I was so excited to get out and explore Toadstool Park today! Noelle and I have visited this place before. It was early in my first season working at Wind Cave National Park.
I had seen it on the map and it wasn't that far from park housing and so we made the drive down into Nebraska to check it out. We didn't know what to expect, but were both really impressed. So today, I would get to experience this special place all over again.
I made the long drive north, parked at the campground and hit the trail.
It was quite muddy.
Quickly I found myself at some of the first "toadstool" formations.
I continued on the muddy trail at the bottom of a ravine for a bit,
then decided to climb up a drainage to get a view from the top of the badlands. I scared an owl as I climbed the drainage. It was steep and strenuous, but the view at the top made my efforts worth it.
I continued on at the top of the badlands, and loved all the amazing views from my high vantage point.
Besides the views, there were fossils to be found,
including this tooth,
maybe from an oreodont?
The amazing views continued as I traveled along the top of the ridge.
Eventually I came to the Hudson Meng Bison Trail and figured it would make a logical point to start heading back towards the car. I descended the trail down a steep drainage
and even found a small snake that appears to have frozen to death on the trail.
At the bottom of the drainage, the trail continued past lots more interesting formations. I really liked this particular toadstool formation.
Soon enough, I found my way back to the Toadstool Loop and followed it past wonderful scenery
and back to the car. I had one more area to check out before I left though: a sod house.
 |
| Noelle at the sod house during our 2002 trip |
No comments:
Post a Comment