The sidewalks, beach, and playground area were covered in goose droppings. The building by the boat dock was locked. You must have to make arrangements at the building furthest from the dock. The paddle boats had no seat backs( imagine paddling without one) and the canoes didn't have benches( have to sit on the canoe bottom).
We wanted to rent a boat, but they were all filled with water and sand. Look for the lightning damage and favorite trees of the wildlife. It's a pretty, peaceful trail, more enjoyable to take your time. But as my husband put it "yeah, 0.4 miles- straight up." We got to the lookout point overhanging the old fishery- just beyond the crest, and turned around. I enjoyed the trees and the pine needle covered ground. take your time here to see the water pushing up through the sand and the fish hanging out. This was a really neat stop as well, I wish I had had swim shoes here. After this we stopped at Richmond springs, just a short drive from the cave. Adults can negotiate in, squatting, maybe 10-12 feet. Climbing the steep stairs, you can feel the cold air pouring out of the cave. Back at the park, we had a lot of fun at the cave on the north side. There are several restaurants there including a few places to get sandwiches if you want to picnic back at the park. After this trail we drove to Strawberry Point for lunch, maybe 6-8 minutes away. But we took our time, looked around, and took every side path. This trail took us about an hour to complete. But these more dangerous spots are not the main trail. There are a few spots where you can descend down on foot/backside. There are several spots where you can walk out to the edge of overhangs and cliffs. Though there are trees and brush all around, you will be atop a precipice with steep falls to the right and left. We were concerned about safety before we got there, and yes, anyone under 8 will need careful supervision and toddlers will need two adults to get them through. You must negotiate your way over some large rocks near head of the trail.( bad ankles and small children- be prepared to sit and crawl )Children under five may need to be lifted at about 3 spots. I am no athlete, but found this trail easy with a few challenges, but fun- no hard climbing unless you choose. All trails and most interest points have signage.The backbone trail has a good sized lot and a picnic area at the entrance. Even with that map, parking areas are not labeled. And I thought we would all enjoy a boat ride.ĭo print out a map at home from the IA DNR site before you come (you'll need to print it in sections and tape it together to be able to read it) You'll find no maps at the park. There were very few people on the trails and at the attractions. Our family of 8 came here for a day trip in mid-July on a Thursday with rain in the forecast.
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