Rolling Thunder Prairie State Preserve

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State Preserves

Rolling Thunder Prairie is a 123-acre preserve featuring a gently rolling prairie landscape. It is located four miles east of New Virginia and ten miles southwest of Indianola in Warren County. 

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About the Land

The area was purchased in 1980 by the Warren County Conservation Board and was dedicated as a biological state preserve during the first ā€œPrairie Heritage Weekā€ in 1983. 

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Directions

  1. From the intersection of Highway 65/69 and Highway 92 in InĀ­dianola, take Highway 69 south for 12 miles to County Road G76 (sign: Rolling Thunder Prairie, Warren County Conservation Board). 
  2. Turn west (right) and go 3 miles to County Road R57 (80th Avenue). 
  3. Turn north (right) and go 0.75 mile north to the preserve on the west side of the road (sign: Rolling Thunder Prairie State Preserve).
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Plants

Located in the Southern Iowa Drift Plain landform region, this rolling prairie is dissected by several wooded ravines. The prairie plant community displays a progressive change of flowering species during the year. 

In the spring, among the first blooms to appear are:

  • Hoary puccoon
  • Golden alexanders
  • Prairie phlox
  • Birdā€™s-foot violet
  • Violet wood sorrel
  • Blue-eyed grass
  • Indigo bush
  • Yellow stargrass
  • Wild indigo
  • False gromwell 

By June, the early bloomers are joined by:

  • Prairie cinquefoil
  • Leadplant
  • Prairie coreopsis
  • Pale purple coneflower
  • Pale spiked lobelia
  • Spiderwort
  • Purple prairie clover
  • Rattlesnake master
  • Butterfly weed
  • Prairie rose
  • Wild petunia. 

Thimbleweed, compass plant, prairie blazing star, ironweed, and wild bergamot appear in July. 

In the fall, heath aster, New England aster, fall aster, Jerusalem artichoke, showy goldenrod, Canada goldenrod, and downy gentian are scattered around the hills. 

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Birds & Species

Along with an occasional upland sandpiper and northern harrier, birds frequently found here include:

  • Song sparrow
  • Bobolink
  • Grasshopper sparrow
  • Western meadlowlark
  • Vesper sparĀ­row
  • Yellow warbler 

Butterflies include the:

  • Dusted skipper,
  • Regal fritillary
  • Coral hairstreak
  • Great spangled fritillary
  • Common wood nymph
  • Wild indigo duskywing
  • Black dash
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Visitor Information

Hunting is permitted. 

Other natural areas in the vicinity include Lake Ahquabi State Park and Berry Woods and Woodland Mounds State Preserves.

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