) 433-PARK (7275) Fax: (319) 433-7276
conservation@blackhawkcounty.iowa.gov
Park hours: 6:00 a.m to 10:30 p.m.
Closures
NOTE: The Black Hawk County Conservation Board on May 9, 2013, closed the road on the east side of the river in Washington Union Access and will no longer allow camping effective immediately.
