Although now heavily wooded, those hills, called the Loess Hills, retain some prairie along the many trails within the state park. To visit the park, leave I-80 at exit 3, go south to U.S 275, turn west to South 11th street and south to Shore Drive which leads arounds the lake to the park on the lake's south side. With exhibits related to the travels of Lewis and Clark as well as those who journeyed on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, the center also has an Iowa Welcome Center and gift shop. The center is just south on Exit 1B on I-80 in Council Bluffs. This monument honoring Lewis and Clark sits atop a bluff in the park north of Council Bluffs, the city that now bears the name that they bestowed on the region.
Trails lead along the ridges of the nearby bluffs.
To visit the monument, leave I-29 at Exit 55 to North 25th Street, turn left onto Nash Blvd. However, hunting that evening, Clark realized that for all thier effort going up the river the continually looped back upon itself, the men were camping only 370 yards from where they had been the previous night. Encompassing 577 acres, Wilson Island Recreation Area has boat ramps on the Missouri , campsites, public hunting and fishing. In this area, Private Joseph Field killed the first badger seen by any American. Lewis skinned and stuffed it to send back to President Jefferson.