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Trail of the Month Program
800-334-6946

Hikers' Comments on Sheppard Point Trail
Trail of Tears State Park

	Month Hiked	Comments from participants of the 2007 Trail of the Month Program
	October 2007	This is a very enjoyable trail, with lots of ups and downs. Not very many level spots, so you will get a work out. The view along parts of the trail of the Mississippi is great.
	September 2007	Thank goodness for the nice benches to sit down on while walking the trail! The trail was really rough. The temp was in the 90s so that didn't help. My husband walked with me and we had to sit or stand and rest several times. It took us two hours to walk the trail.
	August 2007	Very lovely. Great views of the Mississippi. Love this trail. Would do it again.
	August 2007	This one had a nice view of the Mississippi. I also enjoyed some of the large trees amid the winding trail. It was a fairly difficult hike for two miles.
	August 2007	This park has some interesting history behind it. It is also pretty difficult. It took us-- at a fairly quick pace -- around an hour to hike the two miles. It is up and down a mountain right next to the Mississippi River. There are some bluffs hanging out for look-out points and there are places near the path that are scary drop-offs. Bring water and good shoes.
	August 2007	There are real thick woods in the valley behind the ridge. The hike up the ridge is steep but well worth the effort. The views of the Mississippi from the top are wonderful.
	July 2007	It was a very rugged trail. Even at my age of 61, we really enjoyed it. We saw a lot of pretty butterflies. Also, a red spider. Beautiful overlook to the Mississippi River from the bluffs. Also saw lots of old graffiti on the hackberry trees.
	July 2007	This trail had a number of steep hills and valleys starting right from the parking lot. But the climbs are well worth it as the views of the Mississippi are grand (I bet even better in the fall!) I also found a geocache as an added bonus along this trail.
	July 2007	Indeed a rugged trail going up and down and we finished just as it was getting dark! Wondered if that was a benchmark by the clue location? Went clockwise instead of counterclockwise and was glad we did as it was easier climbing up some of those rocks on the path rather than negotiating a way to get down them.
	July 2007	Lots of fun! We were rained on the entire hike but the bluff top scenery was great. Provides some great views of the Mississippi. Lots of ups and downs -- this is a strenuous hike. Beware: in the rain; this dirt trail turns to treacherous mud. A fall could turn very serious so use caution.
	June 2007	It was fun hearing the trains passing by along the river and seeing the river barges traveling up the Mississippi River. We didn’t see much wildlife but did see what we thought were bobcat tracks in the mud of a creek bed.
	June 2007	This is a pretty rugged hike in certain areas and easy in others. We saw river barges on the Mississippi and heard trains below the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi. Take your bug spray.
	June 2007	It's a fairly easy hike. You will need to watch your footing in a couple places, if the trail is wet. There's lots of poison ivy to be aware of. You might find yourself out-pacing a barge! There are some beautiful flowers, and one place where there's just enough sunlight for a single flowering plant. Nice!
	June 2007	Most of this trail is shaded by trees. It was a little steamy this afternoon but made for a good workout. Photographed beetles, butterflies and millipedes.
	May 2007	This is a rugged trail. If it's warm, take along lots of water, because you go up and down hills and bluffs. Some good scenery with a bluff over the Mississippi River.
	May 2007	This trail was absolutely beautiful. There were some steep hills but they were all manageable. We discovered the Trail of the Month walking sticks at the park store when getting a trail map and I believe it was well worth it. There were may pretty flowers to look it along the way. We loved this trail.
	May 2007	BEAUTIFUL!!! This is a very rugged path, very challenging, but well worth the work! The tree canopy was gorgeous! The view from the summit is breathtaking! On my rugged meter of 1 being flat and 5 being mountain goat, this rated a 5, but the sense of accomplishment and the beautiful scenery made for a great day. Completed in just over one hour. INVEST IN A GOOD HIKING STICK!!!
	May 2007	This is a beautiful trail through a diverse and interesting woods. The trail has a few steep up and down hill portions and a fair amount of poison ivy lines the trail. At one of the creek crossings, there is a substantial amount of stinging nettle, this is where we found many hanging scorpion flies. We even saw some carrying prey in their hind legs- way cool!
	May 2007	Great view of the Mississippi. Pretty darn steep though! Wonderful park station with a nice museum and courteous staff. Only encountered one other soul during the entire hike, so it was nice and quiet.
	May 2007	WOW! This is a beautiful and strenuous trail. I enjoyed walking among the large trees, streambeds and rock ledges. The trail ascends and descends rapidly at various points, but it's worth the effort to view the Mississippi River at the halfway point.