I was told by a ranger I talked to that the loop trail route was okay to complete on a bicycle. Talking later with Thad and nearby campers, I was told that I could walk the West Lake Trail, follow the park's central road around the north end of the lake, and then take the East Lake Trail to complete the lake trail loop. I managed a little more than half the trail, turning around at 11:30 so that I'd get back to camp in time for lunch and before it got too hot. The next day I was off hiking, a bit late in the morning, but I did manage to walk about half of the West Lake Trail, first heading south to the end of the lake and then turning around and hiking north of the trail. I also met one of the campground hosts, Thad, who let me photo a map of the park so that I'd have a better understanding of the trails.īackbone Lake from the lower end of the West Lake Trail I discovered a trailhead for the West Lake Trail while taking a small, relaxing walk around the campground before bed. Obviously, Thursday was mostly driving and setting up camp (twice!), but I still managed to walk the upper and lower sections of South Campground, scouting out the general lay of the land. I had arrived at Backbone to stay for four nights. After that little blip, now I was ready to enjoy my four days, and I'd actually enjoyed the practice of speedily breaking and setting up camp. A group of several travel trailers showed up on Friday for the weekend, with my walk-in site spot having been reserved on Wednesday to ensure a spot for the weekend-two days reserved and empty, but the DNR still got their money.Īt Backbone with two awnings to help keep the camper coolerĭeciding not to let the situation ruin my mood, I packed up and moved, following the ranger's advice of first picking one of the two sites and then adding my already-filled-out tag, having changed the campsite number. There was nothing at this site indicating anyone was here," but evidently, Iowa allows for someone to arrive at a campground and reserve a site, leaving only the reservation tag. "I thought you couldn't reserve a site and not set up camp. I had to break camp and leave however, the ranger had kindly found another two non-reservable sites that weren't taken. The rain-bedraggled reservation slip had indicated a reservation from June 10 for four days-except that it was actually from June 15 for four days. I had to put my pants on." The ranger's response was, "And I appreciate that." It turned out that the site was already reserved. I got up, and after a moment opened the door, saying, "Sorry it took a bit. Interrupted by a firm knock on the camper's door, I looked out to see a park ranger waiting outside. By late afternoon I was able to enjoy my Airstream Basecamp's air conditioning, reading and relaxing. I added mine and then spent some time erecting two awnings to help with the sun and heat after the usual leveling and unhitching routine. I arrived and walked through the lower park of the modern South Campground, the 30-amp section, and found a non-reserved site with an old tag still attached to the site-numbered post. I was correct in that assumption-but there is a story attached to that choice. Whether you’re an adrenaline seeker or just wanting to get outdoors for the day, Backbone State Park has something for everyone."Īrriving on a Thursday morning without a reservation, I felt confident that I'd be able to land a non-reserved site for my stay. Take a walk through history by checking out the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) museum, explore the rugged 21-mile multi-use trail system or fish in some of Iowa’s best trout streams. The steep and narrow ridge of bedrock from the Maquoketa River forms the highest point in northeast Iowa - The Devil’s Backbone - giving the park its legendary name. "Dedicated in 1920 as Iowa’s first state park, Backbone State Park is one of the most geographically unique locations in Iowa. The park, according to the DNR website, has something for everyone, from bold climbs to relaxed outings. Four days of exploring wasn't quite enough to hit all the sites in this 2,001-acre state park, especially with Backbone State Forest adding an additional 186 acres of recreation opportunity at the NE corner of the park. I opted to camp at Backbone for only four days, not really enough, but another heat wave was sweeping the Midwest, and a humid 97 degrees was a good reason to head home and water the garden. Missed by the glaciers of the last ice age, this part of Iowa has a geography much different than the rest of Iowa. Those are good memories, and I wanted to return to Backbone State Park, Iowa's first state park, and explore and experience more deeply this sanctuary in NE Iowa's Driftless Area. I remember wading a pebble-bottomed stream, ankle deep and crystal clear, and I remember hiking the "backbone" ridge with my son's schoolmates on a classroom campout, raccoons in the night and owls.
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