This is the end of the Punchbowl Trail so you will have a choice. You will notice a bridge at right when you reach the T-intersection. A stream (which could be dry) rushes in from left. 1 mile you will encounter a straight corridor which might be wet underfoot depending on season. An island of ferns populates the middle of the trail while a small waterfall cascades over a log. 4 miles you will find another rock shelter near a foot bridge. This is the site of a beautiful waterfall early in the season or after an exceptionally rainy period. This is where Devils Punchbowl is filled. You could very easily spend an hour here and well…. Kids enjoy exploring the small creeks (or creekbeds) and will not be at a loss for things to do. The rest of our route is beautiful as well but it would be a shame to rush yourself. The lush greenery and countless nooks and crannies invite you to linger here. This is an area of astounding scenic beauty as you can take in the canyon walls from every direction. Our itinerary will ignore that left turn and continue straight on the Punchbowl Trail. 4 mile Punchbowl Trail you will see another path go off to your left which leads to the Upper picnic area. Timely visitors will see a higher volume of water which can be simply breathtaking while at other times of the year the plunge pool and trickling ledge are still pleasing to the senses. Remnants of the flood season (which occasionally pours over the ledge with authority) usually still shows some signs of life even in the height of summer. You can easily tell where there is a tall waterfall here even in the dry season. Here in the Punchbowl you’re in the middle of it all. Big logs and huge boulders are caught up in the stream beds that come in from different directions. It’s clear that when spring floods and heavy sudden rains have their way, the Punchbowl comes to life. Heading down the campground trail towards Devil’s Punch bowl. After an observation platform that allows you to take in the scene down below, (only 1/4 mile from the campground) you will find yourself at the intersection of different drainages. On a hot day the sudden coolness of the air is a wonderful respite. Go right and down the steps into the gorgeous glen. A short distance down the trail you will encounter some steps that lead further into the belly of the beast. The so called Campground trail heads downhill from here with a gravel surface. You might feel a bit conspicuous if those sites are occupied but you are on the right track. Next to campsites 5 and 6 you will notice a trail head into the woods. The sites are open and close together but if that’s unimportant to you there is excellent access to the beautiful Devils Punchbowl that might make up for the camping aesthetics. The campground is fairly small and they haven’t made a ton of effort to appeal to the camping crowd. Fans of wooded private campsites will be disappointed but that’s not the strength of this park. Our hike begins in the campground in the Western section of the park on 181st St. If you’re an Eastern Iowan who hasn’t yet toured the towering confines of the Devils Punchbowl, squeezed through fat mans misery, frolicked in Pine Creek or visited the scenic grist mill and 1 room schoolhouse then what are you waiting for? Bring your visiting friends in to show them what the area has to offer hikers, maybe even shatter some pre-conceived stereotypes in the process. Tucked away off a series of gravel roads less than 30 minutes from Muscatine and the Quad Cities in SE Iowa, lies a surprisingly scenic little pocket of land which provides a stark contrast to the myth that Iowa is just a series of cornfields next to the Mississippi River. This route will take you down into the gorgeous Devil’s Punch Bowl, past a few streams that flow gracefully in the shadows of the tall canyon walls, past a gloriously fun swimming hole, through a perilously narrow gateway called Fat mans squeeze and past the parks namesake Wildcat Den. Location: Wildcat Den State Park, Muscatine, IAĭistance- 1.70 Mile loop, (2.9 miles if including the out and back to the grist mill)ĭifficulty- Easy-Moderate (A few sets of steps but nothing too crazy)ĭescription- This 1.7 mile loop begins and ends at the State Park campground along 181st St.
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