Black Elk Peak

Black Elk Peak - Pole with prayer ties at the lookout/peak

After getting skunked on my morning run across the Needles Highway and then dilly-dallying with breakfast and laundry watching some clouds grow in the sky, I finally said “screw it!” and drove up to Sylvan Lake to the Trail #9 trail head for Black Elk Peak. The clouds continued to build as I watched from … Read more

Jewel Cave National Monument – Roof Trail

Jewel Cave National Monument - Roof Trail scenic overlook

Due to my scheduling blunders I had a break for lunch and to strategize on how to use my time for the remaining daylight hours. There are a some hiking trails in the monument that look pretty interesting, but as I sat in the shady forest eating my sandwich the ominous clouds rolled in across … Read more

Pipestone National Monument

Pipestone National Monument - Old Stone Face rock formation

Thus far on my road trip I’ve basically been making up plans as I go along. But my main goal for sticking around in this area was to visit Pipestone National Monument in Pipestone, Minnesota. I’ve had this on my “to do” list now for a few years and it never came together but happily … Read more

Devil’s Gulch

Devil's Gulch - Rocky parts of the trail require some creativity to find a path

Just down the road from Split Rock park is another local park called Devil’s Gulch. I didn’t know what to expect at first, but the attraction here is a large gulch (or ravine), a waterfall perhaps, and some Wild West history if you believe the stories. Not shown in this post is a small visitor … Read more

Palisades State Park

Palisades State Park - Views of Split Rock Creek looking downstream from the cliffs above

My first out-of-state camping stop on this journey was at Palisades State Park in Garretson, South Dakota. I arrived well after dark and mostly just went to sleep, but the next morning I did some quick exploring. There are a couple trails here the run along the Split Rock Creek. I considered hiking them but … Read more

Big Springs Nature Park

Big Springs Nature Park - Guttenberg, Iowa

My final destination for the day was at Big Springs Nature Park in Guttenberg, Iowa. From Hazel Green, Wisconsin I followed IA-3 and US-52 along what they call the Great River Road National Scenic Byway. The drive itself is pretty fun and shows the Iowa side along the Mississippi but often times goes inland. Either … Read more

Big Spring Creek (2022)

Big Spring Creek - Spring water cascading down the rocks

My turkey hunt was going nowhere fast today. After striking out at Governor Dodge State Park I fueled up, took a short midday nap, and drove around in search of new public lands with favorable terrain. Along the way I ended up at a familiar destination at Big Springs Fishery Area in Highland, Wisconsin. Here’s … Read more

Osceola Bedrock Glades Falls

Osceola Bedrock Glades Falls - Looking downstream standing next to main stretch of falls/rapids

Trying to squeeze in one last stop today as the sun was falling low on the horizon, I stopped at the trailhead for the Ridge View Trail: Osceola Loop in Osceola, Wisconsin. This is easy to find on River Road / County S and there is a small parking lot that holds maybe 10 vehicles. … Read more

Buttermilk Falls

Buttermilk Falls - Zoomed view through trees from a distance

After having little to no plan for the day, I found the winds of adventure carried me back to Osceola, Wisconsin with a chance to find a falls I missed in the past. That begins at the Standing Cedars Buffalo Skull Tract, part of the Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy. Last visit I was concerned … Read more

New Richmond Falls & Spillway

New Richmond Falls - Small rapids that stretch across the Willow River

It’s been a productive day and I’m already on my 5th stop of the morning. I took a short nap in the truck, and then found myself in New Richmond, Wisconsin which I had never been through before. Apparently there is a small falls/rapids downstream of a spillway so I figured we could check that … Read more