Camping at Ledges State Park
Last week, I went camping at Ledges State Park near Boone, Iowa, with my cousin Angela. Camping is something I enjoy doing very much and I hadn't had a chance to camp yet this year. I asked Angela to come with me because I knew she loves nature and I thought it would be nice to spend some time together.
We started out Monday evening. I'd already reserved the site online, which turned out to be totally unnecessary because there were very few other tent campers on a Monday and Tuesday night at the end of summer. We set up camp, and then we were ready to eat. Right then, my brother Grant arrived to spend the evening with us.
I fried up some falafel mix. They turned out better on the camp stove than they usually do at home! We enjoyed falafel pita and fruit for dinner. Then we went to explore the stream.
Pea's Creek runs through sandstone cliffs in a deep, wooded valley. Visitors to the park can drive the "canyon" road, over which the creek passes in several locations. The stream is clear and shallow, and it makes a great place to play and explore.
Grant built a fire back at the campsite and we enjoyed s'mores until it got dark, and then he headed back home.
When it was time to clean up and go to bed, I packed almost everything back into the car to keep it secure from raccoons. And it's a very good thing I did, because two or three times while I was putting things in the car, I looked over and three sets of little raccoon eyes reflected back at me, lit up by my headlamp. Each time I spoke to them and shooed them away saying, "Go away! I'm still here!" Finally they left in the direction of another campsite. (I found out the next day that they had raided the cooler of those campers. Maybe I should have warned them? Oops.)
After we were finally in our sleeping bags in the tent, I heard them come out and do whatever they do. Which was fine. I just didn't want them in my campsite while I was out there!
In the morning, we went on a leisurely bike ride to the prairie area of the park. That's where I found the flowers I posted in my recent wildflower ID post. Then, a short hike to Table Rock and Council Ring on the trails in the "canyon" area.
After lunch, it was "play in the water" time. Angela preferred to play in the sandy areas of the stream, but I'm one of those people that always has to see what's around the corner, so I walked all the sections of the stream and see where it led.
Sometime in the afternoon my parents stopped by, and the three of us went on a short hike up to the Crows Nest, which affords a distant view of a bend of the Des Moines River.
The entire day, I was dreading a change in the weather and that a thunderstorm would sweep across the park. I was grateful to each sunny hour we had, just hoping it would hold of until after dinner. I anticipated an evening spent in the tent while it rained.
But it never happened.
That evening, we had Punjabi chole (from a can) and instant potatoes. I built a fire, and we enjoyed s'mores and the sparklers and glowsticks Angela brought. It still never rained.
After we were in bed, I saw flashes if lighting, but I never heard any rain or thunder. Wherever that storm was, it didn't come near us. So much for all that worrying!
Our last morning, Wednesday, we went to the playground for awhile, then enjoyed a picnic at the Oak Woods Shelter. Finally, it was time to pack up and leave. We loaded it all up, I strapped the bikes to the back of the car, got in and turned the key. Nothing. It was the battery.
Very, very luckily, my parents live within 25 minutes of the park, and my dad was out in a jiffy and got it going. (We went back to town together and bought a new battery, so hopefully that doesn't happen again for a LOOOONG time.)
I think we both had a great time and I really enjoyed seeing Ledges. I hadn't been there since I was a kid. There were many more trails I didn't get to go on, so maybe later this fall, Jonathan and I will go back and do some more camping and hiking.
I look forward to my next camping trip!
For information about Ledges State Park, visit the DNR page. Additionally, Iowa Parklands has a great description of the trails and sights at Ledges.
We started out Monday evening. I'd already reserved the site online, which turned out to be totally unnecessary because there were very few other tent campers on a Monday and Tuesday night at the end of summer. We set up camp, and then we were ready to eat. Right then, my brother Grant arrived to spend the evening with us.
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| photo courtesy of Grant |
I fried up some falafel mix. They turned out better on the camp stove than they usually do at home! We enjoyed falafel pita and fruit for dinner. Then we went to explore the stream.
Pea's Creek runs through sandstone cliffs in a deep, wooded valley. Visitors to the park can drive the "canyon" road, over which the creek passes in several locations. The stream is clear and shallow, and it makes a great place to play and explore.
Grant built a fire back at the campsite and we enjoyed s'mores until it got dark, and then he headed back home.
When it was time to clean up and go to bed, I packed almost everything back into the car to keep it secure from raccoons. And it's a very good thing I did, because two or three times while I was putting things in the car, I looked over and three sets of little raccoon eyes reflected back at me, lit up by my headlamp. Each time I spoke to them and shooed them away saying, "Go away! I'm still here!" Finally they left in the direction of another campsite. (I found out the next day that they had raided the cooler of those campers. Maybe I should have warned them? Oops.)
After we were finally in our sleeping bags in the tent, I heard them come out and do whatever they do. Which was fine. I just didn't want them in my campsite while I was out there!
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| Grayhead conflowers on the prairie at Ledges |
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| Stone trail laid by CCC |
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| Exploring Pea's Creek |
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| A popular play place along the canyon drive |
Sometime in the afternoon my parents stopped by, and the three of us went on a short hike up to the Crows Nest, which affords a distant view of a bend of the Des Moines River.
 |
| View of the Des Moines River from the Crow's Nest |
The entire day, I was dreading a change in the weather and that a thunderstorm would sweep across the park. I was grateful to each sunny hour we had, just hoping it would hold of until after dinner. I anticipated an evening spent in the tent while it rained.
But it never happened.
That evening, we had Punjabi chole (from a can) and instant potatoes. I built a fire, and we enjoyed s'mores and the sparklers and glowsticks Angela brought. It still never rained.
After we were in bed, I saw flashes if lighting, but I never heard any rain or thunder. Wherever that storm was, it didn't come near us. So much for all that worrying!
 |
| Angela at Oak Woods Shelter |
Very, very luckily, my parents live within 25 minutes of the park, and my dad was out in a jiffy and got it going. (We went back to town together and bought a new battery, so hopefully that doesn't happen again for a LOOOONG time.)
I think we both had a great time and I really enjoyed seeing Ledges. I hadn't been there since I was a kid. There were many more trails I didn't get to go on, so maybe later this fall, Jonathan and I will go back and do some more camping and hiking.
I look forward to my next camping trip!
For information about Ledges State Park, visit the DNR page. Additionally, Iowa Parklands has a great description of the trails and sights at Ledges.
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