A Hiking We Will Go!

I am not really sure why, but this summer has been void of our normal family hikes. I suppose a large reason is the majority of our weekends have been filled and we have chosen to be lazy on the few that have been free. This afternoon we decided to go on a "mini-hike" of sorts. Good to get the dog out for a much needed walk and to enjoy the great outdoors with the family. It certainly made me wonder why we haven't been doing more.

Our destination was Nolte State Park. This is where I will have my next triathlon at the end of September, so I admit that I was doing a bit of research along with the quality family time. This is really the perfect family outing when you don't want to drive far. Not many people were around and it is out in a beautiful area with some great scenery. A 1.4 mile trail wraps around Deep Lake (that name terrifies me just a bit for the swim portion of the tri but I am sure it will be fine!). It is a very flat and easy trail, perfect for younger hikers. There are small trails leading down to the water and we found a great spot perfect for rock throwing. Madison wanted to explore each small trail, declaring that the regular path was a bit boring and she was looking for adventure!

Along with the nice trail, there is a beach area for splashing and a playground which is perfect incentive for the weary hikers. The way we started the hike the girls didn't see the playground, although it was directly behind us. So at the end of the hike Madison realized that the mile walk truely wasn't necessary to access the playground and questioned the purpose for the hike just a little!

This is definitely a site we will be back to many times. I think it will be a great location for fall foliage photos and just a nice spot for the entire family getting our weekend exercise.