ABOUT THE PARK: Garden of the Gods Wilderness - USDA
Garden of the Gods Recreation Area - USDA
DIRECTIONS: GPS Coordinates 37.60492, -88.38467 (Using GPS to these coordinates is non recommended. I forgot I had read that somewhere together with remembered when my GPS was leading me downward rutted wood roads, telling me to plow on roads which did non fifty-fifty exist. GoogleMaps shows directions accurately)
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| When I arrived at t 9:30 AM on a Sabbatum at that topographic point was plenty of parking. |
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| But the lot fills upwardly together with at that topographic point volition endure a constant caravan of cars coming inwards vying for an opened upwardly parking spot. |
TRAIL MAP: Garden of the Gods Brochure - USDA
HIKE DISTANCE: 6.2 miles
THE HIKE: Trails are non blazed together with signs at intersections are infrequent. It was frequently really difficult to say where I was together with which agency to become non knowing what was a side path together with what was a trail. Most trails are really dingy together with rutted from heavy Equus caballus traffic.
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| The principal attraction is the Observation Trail thus nosotros headed at that topographic point origin earlier the crowds arrived. |
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| Not similar anything I bring ever seen before. |
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| Looking over Garden of the Gods Wilderness Area. |
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| There were people everywhere on top of stone formations. Not us! |
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| I larn weak inwards the knees simply seeing those people standing there. |
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| OK, plenty of that, it was starting to larn crowded. On to the Garden of the Gods Wilderness trails. |
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| We turned left onto a footpath at a trail marking - the alone such trail marking nosotros saw. |
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| Still lots of people inwards this expanse where at that topographic point are to a greater extent than interesting stone formations. |
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| Anvil Rock |
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| Paths Pb out to overlooks to the betoken where you lot can't say if you lot are however on the trail or not. |
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| Finally a sign at an intersection. Looks similar 108E is what I wanted thus that is the agency nosotros went. |
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| In retrospect, looking at my rails compared to the map, looks similar nosotros should bring crossed the creek to the left hither to produce the loop I had planned. But alongside no sign together with a really distinct trail along the correct side of the creek, that is what nosotros followed. |
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| This trail took us through gorgeous stone formations alongside nobody else around. |
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| The trail crossed the creek several times on rocks together with was e'er slowly to honor on the other side. Yet it turns out this trail isn't fifty-fifty on the map. |
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| I eventually lost the trail at boundary markers. We bushwhacked a chip but could non honor a trail together with did non desire to gamble getting lost this far out thus nosotros retraced. |
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| All was non lost - was non the trail I had inwards take away heed but it was gorgeous together with thus remote alongside nobody else around. |
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| Back at the sign where nosotros started, took 001A towards the parking lot. |
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| This sign totally confused me because the River to River Trail is non inwards this area, at to the lowest degree non on the map. The sign could bring meant which agency to become to encounter upwardly alongside the River to River Trail. I was going through the parking lot to larn to that trail. |
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| Lots of horses arriving. |
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| Heading through the parking lot towards the entrance to selection upwardly the River to River Trail (where it is on the map) to larn over to the Indian Point Trail. |
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| After passing the parking lot entrance, the River to River Trail crosses the entrance route over a niggling agency downward the hill. We turned left together with would endure returning from the right. |
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| At the sign (there are novel signs together with to a greater extent than of them inwards this area) correct on ... |
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| ... a River to River Trail spur (the bluish "i" is the River to River Trail marker) ... |
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| ... through some other crowded parking lot to ... |
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| ... the Indian Point Trail which is a hiker alone trail. |
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| Coming upwardly on the overlook together with fortunately, for all the cars inwards the parking lot together with other people on this trail, nosotros had the views to ourselves. |
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| Looping some past times to a greater extent than stone formations. |
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| Back at the parking lot where nosotros went a curt distance through the lot thus left ... |
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| ... on spur to the River to River Trail. |
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| At the principal River to River Trail (we were coming upwardly on the dorsum of the sign) nosotros turned correct equally curt distance ... |
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| ... thus left on the principal route dorsum to the parking lot. |
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| While I was changing shoes at the dorsum of my car, cars were stopping quest if I was leaving. One afterwards some other afterwards another. I actually wanted to sit down a infinitesimal together with bring tiffin earlier the 400 mile drive to the motel thus Brodie together with I ducked behind the seats where nobody could consider us thus nosotros could tiffin inwards peace earlier leaving together with giving upwardly our spot. |
