What a nice surprise! We aren’t the type that typically makes reservations; and we were simply looking for a place to stay the night when we saw this state park on our trusty Nat Geo road atlas. Well, we found it…and stayed for nearly a week. Filled with waterfalls (the main falls are the largest south of Niagara Falls), numerous hiking trails, and the home of the only regular moonbow (lunar rainbow) in the northern hemisphere, we just couldn’t get enough of this place. The lunar rainbow appears every month during the full moon – 2 days before and 2 days after, when the night skies are clear. Check the calendar at the park for details about dates and times.

The best viewing spot for the moonbow is down the first set of stairs, which winds you down and around the rock outcropping that forms the waterfall. Bring some headlamps, as the stairs are wet and dark. What you will see with the naked eye may not be as impressive as what you can see with a tripod and DSLR camera with a wide aperture and slow shutter speed, but it’s still worth seeing. Don’t expect to get anything with a cell phone camera or point and shoot camera, though many people try. Since I have a DSLR and am an environmental educator, I was thrilled to show kids of all ages what I could see with my camera. I even had people taking pictures of my images so that they could show their friends and family! Also, be patient…as the night progresses and the moon rises higher, the rainbow gets higher and brighter, making for better viewing and photography.

With all this said, when we landed at this state park in early December, the weather was absolutely amazing, there were no bugs, and it was practically empty. The campground is tiny and the sites compact, with almost no room in between, but it is perched on top of a rock outcropping, so you are surrounded by views of trees. Admittingly, had it been busy, we may have only stayed a night or two as it would have been cramped. Each site has a picnic table, fire pit, and lantern pole. Don’t expect to bring your 30’ RV here, I can’t imagine something bigger than 20’ would fit. We squeezed our 15-footer into a spot though. Plenty of tent spots, though, and the campground was clean and well-kept.

In addition to a campground, there is a lodge, cabins, visitor’s center, pool, and a whole host of affordable/free programs for families during the main season. A night camping at the fire tower with astronomical interpretation (complete with dinner)…wow, sign me up!

The winter rates were $20 per night, which provided us with a campsite and a clean pit toilet, and surprisingly strong wifi. Normally, there are additional amenities such as drinking water, showers, and flush toilets, but those we are closed for the season. We did, however find that the drinking water in the picnic area near the falls was running, so we just filled up water and took it back to our campsite.