484 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



4 mi. northeast of Traer, C. R. I. & 



P. Ry. 



*Ledges Park, Boone County. (B3.) 

 644 acres, partly in flood plain of Des 

 Moines River and the adjacent clay 

 uplands. Pease creek flow through 

 the area exposing the Carboniferous 

 sandstone, that rises to a height of 

 100 to 150 ft. Flood plain trees; Rein- 

 deer lichen, Juniper moss, pale vetch, 

 pink lady slipper and moosewood. 



Boone, 5 mi. east, main line C. & N. 

 W. Ry. Ft. Dodge Des M. & So. Inter- 

 urban Ry. 



* Yellow River. (B3.) The whole val- 

 ley from its source north of Postville 

 has steep bluffs are covered with a 

 mantle of trees. The most interesting 

 are near springs about 80 acres. The 

 plants belong to the boreal type. Bal- 

 sum fir, white pine, small white violet, 

 highbush cranberry, aconite and beech 

 fern. 



Large springs. 



Postville 7 mi. south, C. M. & St. P. 

 R. R. C. R. I. & P. Ry. 



* Spirit Lake. (B2.) Largest lake in 

 Iowa, in Dickinson County. 20 to 25 

 ft. deep, area 5660 acres, meander en- 

 closes 5884 acres, connects with Marble, 

 Hottes and Little Spirit Lakes. Shores 

 in part covered with bur oak, green ash, 

 Cottonwood, basswood, slippery and 

 American elms, beaked, sand bar and 

 almond-leaved willows. Morainic hills; 

 prairie formation of asters, goldenrods, 

 Iowa and woolly thistle, blazing star; 

 in woods hepatica, blood root, prickly 

 gooseberry, prickly ash. 



Town of Spirit Lake one mi. south, 

 C. M. & St. P. Ry. 



Orleans adjacent, C. R. I. & P. 



*West Okoboji Lake. (B3.) West 

 Okoboji Lake is situated in Dickinson 

 County. It is the deepest lake in Iowa, 

 40 to 129 ft., glacial origin, drainage 

 to the Missouri river. 



3788 acres, meander encloses 3939 

 acres. 



Shores in part covered with trees, 

 in part typical prairie plants. Outline 

 of lake very irregular. Numerous 

 marshes with many aquatic plants and 



birds. Lakeside Laboratory on Miller's 

 Bay. 



Milford 3 mi., C. M. & St. P. Ry. 



Arnold's Park adjacent, C. M. & St. 



P. Ry. 



*East Okoboji Lake. (B2.) Glacial 

 shallow lake, 5 to 12 ft. deep, connecting 

 Spirit and West Okoboji, in Dickinson 

 County. 



Area 1875 acres. 



Narrow fringe of timber; many aqua- 

 tic plants like Potamogeton, Elodea, 

 Vallisneria, wild rice, and pond lilies; 

 small indentation marshes with Carex, 

 manna grass, rice cut grass, greater 

 lobelia and gentians. Fish hatchery 

 grounds about 11 acres, on north end of 

 lake. 



Okoboji on south end of lake, C. M. 

 & St. P. Ry. 



Orleans north end of lake, C. R. I. 

 & P. Ry. 



Spirit Lake, C. M. & St. P. Ry, C. R. 

 I. & P. Ry. 



*Petersen. (B2.) About 200 acres in 

 Clay County on the north slope of the 

 Little Sioux River, some virgin oaks 

 and black walnut, upland woods with 

 canyons covered with spring beauty, 

 blood root, blue cohosh, practically 

 virgin, not pastured. The wooded 

 slopes open out on the prairie with the 

 usual prairie plants, a glacial valley. 



Petersen one mi. north, C. & N. W. 



Ry. 



Highway No. 10. 



*Natural Bridge and Morehead Caves. 

 (B.) One of the interesting wonders of 

 Iowa, in Jackson County. Vertical 

 limestone cliffs 50 to 100 ft. high, area 

 35 acres. The ancient stream has worn 

 a channel through the massive limestone 

 rock leaving a natural bridge covered 

 with white, red and bur oaks. The 

 shady slopes covered with Sullivantia 

 of ferns maiden hair and spleenwort. 

 The Morehead caves can be reached by 

 a path leading from the bridge. The 

 narrow valley extends to the Morehead 

 caves about a mile away to the south. 



Maquoketa 8 mi. southwest, C. M. & 

 St. P. Ry. C. & N. W. Ry. 



*Pilot Knob. Some 235 acres located 



