Charlestown Trail 1

Beginning of Trail 1 in Charlestown State Park

This morning we decided to take on Trail 1 at Charlestown State Park. It was rated a rugged 2.4 mile trail.  However, it gets an 'Ashley Rating' of 'mostly-moderate-with-rugged-sections'. The entire hike took us around an hour and fifteen minutes.  We could easily have finished it more quickly, but the trail offers amazing rock formations.  We had repeated stops just to take in the amazing surroundings.  Charlestown trails are great because each one has it's own feel.  The beginning of trail one had a 'meadow' feel to it.  It was wide enough that Kyle and I could walk side by side.

As we walked, we started noticing these odd concrete pieces on both sides of the trail.  We are not sure what they are for, but we saw them throughout the hike.

The trail began downhill, and there were stunning rock formations both in the path and along both sides.  Here are some of the best pictures we got along the way.

 

 

Some of the coolest formations were where the water had cut grooves into the rocks.  See the natural bridge and the area around it for yourself.

 

The path has many different types of terrain.  It is mostly packed dirt with rocks throughout, but we had grass, creek bed type rocks, and even walked over a mini water fall.  The trail has both natural and man-made bridges.  A bit over halfway we saw the remains of an ancient concrete bridge.

Trail one is definitely a hike I would recommend, and would love to do again.  I love the variety of trails at Charlestown, and will definitely be checking out the rest of them.  If you are looking for a great place to hike, head to Charlestown. 

Back to Charlestown

Charlestown State Park has quickly become my favorite place to hike.  The trails not only offer spectacular views, but are also well marked and maintained.  We were still a bit tired and sore from the grueling hike yesterday at Deam Lake, so we were looking for a somewhat easy hike today.  We ended up on Trail 6 a rugged 2.3 miles.  It was another great trail that started with a rocky incline.

At the top of the hill, the trail levels off and we walked close to a mile on the top of the bluff.  We could spot the Ohio River in places, as well as some birds. 

However, near the halfway point, where we begin descending the hill the terrain became the most interesting.  There were water falls, bridges, amazing rock formations, and the remains of buildings from the past.

The trail was rated 'rugged' but I was not really understanding why until the decent.  It seemed we were walking in a creek bed.  It was very unstable with both loose and solid rocks along the way. It did not feel nearly as treacherous as a lot of the Deam Lake trail, but it was by far the toughest part today.

There are several more trails at Charlestown we want to knock out.  So far we love trails 3, 6, and 7.  I think we will be trying Trail 1 next.  Before we go, here are some 'bloopers' from today.

I have added pictures of Kyle and his Binoculars - its only fair I include my fanny pack!

Spiderweb.  'Nuff said?

Thorns and Poison Ivy

Today Kyle and I decided to tackle a hike at Deam Lake State Park. Let's just say we have had the worst luck trying to hike at Deam Lake. This is the 4th time we have tried - two of the other times it has stormed. The other time we saw a copperhead before we ever made it to the trail head. We finally didn't get turned around. 

Today we decided we would try out their one rugged trail - trail 4. Lake Vista Trail I believe is the given name and Wikipedia sites it being 2.5 miles. Kyle decided it should be called 'long slow death'.  We could make this a short post by simply saying we will not be repeating the trail. The first half was all basically uphill while also being poorly-maintained and supplying poor footing. As considerate hikers, we try to knock down spider webs for one another, warn if there is a particularly dangerous root sticking up etc. We said 'thorns' and 'poison ivy' so many times I decided it was going to be our title today.

The climb on the first half of the trail was not friendly.  My bronchitis has had me down long enough that I definitely could feel the struggle to breathe.  Combine that with the incline and obstacles I found myself taking the trail fairly slowly.   It took us about an hour and fifteen minutes to knock out the entire trail.  I should add Kyle was a literally wearing spider webs when we got back to the car.  I probably owe him one. 

 Although at the top of the hill, there were some pretty spectacular views, I have been on plenty of hikes with beautiful views that are not as frustrating as our hike today. There were several times I just wanted it to be over, and that is not like me at all.

Luckily, we started our morning off with some kayaking on Deam Lake. The kayaking was the best part of our time in the park, and I definitely got some sun while on the lake. Enjoy the pictures from kayaking below.  Kyle risked his phone for them after all!

 

Rose Island Loop at Charlestown State Park

Kyle and I attempted a hike this evening, but a storm had other plans. Instead I'm going to post about my favorite hike we have done this year.
About a month ago, Kyle and I decided to head to Charlestown State Park for trail number 3. It is listed as a rugged 2.1 mile trail. It begins with a paved half mile decline. When we reached the trailhead for trail 3, we were not prepared for what we saw. There was a footbridge over 14 mile creek. We decided to go ahead and cross to see what was on the other side. Here is what we found:

In the early 1900's Rose Island was an amusement park in Southern Indiana. In the summers, families came from up and down the Ohio River, and all over Indiana to visit. We know there was a swimming pool, shelter house with picnic tables, hotel, dance hall, and the 'Walk of Roses'.

Charlestown State Park is doing their best to preserve what is left of Rose Island. You can see this for yourself on the 'Rose Island Loop Trail' - Kyle and I stumbled upon it totally by chance.
They have information posted throughout the loop with what they know about each location, as well as how high the Flood waters of 1937 got. The Great Flood of 37 shut down Rose Island, and ultimately it never reopened. This has been by far my favorite hike to date.

We finished our hike by getting back to trail 3. Trail 3 was a pretty easy hike until the last mile or so which is mostly uphill. This is a hike I definitely plan on doing again.

Long Time Coming

I am looking forward to keeping tabs on the hikes I do in the southern Indiana area. 

I do the majority of my hikes with my boyfriend, Kyle.  Together we are working to experience the best hiking in our area, and will be documenting each hike.  Each place is unique, and this will be my way to remember.   I will post the location we hiked, any pictures I take, and what we did and did not like about each trail. 
These posts will be just as much for me as anyone else, but I hope others are inspired to get out and enjoy the beautiful hiking we have in Indiana.