Stone State Park or: On the Road

The Iowa DNR calls Stone State Park in Sioux City an "urban wildlife sanctuary."  That is a truthful but also misleading statement. Although it's on the edge of Sioux City, I never felt like I was near Iowa's fourth largest city. There was no traffic noise at all. As for the "wildlife sanctuary" claim? ACCURATE.  Plenty of deer, including a large buck, were visible from the trails. I'm still learning specific bird calls, but there was plenty of avian chatter in the early morning hours.

The early morning sun was trying to peek through between short rain showers.

How early? Plenty early, my friends! I was at the Longfoot trailhead at 6:30 a.m. The high for the day was going to be a steamy 96 degrees, and I wanted to put on some miles before I completely melted into a puddle of sweat. 

Stone State boasts a crap ton of trails--that is an official scientific measurement. I decided to first follow a loop suggested by my AllTrails app that consisted of parts of the Longfoot, Ruth's Ridge, and Broken Toe trails. This loop was about 3.5 miles long.

These specific trails are also designated for equestrian use.  I had to be careful of many deep ruts and piles of horse poop. Because of these considerations, it was difficult to look up for long periods of time without risking my balance and/or keeping my shoes crap-free. But when I did look up--wow.

The combination of the early hour and intermittent rainy skies meant I caught glimpses of daybreak when I came out from under the tree canopies. It made me want to take earlier hikes in the future because I could watch everything around me wake up, unfurl, and begin the day. It was so rejuvenating!

A tiny portion of the Longfoot loop was on a gravel road, but almost 25% of a second loop in the upper part of the park was on paved park roads. That didn't seem safe to me since there are a lot of twisty roads with extremely narrow shoulders. I scrapped the plan for the second loop and instead hiked over a mile of the Dakota Point and Buffalo Run trails. Just look at the picture below--WOWZA! I happily ventured up and down plenty of loose gravel steps for this view.

Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa! (Note: this is actually South Dakota and the Big Sioux River. However, the need for geographical accuracy has never stopped me from dropping a really good Field of Dreams reference.)

For a second on the Dakota Point Trail, I forgot I was so close to another state and was actually gazing out on South Dakota fields. The Big Sioux River, which flows into the Missouri River, provides a natural boundary for the park and the state of Iowa. (Amusing but slightly off-topic anecdote: One time I went for a haircut in Sioux City and accidentally ended up in Nebraska. That's how close to the edge of the state it is.)

I had no expectations when I entered Stone State Park. Upon leaving, I now have a new park to recommend to other hikers. Stone State Park has gorgeous views, plenty of trail signage for easy navigation, and a variety of trail types depending on your preference. It even houses the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center; the nature center includes live/interactive plant and animal exhibits, prairie grass trails, and a butterfly garden. This won't be the last time I visit Stone State Park. It's well worth the drive.

Total miles covered: 4.8 (This is the most I've hiked alone so far!)
Total time: 1 hour, 38 minutes of moving time
Temperature: 73 degrees Fahrenheit
Water consumed: 28 oz
Food consumed: I snacked on a little packet of Justin's Honey Almond Butter between trails.