This is not a Sierra Club sponsored event, but members might be interested
in reading about it.  Nate Hoogeveen presented the March Central Iowa Group
program on his paddling views of Iowa rivers.

On Saturday, May 1, Nate Hoogeveen (author of the new guidebook, "Paddling
Iowa: 96 Great Trips by Canoe and Kayak") and I will lead a float trip down
Cedar Creek and the Des Moines River, stopping at the Cedar Bluffs State
Preserve for a walking tour.  Cedar Bluffs Preserve is a 223-acre state
preserve between  Oskaloosa and Knoxville featuring a scenic forested
bluffland with sandstone cliffs.  The spring wildflowers will be in full
bloom on May 1.

The trip will involve 8 miles of stream paddling for the float trip.  The
first 2 miles of the float trip, extending from Cedar Creek Access to the
Cedar Bluffs Preserve, will be on Cedar Creek, a tributary of the Des Moines
River.  The remaining 6 miles, between Cedar Bluffs Preserve and Eveland
Access, will be mostly on the Des Moines River.  All three public properties
(Cedar Creek Access, Cedar Bluffs Preserve, and Eveland Access) are owned
and managed by the Mahaska County Conservation Board.

A rough itinerary for the float trip is listed below:

10AM- meet at Cedar Creek Access

10-11AM- shuttle cars to Eveland Access; return to Cedar Creek Access

11AM- paddle to Cedar Bluffs State Preserve (2 river miles)

NOON- arrive at Cedar Bluffs and have lunch

1-2PM  walking tour of preserve

2-5PM- paddle to Eveland Access (6 river miles)

If anyone wishes to join us at Cedar Bluffs State Preserve for the walking
tour without paddling on the stream, you can meet us in the preserve at the
at the river's edge near the bottom of the boardwalk in the main valley,
located about 1 mile from the parking lot on 280th Street.  Note that the
times for arrival in the preserve and the walking tour are only approximate.
(Paddlers have been known to be unpredictable.)

Cedar Creek Access and Cedar Bluffs Preserve can be difficult to find.  Here
are directions:

FROM KNOXVILLE:
From the interchange of Highway 92 and Highway 5, drive east on Highway 92
for ten miles to the intersection of T25 (leading to Tracy).  Turn south
(right) and go 2 miles (into the small town of Tracy).  In Tracy, turn east
(left) onto School Street and drive 3/4 mile to a T-intersection with
Ashland Avenue.  (Note: School Avenue becomes 260th Street when you cross
from Marion County into Mahaska County.)  Turn south (right) onto Ashland
Avenue and go 1.5 miles to Cedar Creek Access on the east (left) side of the
road, north of the bridge over Cedar Creek.

To get to Cedar Bluffs Preserve from here, drive south across the bridge and
turn east (left) onto 275th Street.  This road winds around to become
Barrows Avenue and then 280th Street.  After the curves, head east on 280th
Street for 1.5 miles to the parking lot for the Cedar Bluffs Preserve on the
north (left) side of the street.

FROM OSKALOOSA:
From the intersection of Highway 92 and Highway 163 in Oskaloosa, take
Highway 163 south to County Road T39 (Indian Way).  Turn west (right) and
follow Indian Way through the town of Beacon.  Continue west on Indian Way
and turn south (left) on Galeson Avenue.  After crossing the Des Moines
River, turn west (right) onto 290th Street and go 2.5 miles to Elba Avenue.
Go north (right) 1 mile on Elba Avenue to a T-intersection with 280th
Street.  Go west (left) 2.25 miles to reach the Cedar Bluffs Preserve
(parking lot on the north (right) side of road.

To reach Cedar Creek Access, continue past the Preserve on 280th Street for
1.5 miles to Barrows Avenue (curves to north).  Follow this winding road to
T-intersection with Ashland Avenue.  Go north (right) a short distance,
cross the bridge over Cedar Creek, and turn east (right) into Cedar Creek
Access on north side of bridge.

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