Just over 5-hours away from Chicago is Pikes Peak State Park in McGregor, Iowa. At only .45 miles the Bridal Veil Trail offered beautiful overlooks and the boardwalk led to a waterfall.
Overall Thoughts on Bridal Veil Falls Trail:
Difficulty (Lower is Easier)
Amenities
Transportation & Accessibility:
Crowding:
Views & Wildlife:
Overall Rating:
Difficulty
Difficulty-wise, Bridal Veil Falls Trail is a short but mildly strenuous hike, especially if you run out of breath on stairs like me. The hike features a wooden boardwalk with gradual steps. Plus, the size of the path does accommodate traffic both ways most of the time. However, only one side of the steps has a handle, which makes passing groups a bit tricky at times.
The hike also features scenic overlooks with benches, which make for a great place to catch your breath and take a break.
Although it is a one-way path, the roundtrip is relatively short at just about a mile. However, this trail does connect to other paths if you are looking for a lengthier hike!
Transportation & Accesibility
When it comes to getting to the park you are in for a bit of a drive as Pike Peak State Park is just over a 5-hour drive from Chicago. Unfortunately, there are no public transportation options, though in our eyes the scenic valleys of the Mississippi River and its tributaries made the drive worth it.
Accessibility-wise the trail features a significant number of stairs that make the trail incredibly challenging to those who need those features.
Beauty & Wildlife of Pikes Peak State Park
Pikes Peak State Park is all about vistas and this holds true for the Bridal Veil Falls Trail. The scenic views of the Mississippi River Valley were only amplified by the stunning fall colors. Golden yellows, vibrant ambers, and burning oranges glowed in the sunset, the perfect time to take photos!
When it came to the advertised highlight of the trail, the eponymous Bridal Veil Falls we were unimpressed, as at the time the waterfall was merely a drizzle.
For us, the highlights that impressed and wowed and got this trail a high score were the fall foilage and the lookout points!
As for wildlife, we were surprised to find deer out and about despite how busy the trail was. They certainly seemed very comfortable around people.
A few notes before you walk the Bridal Falls Trail at Pikes Peak State Park
When it comes to amenities the park featured basically everything you could ask for. With large, clean bathrooms with flushable toilets, benches, map brochures, and water fountains the park really has it all.
To our surprise, Pikes Peak State Park even had a small information and store booth. We were thrilled to find a patch! The store also carried other small souvenirs like magnets and pins.
As with any well-known park, there are going to (usually) be crowds. Pikes Peak State Park was no exception, especially considering it was fall, their busy season. With that said the crowds were not overbearing and the experience was definitely worth it. Even with people around, I still felt like we were able to enjoy the trail and get the views, and photos, we were hoping for.
For those of you looking to extend your adventure, Pikes Peak State Park offers campsites.
Return to Trail Guides.
This place sounds amazing! Will have to put this on my list of places to visit! Thanks for the heads up!