TROY MILLS — A Northern Iowa wildlife area along the Wapsipinicon River is drawing attention for its mix of sand prairie, wetlands, timber, hunting opportunities and quiet river access.
Troy Mills Wildlife Area (pictured at top via Iowa DNR), located a few miles west of Troy Mills in Linn County, covers 323 acres on the west side of the Wapsipinicon River. Though smaller than nearby Buffalo Creek Wildlife Area, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the site offers a surprising amount of outdoor variety.
The area includes sand prairie, wet meadow, timber, oxbows and riverbank habitat. On a June visit, prairie roses and Ohio spiderwort were blooming while dickcissels, northern yellow warblers and eastern and western meadowlarks could be heard across the open ground.
Jason Auel, a wildlife biologist with the Iowa DNR’s Cedar-Wapsi Unit at Sweet Marsh, said the prairie is managed with periodic prescribed burns. The DNR typically burns about half the prairie at a time, though burning has been delayed after native grasses were seeded into the area two years ago.
The open sand prairie transitions into a lower wet meadow closer to the river. That area can hold water after flooding or heavy rainfall and provides winter cover for pheasants.
DNR staff are also working on a forest wildlife stewardship plan to guide future timber management at Troy Mills. The plan will outline goals for the wooded portions of the area and how the habitat will be managed for wildlife.
The Wapsipinicon River is one of the defining features of the wildlife area. It floods low-lying oxbows that support waterfowl and also provides fishing opportunities from the bank. A parking lot on the north end has a footpath leading to the river and continuing along the bank.
Recent drought years have also changed the river’s behavior. The DNR says low water has caused the Wapsipinicon to begin cutting a new channel westward. Over time, that change could create a new oxbow and island. The existing low water has also left the current boat ramp high and dry, and the DNR is exploring options to relocate it.
Troy Mills Wildlife Area has three parking lots: one on the north side, one on the northwest side and one on the east side near the existing boat ramp.
The northwest lot sits near a 2.5-acre sunflower field. Auel said that when the sunflower field takes off, it can become a lesser-known destination for dove hunters.
“Because of its smaller size, Troy Mills often gets overshadowed by nearby Buffalo Creek, but it’s a nice area that is popular with deer and turkey hunters, squirrel and pheasant hunters,” Auel said.
The area also offers spring mushroom hunting, though visitors should be aware that poison ivy is common along timber edges.
Most of Troy Mills Wildlife Area was acquired in the late 1950s, with a prairie addition added in 1994. The area has stayed about the same size since. Two county conservation areas on the east side of the river provide additional nearby public recreation options.
Auel said the site’s diversity is what makes it stand out.
“There’s a lot of diversity on the small area,” Auel said. “Fishing, hunting, trapping, mushroom hunting — all 30-40 miles from Cedar Rapids and from Waterloo. It’s a pretty neat place.”