Located a few miles Northwest of Crawford, NE is Toadstool Park. Hard limestone formed over softer volcanic material which is eroding faster than the limestone.
Getting there is part of the fun. Bully gate guards bar the way.
There are other ways but I preferred this one. The other follows railroad tracks and is rough with heavy truck traffic.
From a fairly level prairie, the terrain gets seriously rugged.
The trail-head.
At my age and level of physical fitness, a 14 mile jaunt climbing steep hills isn't happening. Yes, people my age are running marathons and swimming the English Channel. Bless their hearts.
Instead I took the easy path.
Still lots to see.
When the Yellowstone super volcano covers this area in several feet of ash, these tracks may become fossilized. Fast forward a couple of million years and some sentient being will be looking at them and going WTF?
For those physically fit and not lazy, many more formations are higher up.
The old ranch kid in me still sees the noxious weeds, in this case, Canadian Thistle.
There is a small area with two pit toilets, shelter tables, and RV parking but no water or power.Day fee is $3 and camping $10.
Off the beaten path but well worth a visit if this is your sort of thing.
12 comments:
Wisdom is knowing your limitations and fun is being able to push right up to that point while not busting yourself up. It looks like a nice hike and day-trip. Smelling the sage under a clear blue sky is always better than smelling urban exhaust.
What do I want when I get old? Younger! A big part of recognizing my limitations is to not be a burden on others.
Reminds me of the hoodoos up by Farmington. And you don't need to push yourself to run marathons.....just keep on movin'!
I've always been intrigued by unusual rock formations.
I noticed there aren't a lot of people bumping into you or getting in your way while on your stroll. I used to enjoy the marathons back in the day, but the TV stations quit following them. My mailbox is a couple of hundred yards away, down the drive. I exercise by walking to the truck and driving down to get the mail. I always feel young behind the wheel.
Only people there were a family of three. My timing was good. As I left, encountered seven vehicles on their way in.
It looks really cool. I love rock formations, too. And canyons and stuff. You've been to Black Canyon on the Western Slope, right?
Many times. Hard to believe there once was a railroad line in there.
Rugged area, no question!
The type of places I enjoy, especially when I was much younger and fit.
Very cool. Never been there. I really depressed I did not observe any toad stools in your pics. :D Glad you got out and saw the sites. Thanks for sharing your pics!
They had to call it something.
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