Brushy Creek or: A moveable feast

There are some trails that allow me to daydream about being able to complete sections of the PCT or AT–these trails invigorate me, help me feel connected to the natural world, and empower me to continue to push my boundaries.
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The Clay Hill and Preserve Loop Trail at Brushy Creek State Recreation Area is no such trail.

This SHOULD mean no horse poop, right? Right?

I don’t want to completely knock Brushy Creek; there’s well-placed signage and a variety of delightful landscapes. It’s not the trail itself. I had liberally applied mosquito/tick spray and lotion prior to my hike, but I did not account for a punier and even more perilous pest: gnats. GNATS, I TELL YOU! They weren’t horrible as long as I was moving, but as soon as I slowed to look at a plant or consult my map, they swarmed my eyes, nose, and mouth. 

I was a moveable feast.
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Not only are there eleventy billion gnats on the trail, but a good chunk of this trail is multi-use, so dodging a crap ton (a scientific measurement) of horse crap became my main focus instead of enjoying the scenery. Even the parts with clear “no horses” signs had (somewhat recent) piles right in the middle of the trail. Disappointing, to say the least. 

The Clay Hill and Preserve Trail loop is made up of parts of the Hackberry, Short Cut, Preserve, Lake, and Clay Hill Trails. Found on the southern side of the Brushy Creek State Recreation Area, it isn’t close to Brushy Creek itself; however, there are enjoyable views of a smaller lake and prairie land on the northern loop of the trail.

Most of the trail is made up of dirt, and there’s gravel in a few sections by the small lake. Several parts also gave way to stretches of sand, which was a bit tougher to maneuver. 

The easy crossing.

There were two small creek crossings on this trail. Thankfully, park officials have placed some cement blocks in the water to aid a dry crossing. With the help of Stick Stickly and the cement blocks, I emerged from the first creek crossing high and dry. However, I wasn’t so lucky on the second crossing. The cement blocks were a bit far out, and the rocks in between were wobbly. It’s the Rule of the Oregon Trail–sometimes you will ford the river safely, and sometimes you will lose an ox and maybe young Henry. After I found a poop-free part of the trail to sit and wring out my sock, I was back at it.

As a neophyte plant identifier, there was a lot of foliage I didn’t recognize. Luckily, there’s an app for that! I wasn’t able to consult PlantNet during my hike–GNATS!--so I just took some quick pics along the way and researched when I got home.

PlantNet’s results didn’t seem totally sure about one plant, so I queried the members of Facebook’s “The Iowa Forager” group. They verified that, yes, poison hemlock was growing big and tall right in the middle of the Clay Hill section! Other plants I saw were fleabane (like daisies), wild roses, and possibly golden dock. Another bummer–no mushrooms! I am a convert to the altar of golden oysters, but none were to be found.

Overall, Brushy Creek is probably a “one and done” hiking spot for me. I would probably come back only after a hard frost or if I got a bug net. It's a pretty area, but it was tough to enjoy it.

Total miles covered: 4.59 miles 
Total time: 1 hour, 43 minutes 
Temperature: 70 degrees Fahrenheit, 80% humidity 
​Bugs/ticks: No ticks; eleventy billion gnats
Water consumed: 15 oz (didn’t want to open my mouth a lot due to gnats)