Wait...a season that won't go away? I thought that was Winter's gig? Well, we're not complaining here at the CCCB. It was 89 degrees, sunny, breezy and dry yesterday (October 4th!). Rather than wondering when it will end, we are busy with fall projects.

The first new development we have tackled is relocation of the campground at Ranney Knob. If you've never been to Ranney Knob, just imagine a long, shady lane lined with wildflowers. Butterflies dance in sunbeams as you follow this magical trail to a grassy opening amidst tall cottonwood and walnut trees on the river bank. This is where you used to find the Ranney Knob campground. On a summer evening, the cotton would float down in the late day sunlight like little fairies in an enchanted forest.

Are you getting the picture? Well, I regret to add that we tore that campground down. Yes, it's gone. It was nice, when it worked, but the Little Sioux River and its local feeder creeks have changed their flooding pattern in recent years. I have seen water up to the rooftops of the camping shelters too many times to imagine I can hold off these natural events with wishful thinking. The road into Ranney Knob is now an angler access road. The campground has been reconstructed near the entrance to the park, just West of Washta on County Road C66. We plan to finish it next week, and we hope you like it as much as we do! Check back for photos...

Our other major fall undertaking is construction of an RV campground at Martin's Access, adjacent to our popular cabins. Work on 11 full-service (water, sewer, electric) sites is underway. By next spring, expect top-notch campsites with level limestone pads and concrete patios. It will take time to convince some attractive trees and shrubs to charm these spots with their shade and blooms, but they should be ready to use by camping season, 2012. We are extremely grateful for the financial support of the County Supervisors! They are paying for this entire new development with Rural Betterment funds, collected through Cherokee County's local option sales tax. Please let them know that you appreciate their support of your favorite parks!

Happy Fall, everyone! Get out there and enjoy it!

Have you ever opened the closet, switched on the light and then stood there wondering what you are after? Well, similarly, I have no idea what I was planning to tell you about Martin's Access after my last post in April! So....I'll make something up....

Improvements at Martin's this year have included better signage for the park entrances (North Gate and South Gate) that should help clarify the location of cabins and also horse trailer/trailhead parking. New grass has been seeded in the camping area closest to the North Gate entrance, restoring tent camping to this area which was briefly used as an overnight equestrian area. Unfortunately, this terrain is erodable, north-facing and shaded, making it poorly suited to horse loafing and trailer parking. Hey, we learn something new every season! We'll get it right if we keep trying!

Horses in the park have been restricted to day-use only because we don't have an area appropriate for the impact they make when they spend consecutive days concentrated in a small area. I realize that some of our park visitors are disappointed with this decision, but it truly solved several problems where balancing the needs of ALL park users and the park environment was our focus.

The cabins at Martin's have been busy, but there are plenty of nights available throughout this summer and fall. Remember, the cabins are open all year! Hunting seasons have become more popular on the reservation calendar, but several holidays are still open. What is there to do? Ask the kids who played there last weekend....they splashed in a wading pool, had squirt gun battles, collected rocks, rode bikes, blew bubbles, caught fireflies, ate s'mores, told stories, threw frisbees, played baseball, and dragged their parents on walks to pick flowers and watch birds. 

Black raspberries are ripe, if you can brave the mosquitoes, and catfishing should be picking up as the water level drops a bit. Paddling on the river and especially on Mill Creek have been popular. Remember a canoe or kayak is only $25 (you haul it) per rental from the CCCB! Call 225-6709 with any questions! 

Ahhh, springtime. Flowers are blooming, the wind is blowing 30 mph, snow is in the forecast, and we keep tracking mud all over our offices here at the CCCB. But even though Mother Nature thinks it's funny to abuse northwest Iowa with wintery weather in April, we know that our park visitors are knocking on the gates. I am happy to announce, to all you hikers, birdwatchers, anglers, campers, and other odd birds, that the roads are open at most of our parks. Wells with hand-pumps have been tested and found safe, so the handles are back on the pumps. Restrooms have been scrubbed out and hosed down, lovingly, by park staff. We had the pleasure of testing tornado sirens at Martin's Access and Silver Sioux a couple of weeks ago (on a much warmer day, I might add), to warn visitors of dangerous weather. Ranney Knob, in rural Washta, still sits behind closed gates. This quiet and beautiful park was six-feet-under (water) at least twice last year, and has actually been closed down since June 2010. This spring, we have reseeded the campground with grass, since 9 out of 10 tent campers prefer grass over river muck, and we will open the gates after a bit of road work and some additional table scrubbing. And, of course, after the grass is established. I'm told that grass requires sunshine and warm soil, which are currently in short supply. 

At Silver Sioux Recreation Area, in rural Quimby, the power and water are on in the campground. Unfortunately, an underground pipe is gushing hundreds of gallons of that water into the soil via a leak below a hydrant (a typical bump in the road to park readiness). We should have it fixed before any campers arrive.

Tune in again soon for a Martin's Access update.....

Cherokee County, in the Little Sioux Valley, is home to migrating and over-wintering Bald Eagles from fall through spring. Now that their nesting season has returned, multiple pairs of these majestic birds appear to be making Cherokee County their summer home as well. Don't miss the opportunity to see and learn about our native National Bird, the Bald Eagle, Saturday, March 26, at the Cherokee VFW Hall.

Programs begin with refreshments from 8:30 AM until 10 AM, during which time we hope to travel to a site nearby to view eagles feeding or nesting! At 10 AM, at the VFW, Buena Vista County Naturalist Katie VanDerlinden will bring two live kestrels for a program. At 11 AM, Cherokee County Director Ginger Walker will present a program about bird watching and bird identification.

Lunch is available for a free will donation, followed at 1 PM by a live eagle presentation by Kay Neuman, wildlife rehabilitator with SOAR (Save Our Avian Resources) of Dedham, Iowa.

Contact the CCCB for further info! See you Saturday!

Come one, come all! The three new cabins at Martin's Access, located within the south gate into the park addition (look for balloons!), will be open for public inspection from 10 AM until Noon this Saturday, June 19. This is a come and go event. Staff will be present to answer questions, share information and take reservations, or, feel free to ignore us and take a look on your own! Light refreshments will be available. We just can't wait to show you how they've turned out!

About a year ago, we started to build three rental cabins at Martin's Access. You might say that we were jumping on the bandwagon, following the trend statewide to rake in a little more revenue than a campsite can muster. But it seemed like a good idea anyway. How else to share our beautiful, quiet outpost in the Little Sioux Valley with folks who aren't interested in sleeping in tents? How better could we make families, young and old, comfortable in such a remote environment? Cabins were a great answer!

We have received recent criticism for our cabins' apparent lack of style. No pizzazz, I guess. But I wonder if our critic has spent much time in the cabins. The design and materials we (by we I mean my co-worker and me) used came from years of experience fixing and cleaning and maintaining public facilities. We built a simple cabin with simple utilities, using common sense and durable materials, so that they will outlast our tenure here and hold up to The Public, that mysterious and demanding entity who vex our bathroom cleaners and use our picnic tables for firewood. The cabins are durable, solid, long-lasting, quiet, cozy, vibrant, and easy to keep. Big enough to live in, small enough to be efficient. We didn't cut any corners on materials or workmanship! Please come see for yourself (especially you critics!)!

Finally, before you ask, I will add that we are far from done with the cabin area. Future plans include trees and shrubs, native prairie plantings, modern campsites, equestrian trailer parking, a visitor kiosk, a playground and more. And we value your input! It helps keep our priorities in order. So pay us a visit, or just plan to get away from it all at a cabin in the near future! Call our office (712-225-6709) to make a reservation!