Coons, wasps, owls....I love that place

Maplewood Camping

"Raleigh enjoyed his first trip camping this weekend. We traveled to Maplewood State Park on Friday night and set up camp.

Maplewood is the first park that Josh and went camping at, and it is by far our favorite park. This is the perfect time of year to visit it also. About half of the trees have already turned their magnificent orange, yellow or red color for the fall. There were no mosquitoes...although hornets had taken their place...and the weather was perfect - cold at night, hot during the day.

One of the most exciting part of the camping trip was Friday evening in the pitch dark. We were witness to three or more Barred owls enjoying their nightly hunt for small woodland creatures. The sounds that they make are so beautiful. When the owls became truly excited, they sometimes sounded like monkeys and we felt like we were in the jungle. I did manage to get some of the sounds on video camera, however I haven't upload those video files to my computer yet. But I will share with you soon enough.

One of our favorite hikes at this park is the hike up to the highest point in the park. You can see for miles and it always takes my breath away to see such beauty.

If you've never visited Maplewood State Park, please do. It is truly a treasure. There are horseback riding trails, hiking trails, mountain biking trails, and in the winter there are cross country ski trails. In past visits to Maplewood State Park, Josh and I have seen deer, otter, beaver, toads, and bald eagles....we've heard Barred owls...we've had a raccoon steal our bag of hot dog buns...and we've been lost in the dark. I love that place."