Palisades-Kepler State Park - Mt Vernon, IA - May 2020

So, continuing our Covid-19 summer of exploring our nation's great state parks, I decided to cut out of work early since it was a nice day so we decided to take a spin in the great outdoors.  Palisades park is very close so it fit the bill for a quick afternoon getaway.

For it being so close, I'm not sure why it has been years since I last visited.  It's a small little park w/ boat access, camping, hiking trails, and access to the Cedar River and the old dam.

If you decide to go, I must warn you to bring some old clothes as you'll be tempted (or begged by children) to go into the Cedar River.  Down by the old dam, there are some pretty shallow parts where you can cross over in the river.




Overlook Trail
This short little trail goes right alongside the Cedar River.  There are several access points including a path down to the old dam.  I think a lot of people use it for access to fish off the Cedar.


 A nice lookout point along the river where you can see the dam in the background.
 This was a neat little stair leading down to the dam access point.

A couple more views of the dam in the background.

 
This was obviously not that exciting for some members of the party.


Cool Hollow Trail
We followed the Cool Hollow trail primarily as a means to get to the Cedar Cliff trail, it was a nice woodsy trail w/ a good canopy to keep us cool on a warm spring day.


The girls found an old tree branch so they decided to get off the beaten path.  Thank goodness no poison ivy was found.


Cedar Cliff Trail
The Cedar Cliff trail is the longest in the park and runs along the Cedar as well but offers a bit more seclusion than the Overlook trail.

 This little bridge is perfect for that Instagram moment.  Got to remember this one for senior pictures!

 This set of natural stone stairs was my favorite part of the trail.
Two log crossings and no spills guess those gymnastics lessons paid off.




Overall
If you've got an hour or so to spend and want to get out of the big city (Cedar Rapids), this is a good destination.  The park is beautiful but the hiking itself was not that challenging so I'm going to have to give it a 3.


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