NEW ALBIN — A narrow hillside path winds past limestone outcroppings at Black Hawk Point Wildlife Area, leading to a sweeping view of where the Upper Iowa River meets the Mississippi. Behind that scenery, habitat work is helping protect native prairie, establish new oak timber and sustain one of Iowa’s remaining pockets of ruffed grouse.
The 320-acre public wildlife area near New Albin occupies Iowa’s far northeastern corner. Its steep hills and valleys showcase the Driftless landscape, offering challenging terrain for hikers and habitat for wildlife sought by hunters.
About 240 acres are timbered, with upland habitat making up the remainder, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Young aspen stands help sustain ruffed grouse
Troy Anderson, a wildlife biologist with the DNR’s Upper Iowa Unit, said Black Hawk Point is among the few places left in Iowa where ruffed grouse persist.
Managing the area’s aspen stands is part of the effort to support those birds.
“We did an Aspen cut 15 years ago, and will do another seven acres this winter,” Anderson said.
Ruffed grouse need aspen stands of different ages. Young forest provides an important part of their habitat, making periodic cutting necessary to restart growth.
The DNR has included aspen management at Black Hawk Point and other public wildlife areas in the region for more than two decades. Individual stands require a clear-cutting reset roughly every 15 to 20 years to maintain that mix of forest ages.
Prairie returns after cedars and honeysuckle removed
Black Hawk Point’s management plan also emphasizes controlling invasive species and using prescribed fire in its timber and prairie.
Small remnants of native prairie survive near the point itself. A larger, seven-acre prairie occupies a steep hillside toward the wildlife area’s southwestern corner.
That hillside prairie reemerged after local staff removed encroaching cedar trees and invasive honeysuckle. With those obstacles cleared, prescribed fire can move through the vegetation and help maintain the open habitat.
“We try not to burn the whole prairie at once; leave a little refugia and only burn as needed. Since we’ve removed the cedars and periodically work on non-native invasives, it’s stayed pretty open,” Anderson said.
“Once the prairie gets a good foothold, it helps keep the invasives out.”
During a late-September walk, Anderson identified plants including leadplant, little bluestem, purple coneflower, prairie clover, side-oats grama, rough blazing star, whorled milkweed, sky blue aster and compass plant.
Prescribed burning serves both habitat management and training purposes across Iowa, as NIT previously reported in its coverage of hands-on prescribed-fire training and the ecological benefits of controlled burns.
Former crop field becoming oak timber
Along Black Hawk Point’s western edge, a nine-acre former crop field in a valley is being converted into mixed white oak timber.
The project uses direct acorn seeding this fall, with an additional planting of mixed oak seedlings planned for the coming spring.
“It’s somewhat of a trial run since it is difficult to propagate white oaks via acorns because of how quickly they germinate once they hit the ground,” Anderson said. “These were collected within the region and planted within a few days’ time.”
The new oak planting sits beside a field planted with turnips to provide green browse for wildlife.
Together, the forest work, prairie restoration and oak planting reflect the different approaches needed to maintain habitat across the property’s wooded slopes, open hillsides and valley ground.
Where to access Black Hawk Point Wildlife Area
Black Hawk Point has one parking lot on its northern edge, just west of the intersection of Black Hawk Road and Highway 26. An artesian well is adjacent to the lot.
Visitors will encounter steep terrain and a narrow, worn hillside path on the approach to the point overlooking the rivers.
The area is another example of the rugged public landscapes found across northeastern Iowa. NIT has also featured Turkey River Wildlife Area near Cresco, where rock outcroppings and steep valleys offer secluded outdoor recreation.