Indian Rock Park in Salina, KS (Blog Hike #809)

Trails: (unnamed)
Hike Location: Indian Rock Park
Geographic Location: east side of Salina, KS (38.83735, -97.58878)
Length: 0.8 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: July 2020
Overview: A short loop featuring rock formations and a pond.
Park Information: https://www.salina-ks.gov/city-parks-playgrounds
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=944015
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: Near Salina, take I-70 to Ohio Street (exit 253).  Exit and go south on Ohio St.  Drive Ohio St. south 3.1 miles to Gypsum Avenue and turn left on Gypsum Ave.  Drive Gypsum Ave. east 0.2 miles to Indiana Avenue.  Turn right on Indiana Ave., then almost immediately turn left to enter Indian Rock Park.  Park in the first small gravel parking lot on the right.

The hike: Owned and maintained by the City of Salina, Indian Rock Park consists of roughly 60 acres on the heavily residential east side of Salina.  The park is most famous for some small waterfalls on the Smoky Hill River, which forms the park's eastern boundary, and also for its namesake rock.  The rock's name comes from the Battle of Indian Rock in 1857, where the eastern Kansa, Delaware, and Potawatomi nations successfully held the rock's high ground against the western Cheyenne and Arapahoe nations.  This battle effectively eradicated the western tribes from present-day central Kansas.  The City of Salina was founded next to Indian Rock in 1858.

            In terms of amenities, the park offers only a small lodge, 3 picnic shelters, and the small system of nature trails featured in this hike.  The trail system was in need of some maintenance when I came here, and that point leads to one warning about this park.  Due to the park's urban location and the lack of trail maintenance, I might not come here on evenings or weekends due to personal safety concerns.  I came here on a Wednesday morning, saw more rabbits than people, and had a nice hike.

Trailhead at parking area

            From the parking lot, head down the dirt/gravel entrance trail and then turn left to begin a clockwise journey around the trail system.  Prairie wildflowers of various kinds line the trail as it climbs to an overlook of the park's pond.  The small grass-ringed pond appears nearly 70 feet below you, and the relatively tall buildings of downtown Salina appear in the distance.  Be careful where you step up here: the soil and rocks that make up this bluff are very loose and easily eroded, so putting a foot in the wrong place could send you tumbling down the steep hill.

High above the pond

            The trail continues climbing along the bluff with the pond downhill to the right until it comes out at the park road at 0.2 miles.  The park's lodge sits just to the right of this point.  Walk south (downhill) along the road for a short distance, then look to the left for a two-track gravel road that leads to the river.  Step over the chain that blocks vehicle access to this road and head for the river.

Smoky Hill River

            Next you pass some partially obstructed views of the river, which was wide and muddy on my visit, before curving right near the park's south boundary.  The open prairie is replaced by dense shrubs in this wet area.  At 0.45 miles, the trail curves right to cross the park road again and arrive at what used to be this park's main trailhead.  Indian Rock itself stands here, and an historical interpretive sign tells about the 1857 Battle of Indian Rock.

Indian Rock

Final leg of trail

            The final leg of this hike may be the roughest one as the trail heads north around and over some large boulders with the pond you stood high above earlier now just feet to your right.  Some numbered posts indicate the existence of an interpretive guide, but none were available on my visit.  After passing the final pond view, you come out at the dirt/gravel entrance trail beside the parking lot that contains your car, thus signaling the end of the hike.

Graham Cave State Park: Loutre River/Indian Glade Loop (Blog Hike #808)

Trails: Loutre River, Indian Glade, and Graham Cave Trails
Hike Location: Graham Cave State Park
Geographic Location: southwest of Montgomery City, MO (38.90331, -91.57639)
Length: 2.6 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: July 2020
Overview: A loop hike passing the graceful entrance to Graham Cave.
Park Information: https://mostateparks.com/park/graham-cave-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=943689
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: Between St. Louis and Columbia, take I-70 to SR 161 (exit 170).  Exit and go north on SR 161, then immediately turn left on County Road TT.  CR TT dead-ends at the park entrance in 2 miles.  Follow the park road to its end at the Lower Picnic Area parking lot, where this hike begins.

The hike: The 100 foot deep, 120 foot wide, and 16 foot high rock shelter today known as Graham Cave has been attracting visitors for millennia.  Archaeological excavations done by the University of Missouri have unearthed artifacts dating to the end of the last Ice Age, and they provide evidence about how humans adapted to the colder temperatures.  As a result of these findings, the cave was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and only 3 years later the cave's former owner Frances Graham Darnell donated the land to form Graham Cave State Park.  Prior to the donation, the land had been in the Graham family since 1847.

             Today the 386-acre park not only preserves the cave but also offers several nice amenities.  On point, the park features a developed campground, several picnic areas, fishing and boating on the adjacent Loutre River, and 5 hiking trails totaling over 4 miles.  The hike described here takes you past the cave, but it also explores the park's riverside and ravine areas, thus giving you a good overview of what Graham Cave State Park has to offer.

Trailhead at Lower Picnic Area

            Start on the Loutre River Trail, which begins at a signed trailhead at the northwest corner of the Lower Picnic Area parking lot.  Marked with red squares, the dirt trail heads into young forest that features a large number of dying red cedar trees.  Red cedar trees are among the first trees to reforest old farm fields, so this area betrays this land's agricultural past.

            At 0.3 miles, you come out at the boat ramp access road, where the trail turns left to briefly follow the road.  Just before reaching the boat ramp, turn right to walk across a sunny field and reenter the woods.  For the next 0.5 miles the trail stays in the Loutre River's floodplain, which features some large black walnut trees.  This trail could be muddy or even flooded when water tables are high, but it was mostly dry on my visit.  Occasional views of the muddy river can be had through the trees on the left.

Loutre River

            Ignore two trails that exit right and stay with the main trail along the river.  At 0.8 miles, the Loutre River Trail curves right and begins heading up a side ravine.  The grade increases, and the trail surface becomes rockier at this point.  Careful stepping will get you up the myriad of loose rocks that appear under foot here.

Climbing up the side ravine

            At 1.3 miles, you reach the upper end of the Loutre River Trail at the park's developed campground.  To continue this hike, angle left and walk around the campground loop road.  Just before you reach the campground store and entrance, look to the left for the signed start of the Indian Glade Trail, which is the next leg of this hike.

Campground trailhead for Indian Glade Trail

            Marked with blue plastic squares, the Indian Glade Trail heads gradually downhill as it traces the rim of another ravine.  Oak trees dominate this ridge.  The bedrock is very close to the surface in this part of the world, and large rock outcrops appear beside the trail.  Parts of this ravine are lined by cliffs and interesting rock formations.  A nice waterfall would appear at the head of the ravine during times of high water tables.

Rock outcrops beside trail

Rock formations along ravine

            2 miles into the hike, you cross the main park road and descend some wooden stairs on the other side.  Where the trail splits, first take the left option, which climbs slightly over bare rock to reach the top of Graham Cave.  The view to the south and east is decent, but the hot bare rock and noise from nearby I-70 detract from this area's ambiance.

            Next take the right option, which descends more wooden stairs to reach the cave's famous entrance.  The cave formed as a gap between layers of limestone and sandstone, and the lintel forms a graceful arc 16 feet above the floor.  A wire mesh fence prevents entrance into the cave, but several benches allow you to enjoy the cave entrance and the mowed-grass area outside the opening.

Graham Cave entrance

            There are a couple of ways to get back to the Lower Picnic Area from here.  The shortest route is to follow the asphalt trail that heads straight downhill from the cave entrance, but a more scenic route uses the Graham Cave Trail, which leaves from a signed trailhead at the east end of the mowed-grass area.  The Graham Cave Trail descends more gradually past a rock shelter that makes a nice waterfall when the creek has sufficient water.  Stay right where the Fern Ridge Trail exits left, and quickly arrive at the east end of the Lower Picnic Area to complete the hike.