Eagle Point Park-- Failure at 1,000 Steps Trail Head

On Friday, February 19th, I was fortunate enough to have a companion for a short hike in Clinton, IA at Eagle Point Park.  This park is historic to the town and there are beautiful and scenic overviews.  The trails used to be well kept, but due to fund cuts, they are overgrown and maintained by the locals as small foot paths.  This makes for a very unique hiking experience as this allows the vegetation to grow and makes for some beautiful sights in the spring and summer.  This trail really is beautiful and it is here that I realized the importance of getting back to nature and the importance of realizing our place in the natural world years ago.  

My sisterly companion and I started are walk by going down the 1,000 Steps trail.  This trail used to be a small walk through the forest, a walk around the side of a limestone bluff and then 1,000 Step ascent to the main part of the park.  However, due to lack of maintenance the more scenic parts of this trail have crumbled and the limestone walk way and the steps are largely unsafe.  However, the locals have diverted this trail via foot path that goes through the forest, around the limestone bluff and then up a hill at a sloping incline to the main part of the park.  

We started the trail and found that it was quite muddy due to the recent snow melt and the rising temperatures, indicating that spring would be arriving soon.  We continued down the trail until it proved to be unsafe at this time due to the mud on the hills and the lack of regular maintenance.  

After being defeated by the tail conditions, we ended up walking up to the main road coming in.  We hiked the main road loop from the parking area by the Eagle Point Lodge, around the loop and back to the parking lot.  In total about 1.5 miles around the loop in total. The weather conditions, if anyone recalls were WINDY!!  So windy in fact that it was hard to stop and take any photographs without concern for getting blown away!!  

So please enjoy these few photos that I was able to take:

Helen and I at the overlook.

Helen and I by the 1,000 Steps Trail Head; preparing for battle.

Mississippi River Pool 12 at Overlook.

Mississippi River Pool 12 at 1,000 Steps Trail Head.

Mississippi River Pool 12; view of spillway and Lock and Dam 13.

Pool 12; view toward Bulger's Hollow Campground.

I hope that you enjoyed the photos that I was able to provide; sorry that the hike was not more exciting!  

If you would like more information about Eagle Point Park in Clinton, Iowa; please click on the links bellow!

Description of Park
Park History and Photos

Please comment; suggestions are always welcome, like and share!!  Thank you for reading and Happy Trails!!