The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently highlighted a hidden gem in Sac County, White Horse Access. With prairie, timber, gravel pits, and the Raccoon River weaving through it, White Horse Access sits just a few miles east of Black Hawk Lake and offers a rich mix of outdoor opportunities for paddlers, hikers, hunters, and nature lovers. The public area was initially developed to provide river access and has expanded to 613 acres, roughly half of which is timber. It also features prairie, oxbows, and restored gravel pits, making it ecologically unique in the region. White Horse Access is shaped somewhat like a question mark, and its natural segmentation allows more users to enjoy it without feeling crowded. Around two-thirds of the access’s area has been added in just the last decade. A recently burned reconstructed prairie now blooms with native wildflowers, and the nearby gravel pits offer fishing and paddling access. White Horse also supports uncommon Iowa wildlife, including prairie skinks, smooth green snakes, and threatened mussels in the river area. Iowans are encouraged to search for public lands in their area using the DNR’s Public Hunting Atlas, a link to which is included below.
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