Friends Tour Spirit Knoll Area

The Friends of Stone Park hiked the Spirit Knoll property on May 15th, in place of their regular meeting.  Spirit Knoll is a 167 acre property in southern Plymouth County about 3 miles north of the entrance to Stone Park.  The new area may become part of the State Preserves system of Iowa.

Friends hiked one of the main ridges along the southwest border and discovered the following native prairie plants:  Lambert’s Crazy Weed, Missouri Milk Vetch, Ground Plum, Scarlet Gaura, Purple Coneflower, Stiff Goldenrod, Purple Prairie Clover, Yucca, Skeleton Weed Pussytoes, Equisetum, Toothed Primrose, Penstemon, Silky aster, Heath aster, Scribner’s Panicum, Lead Plant.

The DNR will develop a management plan which will spell out appropriate uses for the new area, establish rules, and identify critical resources.