Wildcat Den Visit

If you ever find yourself around the quad cities and care to venture off the beaten path, there’s a swell little park you should visit, or pitch a tent. Wildcat Den State Park just a few miles up river from the Melon City Criterium course. It’s small enough that you can easily see everything there is to see at the park in a day or maybe even a motivated afternoon. The mix of geology and geography makes it a pretty special place. In proper Spring 2015 fashion, it was was raining most of the Memorial Day weekend but we were able to catch a break and take a hike around the park. The rain contributed greatly to the lushness of the environment and the images. Rain and harsh weather usually make for some of the best photography conditions if you’re willing to deal with the elements. My rock climbing background made my palms sweat looking at all the interesting exposed rock, but my brain knew better – most of it is not climbable (and illegal too).