Summer Wrap – Wildcat Den

Kind of overdue on this project which was intended to provide a family oriented review and evaluation of our park visits throughout Summer Break. In fact, I had a rough draft of an introductory posting in my “In Progress” folder that was originally scheduled to post in mid-June. Oh well, too many fishing reports in the meantime put the concept on hold, nice problem to have. So, instead, you get a sort of “what we did on our Summer vacation” blitz as we complete our final days before back to school.

Kicking it off is a look back at a pre-Summer visit (actually Mother’s Day weekend) to Wildcat Den State Park in Muscatine County, IA. This marked our first ever trip to this location which was recommended by a couple folks more familiar with the Quad City area nature attractions as we are relative newcomers (still tough to believe this is our fourth summer up here though).

The plan was an afternoon/evening trip for some hiking, a picnic supper and some general exploring. The short jaunt did not disappoint as related in the following review.

Rating: 4.2 Marshmallows (scale 1-5 Marshmallows with 5 being tops, rating is average of six family member votes)

Location: About 8 miles east of Muscatine, IA and 15 miles west of Davenport, IA
Camping: Old school with no electrical service, pit toilets, no showers
Attractions: Pine Creek Grist Mill (built in 1848) and old Melpine Schoolhouse, several picnic areas and two playgrounds
Hiking/Trails: Our limited hike featured a well-kept trail with towering bluffs, a sidetrack to Pine Creek, several bridges and wooden steps along with a walk through “Fat Man’s Squeeze.”

       

Family Poll: What did you like most about Wildcat Den?

Helena: “The old schoolhouse.”
Carly: “Everything.”
Jayce: “The bluffs, the rocks, climbing over the roots and seeing a dead duck.”
Zac: “The weapons.” (see pic below for further explanation)
Mom: “It was a positive experience for our first family hiking trip. I liked hearing all the kids talking about how much fun they had, how cool it was and that they want to return.”
Dad: “Fun to see how the plant life finds a foothold on the towering bluffs, nature always finds a way to get it done.”

And to complete the trip, a snake and some “weapons” (butcher knife, boomerang, staff and katana)

Just can’t beat the great outdoors as the boys enjoyed running wild and imagining while the girls got a kick out of gaining some knowledge about the flora and history of this unique piece of The Hawkeye State. It’s definitely worth a peek if you are looking for a cool changeup in the typical landscape. I’m guessing we’ll be back as there are plenty more trails and landmarks to explore. Talk to later. Troy

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