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| Typical Scene in the Walnut Woods - Des Moines, Iowa |
Visited a beautiful little place along the Raccoon River in
Des Moines, Iowa called the “Walnut Woods”. I had to stretch my legs after a
day of travel and flights so I went for a walk here. So pretty and green –
golden bronze late afternoon sunshine casting rays through the forest. Very
different forest than what I am used to consisting of giant old Walnut, Elm and
Oak trees. In some areas there were green and black walnuts lying on the ground
beneath the trees in great numbers. I found a large sandbar along the bank of
the Raccoon River and walked along it for a stretch. There were large old
driftwood logs on the riverbank, old bleached pieces of driftwood and even
whole trees that had been carried down river and deposited here. The foliage that
was carpeting the ground beneath the trees was intensely green. Grassy two
track trails matted with fallen dead leaves disappeared in the distance in the
woods. I heard several birds calling and in a silent moment near the river, I
heard a hoot owl and no other sound. It was a pleasing experience and other
than the owls call, it was quiet and peaceful in the woods. There were large
ropey vines climbing the trees here and there. Some of the fallen old rotted
logs supported their own hairy communities of green plants growing like chia
pets on top of them. Old giant skeleton trees were broke in half and causing
havoc and destruction where they fell in the forest. Tiny capillary vines with
pretty green leaves climbed up the trunks of some of the hardwood giants. I came across the occasional, solitary, blood
red leaf in the path and thought to myself how pretty it must be here during
the autumn season. In some areas there were a bunch of young trees with one
giant standing in their midst whose trunk was fully 10 times the diameter of
the smaller surrounding trees. The trunks of the larger trees had a complex
texture like dried mud or elephant skin. Some pretty green understory plants had
heart shaped leaves. There were small yellow, purple and white flowers here and
there along with evil briars or cockle burrs. When you walk through a forest
like this I recommend that you look up once in awhile to see the blue sky
through the large intertwined branches. Then look down and notice the smallest
pink flower or fuzzy green – even hairy moss. People who just walk down paths
trying to get to their destination, miss out on the little details above and
beneath their feet. The large green leafed plants of the understory grew so
dense and uniformly in areas that they had a raised carpet like appearance. The
trees in this area like to lean, sometimes precariously which makes for a pleasant
scene and an enjoyable atmosphere to walk through. Bright red berries on some
green bushes. The deep sand of the sand bar made walking a bit difficult. There
were rock jetties built along the river to control flooding and erosion. In the
campgrounds there were clean restrooms, and the smell of wood smoke filtered
through the trees and it was refreshing. I noticed families having picnics and
get togethers in the park area and even a bride taking her wedding gown
pictures on this wonderful late September afternoon. Walnut Woods is home the
largest surviving stand of Black Walnut trees in North America. The three miles
of trails along the Raccoon River that I described are also popular for snow
shoeing and cross country skiing in the winter. The Campground has 8 full
hookup sites and 13 electrical sites. For more information call the park office
at 515-285-4502. I thoroughly enjoyed my relaxing late afternoon walk through
these beautiful woods so close to Des Moines as it was just what I needed to
get reenergized.
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| Walnut Woods - Des Moines, Iowa |
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