Cedar Bend Nature Area is a 19-acre park on the steep bank of the river where the waterway makes a sharp bend back to the south. Parking is available in the main lot accessible from Island Dr, and there is pull-off parking on Cedar Bend Dr. Facilities are available at nearby Island Park and there are picnic spots along the river near the main parking area. Trails are unpaved, leading up (or down) the steep slope, and also travel a ridge of the slope. Another trail option is a rough unpaved one-way road which winds through the park from Cedar Bend Dr. to Island Dr.
The open woods of this park contain oaks and hickories. The main trail along the ridge crosses a ravine that supports a rich array of plants including skunk cabbage, Jack-in-the-pulpit, and alternate leaf dogwood. The trails offer a birds-eye view of the river and other areas of the city. There is a perennial garden maintained by a park neighbor at the top of the park, off Cedar Bend Drive. A mowed field is also in this section of the park.
Click here to view a printable map of Cedar Bend Nature Area (pdf)
