A Fall Hike at Castlewood

These hikes start the same way - dragging of feet and whining.  

One would think that the difficult part of the hike along Castlewood State Park's River Scene Trail would be the steep climb up to the bluff. However, the difficult part is convincing a 9-year-old whose momentum has been regulated by a week of sitting at a desk and maybe a bit too much television to put on her tennis shoes and walk that first 50 yards to the trail.

I used to carry her until she perked up, but that is no longer an option. Instead, I goad and prod until she begins to look around and take an interest in the colors and forms that the final few days of fall provide. By the time the journey is over, I know that she will be skipping down the path and chattering away - but at first, it is gloom and doom as she tries to convince me that her time would be better spent watching "Sponge Bob."

Castlewood is a unique location for hiking. The walk along the bluffs provides a view of the Meramac River and surrounding countryside which is unparalleled.  The hike on River Scene is short enough to be done in an hour or two - which is just enough time to provide some exercise and extroversion.  The 3.5 mile trail takes hikers and cyclists along bluffs, down a long staircase, along the Meramac River, then finally through some lowlands and a meadow. I know of no better trail for variation in scenery.

This weekend may be the final weekend to explore the bluffs and take in some of the last fall colors. I hope that the weather holds out and that you have the same opportunity that I had this past weekend - it was worth the whine.