Devil's Den

We're getting ready to head out camping again this coming weekend. We're taking the kids up to Devil's Den State Park in northwest Arkansas. Jeffrey and Logan will be meeting us up there Friday night, so it should be a really fun trip.

If you've never been to (or even heard of) Devil's Den State Park, you don't know what you're missing. It's probably my favorite place to camp. I was first introduced to it in high school on one of my wilderness trips, and I've been back many times since. This is probably my 5th or 6th trip up there. So what makes it so cool?

Of course, the mountains are first on my list. Not only because they are beautiful, but because I'm afraid Melissa will torture me if I don't mention them first. I know they aren't as cool and big as the Rockies, but I have to believe that she would prefer any mountains to none.

Second, there is a myriad of hiking trails. One of them evens stretches directly down the center of Lee Creek for a good half mile or more....very cold. Another, The Butterfield, I've never done, but Jeffrey and I plan to give it a whirl on this trip. It's a 15 mile trek into the Ozark Forest.

Third, the caves. Most of the caves at the park are actually covered crevices. They're just cracks in the ground that have a sandstone covering. This makes them really easy to explore because there is only one tunnel, so you can't get lost. There are also the more familiar limestone caves on the property, too. One of them is accessible to the public, and I'm going to try and get at least Jeff and Logan in there this time around. The best part of the caves is that they are completely unfinished; meaning that there is no artificial lighting, handrails, or guides. You take a flashlight and have fun. The last time we were there, Jeff and I were exploring one and saw a few bats sleeping on the ceiling. Pretty cool!

Anyway, we leave early Friday morning to try and get there before lunch. I'll write more and post pics when we return.