A Peek at Pike’s Peak

After hiking at Effigy Mounds, I travelled a few miles south to Pike’s Peak State Park, also situated high atop a tree-covered bluff.  The park has a fantastic promontory-like overlook platform, offering a safe and superb view up and down the Mississippi River.  While gazing at the awesome scenery, I was serenaded by this gorgeous indigo bunting!

This next photo looks northward, up the Mississippi River.  A barge can be seen, patiently waiting for the next tugboat to come along and give it a push.

Looking downriver, you see the Wisconsin River flowing into the Mississippi.  Remember Marquette and Joliet, the French explorers?  They paddled their canoes down the Wisconsin River, eventually colliding with the Mightly Mississippi right here:

After filling up on river scenery, I headed down the wooden walkway…..

…..which leads eventually to Bridal Veil Falls:

Like the place of the same name in Colorado, Iowa’s Pike’s Peak was named for Zebulon Pike, who explored this area in the early 1800’s, looking for a suitable location for a fort.  He chose this blufftop site, but it was rejected due to the fact that there are Indian mounds here.  I saw the bear mound which rests a little bit north of the river overlook and the conical mounds at Deer Ridge in the woods south of the overlook.