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Knapp Prairie



 		 Loess Hills
Gold Hills © TNC

 
 

Directions

From Sioux City:
Take Highway 12 north to County Road K18.

Go north on K18 about 3 miles to Weber Road.

Turn east and travel about 2.6 miles. The preserve is south of the road.
 

Locations
 

Broken Kettle Grasslands
 

Sioux City Prairie
 

Folsum Point Preserve

More than 900 regal fritillaries, orange and yellow butterflies, have been observed in a single survey at Knapp prairie, making it one of the largest U.S. populations of this butterfly. The Conservancy harvests seeds from the plants that attract these butterflies for use in restoring other prairies in the area.

Why You Should Visit
Knapp Prairie Preserve is dominated by tallgrass prairie species adapted to deeper, mesic loess soils. Knapp Prairie is also an important prairie butterfly conservation area. 

Location
Plymouth County, 3 ½ hours northwest of Des Moines.

Size
25 acres

Conditions
The terrain is steep and rugged in places and predominantly grasslands. Expect to see snakes, insects, grassland birds and breathtaking vistas while you hike.

Preserve Visitation Guidelines

What to See: Plants
Plants here include: big bluestem, fringed puccoon, ground plum, heath aster, Indian grass, lead plant, little bluestem, New Jersey tea, prairie larkspur, purple prairie clover, prairie turnip, prairie violet, purple coneflower, purple locoweed, rough blazing star, sideoats grama, silky aster, snow-on-the-mountain, toothed evening primrose and stiff goldenrod.

What to See: Animals
Birds here include dickcissel, eastern meadowlark and western kingbird. There are many butterflies, including monarch, orange-margined blue, wood nymph or grayling, regal fritillary and Ottoe skipper.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Knapp Prairie was donated to the Conservancy by Barry and Carolyn Knapp in 1997. It is a rare example of mesic Loess Hills prairie growing on the lower portions of moderate slopes, saved from conversion to row crops or brome pasture by the tradition of cutting prairie hay.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
This site is an important seed source for the reconstruction of lower slopes and valleys at other nearby preserves.