Rock Island State Park

Lora and I decided to do an overnight trip to Rock Island State Park.  We headed out Friday evening and got to the park at dinner time.  We found our site in the campground ate dinner and went exploring.  We started on the other side of the river and hiked the 1.6 mile Downstream trail.  It is rated strenuous but we found it quite easy.  It goes by the Twin Falls, the Blue Hole, and does a loop at the bottom.  There is a side trail that leads to a rock house with a creek cascading down a rock formation just in front of the rock house. Pretty neat!

After that we hiked the 0.5 mile Upstream trail also labeled as strenuous.  It goes up to the flat rock bed down from the Great Falls.  After that we drove back to the other side of the river to visit the Great Falls overlook, the Cotton Mill, Castle, and another overlook.  We saw a couple of deer while we were out.  We then headed to the boat launch and beach to check it out.

We got back to camp, set up our camp, and started our campfire.  All was good!

The next morning we got up ate breakfast, broke down camp, and headed off for a fun filled day.  We started with the 1.7 Bluff trail.  It is a lollipop trail which includes a grown up Bluff which probably had views in the winter.  We kicked up a deer on the trail.  From here we went to hike the 3 mile Collins River trail.  It wonders along the Collins River and then cuts up by a cemetery and old home site.

After our hiking, we took our canoe and headed to the boat launch.  There were a lot of people out this morning.  We headed upstream to the Blue Hole and then went down stream as far as Barren Creek.  We saw lots of canoes and kayaks on the water.  We stopped and visited a man at the Horseshoe Bend Marina who told us about a water fall on Barren Creek.  So after you pass the Webb's Camp Road boat ramp you go across the river to Barren Creek.  You go as far as you can by boat and then walk up the creek 100 yards to the falls.  Very pretty area.

After we got back we loaded up and headed home.  It was a beautiful area to visit.

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