Sidelined waiting for my shin to heal from a Melanoma mole excision (slather on the sunblock, people!) but wanting to get out a bit, I hoped the ADA loop still counted as "taking it easy." I've always been moved by the care and work that went into creating the ADA loops on the Old Sauk River Trail and at Rockport State Park in how they gave access to some genuinely beautiful woods to people who might otherwise not get to experience big trees in a sea of moss and ferns. And now, wanting a trail mild enough for a rehabing leg but that still felt like the real woods, I appreciate this loop on a whole nother level and am grateful anew to all those who made this, and trails like it, happen.
We had the place to ourselves late on a Sunday afternoon, and though hot at the house, it was idyllic in the shady woods. The dog and I both thoroughly enjoyed this toe-dip of woodsy-immersion complete with a view of the Sauk running fast and high, and a few wild strawberries to sample. Salmonberries were also ripening, foxglove and orange Hawkweed blooming as well as Wintergreen along the trail.
This loop is meticulously maintained: wide, level and graveled, and is the perfect spot for those wanting a short hike in the real woods.
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