Named after former Gov. George Wilson, Wilson Island State Recreation Area in western Iowa covers 544 acres of cottonwood stands along the Missouri River. The secluded park provides a quiet retreat with campsites, hiking trails and picnicking areas. The open spaces welcome wildlife, and visitors may see deer grazing in the fields, flocks of geese flying overhead, or even Bald eagles perched on the cottonwoods. Early American history shows that Lewis and Clark camped on this area of the river in 1804.