Hiking opportunities abound in this larger park and its possible to spend all day hiking without spending too much time on the same trail. There's a great deal of variability to this park which further's its allure. Its littered with narrow slot canyons, somewhat reminiscent of Utah though shrouded in dense flora that gives it a Midwestern feel.
I chose to depart from Newby Gulch which ended up being an excellent choice. I was able to enjoy the famous Box Canyon formation and Gypsy Gulch in total solitude-
Trails are not named, they are numbered though the park notes which trail are more or less rugged. I would not recommend leaving the park without spending as much time as possible on Trails #3, #5, #9 and #10. Trail #3 is the most photogenic of them all though I appreciated the infrequently hiked trails #9 and #10. The canyons speak for themselves-
I suppose now would be a good time to mention how much I've reversed my view of the Midwest being unworthy for any real traveler. Its not that I haven't visited glorious places prior to this though for some reason the realization was powerfully striking at this juncture. Perhaps it was the deeply carved canyons or the free flowing river, but something about the park made me happy that I lived here. And that means a lot coming from somebody who's lived in California, Texas and New England.
No Comments