I’m calling this a creek walk even though only half of the hike included the creek. Peas Creek is where my son and I lingered and it made a big impression on us. The creek was at the perfect flow for a manageable walk.
We strapped on our daypacks filled with lunch and water and began our trek at the campground. A perfect fall weekend had most of the campsites full. The campground is fully shaded by the trees all around. This makes the Ledges one of my favorite trailer camping parks.
Our trail head was at a well maintained path leading to the hike-in tent sites. Walking down the trail, it was amusing to watch tent campers hauling gear into their sites with carts and arm-loads of stuff. At least they were outside enjoying the park. At 200 ft. from the trail head we came to the last tent site. The trail here becomes rugged and drops about 150 ft. in elevation down to Pea’s Creek. There are no switch backs on this trail so caution is advised due to mud, damp leaves and steep grade.
At the bottom, the trail intersects with Pea’s Creek and our intention was to follow along side the creek. The DNR map shows the trail running parallel to the creek, however, it appears heavy spring rains have erased all signs of the path. That was fine with us since the creek bed was in perfect condition to hike.
Even on this busy weekend, there was not a soul to be seen in this part of the park. We took our time scrambling and rock hopping our way towards the main park road. There were two spots where large downed trees required us to stop to determine the best way to pass. We noticed many animal tracks, minnows and water bugs. Two months earlier the mosquitoes would have been unbearable here but on this day they were not an issue at all.
Distant voices signaled the end of our hike. As we approached the road I was planning another rout for a future creek walk at the Ledges. My next hike will include the full length of Pea’s Creek and then up Davis Creek.
This hike was an unexpected surprise. We managed to stumble into a solitary creek walk on a crowded fall day at Ledges State Park.
Map
Pros:
Creek was solitary and quite, fall colors.
Cons:
Nice weather kept the park very busy.
Contact:
1515 P Ave.
Madrid, IA 50156
P: (515) 432-1852
F: (515) 432-0750
E: Ledges@dnr.iowa.gov
GPS Data:
Moving Time: 1:50:40 h:m:s
Distance: 3.80 miles
Avg. Moving Speed: 2.6 mph
Elevation Gain: +1,498/-1,717 ft
Avg. Wind Speed: SSE 12.2 mph
Links:
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