Wildcat Den

 There are about five miles of of up and down trails at Wildcat Den State Park, which is just north of Muscatine, Iowa.

We started at the Grist Mill.

Julia watching the water fall

The trail then went up and into The Punch Bowl. The temperature was in the 30’s. We didn’t see anyone else hiking.

After our hike we had a beer at Contrary Brewing in Muscatine. The outdoor and indoor seating were packed on a Saturday early afternoon. 

I had a chocolate milk stout that was very good. Contrary is located across the street from the Mississippi River. 

Switching It Up

Weather forecasting is an imperfect science, especially in the early spring. This trip to Iowa was spur-of-the-moment, and we were perhaps overly optimistic about a forecast that included one rainy day and a warming trend with sunshine. 

Friday morning, we were confronted with a different reality.

The only decent weather days ahead would be Saturday and Sunday. We decided to spend those days further south with an actual Mississippi River view at a campground that was new to us.

River Ridge Brewing

A year is a long time to wait for a beer. We first visited Bellevue in April of 2021. At that time River Ridge was in the process of building out its new location on the Mississippi River. When we came back in October, the tasting room was closed. This time, we carefully planned our trip so that we would be in town during tasting room hours.

The foundation of the original building  is literally in the water. 

Rear of River Ridge Brewing

I wasn’t sure what to expect when we finally made our way inside on Thursday, but I can happily report that it is currently my favorite Iowa brewery.

It isn’t just the beer, although my nitro-tapped oatmeal stout was full-bodied and creamy. 

The views from inside and outside of the tasting room are amazing. We saw bald eagles, white pelicans, and egrets on the river.

On the day of our visit, the young woman who was bartending told me that our beers were each $1 off because it was National Beer Day. Four dollars for a pint of good local stout? I love Iowa.

Bellevue State Park

While Spruce Creek was our first camping choice, we knew that Bellevue State Park was open year-round, so Plan B was pretty solid.

The campsite was not quite as picturesque.

Last year, when we camped here, the bathrooms and showers were open which makes for a happy wife, happy life situation. 

Nope, the doors were locked. A couple of hours after setting up, a DNR truck pulled up and unlocked the doors. Life was immediately a little better.

She wasn’t sure about the showers. Warm water would be a bit of an overstatement.

Plan B

Our plans to camp on the banks of the Mississippi fell apart when we arrived at Spruce Creek County Park north of Bellevue, Iowa. The gates were locked and barricaded, despite the park’s web page declaring an opening date of April 1st. 

Bellevue is a beautiful little river town.

We stopped for Mexican food and walked up and down the sidewalks above the river.  We then drove south in search of an open campground.  

New Trail

 

Readers of my blog frequently come across hikes of Gibraltar Rock.  That's not a new trail, they say.  However, there are some improvements and extensions of Ice Age Trail in the Lodi area proposed for this year that will make for easier access.

In the Lodi Marsh, I've been told that the very wet sections going through the marsh will be re-routed around the wettest sections.

At Gibraltar Rock, a true loop will be created so that hikers won't have to go up the old road to create a loop.  A second trail segment will follow along the hillside next to Hwy J to create the loop.  

The new trail has not yet been built, and it will require some good trail design to avoid erosion on the hillside.  There already some erosion issues on the trail coming down to the west parking lot. 

The new trail is marked off, and I was able to follow it with Callie to preview it.  

 

It's going to be a nice piece of trail with views of the surrounding bluffs.

I would imagine it will be popular for the runners who currently are on the narrow shoulder of curvy Hwy V, as well as young children/seniors who have trouble going up the steep old road to the viewpoint.  No dogs on the trail-to-be-built so Callie likes it right now.