Iowa / Johnson County

Tailwater West Day Use Area

Closed — Closed for the season. Day use areas at Coralville Lake typically operate seasonally from spring through fall.

About

Tailwater West Day Use Area is a day-use facility located along the tailwaters of the Coralville Lake Dam, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The area sits within a heavily wooded forest of mixed hardwood species on the west side of the dam and is part of Coralville Lake, a multiple use project providing flood control, low flow augmentation, and recreation. Visitors enjoy fishing for large and smallmouth bass, crappie, walleye and catfish in the tailwaters. Several trails are accessible within the Dam Complex, including the Tailwater Riverwalk and the barrier-free Veterans Trail. The nearby Devonian Fossil Gorge, located just below the dam, offers a unique opportunity to explore a 375-million-year old sea floor and discover fossil remains of sea life from an ancient tropical marine environment. The site features twenty discovery points and a cell phone audio tour. Wildlife is abundant throughout the area, with white-tailed deer, turkeys, pheasants, waterfowl, and numerous songbirds roaming the lands. The facility also provides access to Turkey Creek Disc Golf Course, which offers nine holes. As a day-use area, this facility does not offer overnight camping.

Directions

From Interstate 80 (Iowa City), take Exit 244 towards Dubuque St./North Liberty. Travel north on Dubuque St. for 3 miles and turn right onto West Overlook Rd. NE. Travel 1.1 miles, then at the second stop sign turn right onto Prairie Du Chien Rd. NE. Travel 0.2 miles east; the entrance will be on the right.

Nearby Campgrounds