This summer has been a mixed bag for me --- our summer vacation was nice but rained me out. Our trip to Wisconsin for CICO was great, but we got rained out, but our best trip by far has been one of our routine weekend trips.
Maybe this trip was just the crisp autumn air, combined with an azure blue sky with nary a cloud and a few camping surprises....but, boy, did I need it.
We went to Charlestown State park --- made youtube famous by "proper people" who, a few years ago, did an urban exploration of a WWII munitions plant that was then being torn down. Sadly, its not a visitable site yet, combined with a turn-of-the-last century amusement park called "Rose Island" which is now one of their hiking trails.
There is 1 main loop, and then 2 smaller loops that branch off of it. The main loop is pretty awful. Big sites, but they are all wide open and on a busy 2 lane, 2 direction 'street' --- I wouldn't stay there on a bet. However, the 2 loops off of the main loop are much quieter and very nice.
There's 1 site --- and I'll tell you the number only if you mail me a request - written on the back of $100 bills - the bigger the print and more detailed the request, the faster I'll respond.
The site nestles up to a ring of trees with about a 15-foot gap where you can step inside --- from inside you have trees and underbrush on all sides -- making it impossible to see anyone, or for them to see you. Amazing. It could use a refresh of the stone used to suppress mud...I'm sure on a wet weekend it wouldn't have been as nice. I knew about the site before we left, but I had never actually camped there.
As an added bonus, I added a "Solo Stove" ranger to my collection --- I have a "bonfire" that I used to take in the big camper, but it just takes up too much space to tote around. The Ranger is much smaller, totally redesigned from the early bonfire (easy to clean), lights easily, burns without much smoke, and burns completely --- with the temps around freezing we went through quite a bit...I think I've given it a good workout. 2 or 3 people around it were comfortable....a fourth or more and you'll probably want a larger fire...
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I highly recommend one of these if you aren't into smoky fires and are perhaps not the best pyro out there
The best thing to see while at this park is another park --- the Falls of the Ohio which is about 30 minutes away....Amazing site.
If you're in Southern Indiana or northern Kentucky -- it's well worth the trip.
