What Can You See at Oxbow County Park

In order to build bone mass, Sparky has been trying to walk at least three times a week at the local county park, Oxbow, in Goshen, IN. It's a beautiful park and we live about 15 minutes away from it. There are 12 trails that you can mix and mingle together to get a wide variety of walking experiences. You can climb stairs, you can climb small hills.

There's an archery range, you can fish from platforms or along the banks of the river, there's a 24 hole disc golf course there....They also have some athletic fields for soccer and other sports. In the winter, they groom a couple of the trails so you could cross country ski or snowshoe if there's enough snow! The trails are mostly heavily wooded so it's nice and shady during the hotter days of summer. Many many grills and picnic areas for family get togethers. 

Sparky has been enjoying passing by a little fairy vignette each time she walks the trails. Someone was adding to "the story" as little objects were added. There was even a little scene behind the blue door. Unfortunately, somebody with ZERO appreciation for the whimsy in life, destroyed the little fairy setting the last time Sparky walked by it. It looked intentional, not like an animal destroyed it.

It was so clever how the door fit into the tree trunk space....It was very sad to think that someone might deliberately destroy a little bit of joy along the trail!

But--Sparky loves that other people choose to leave a little piece of themselves on the trail sometimes in other forms.

In crossing over this boardwalk, just a few seconds before taking this photo, a deer was trying to figure out how to get over the boardwalk, pacing back and forth and coming up to it, then backing off. Sparky got her phone ready to capture the shot, and just as she raised the phone to center the shot, the deer jumped over the boardwalk and was gone, just like that! Missed! You'll just have to picture the graceful leap over the entire width of the boardwalk. It's in her mind's eye forever.

The geese with their little ones were out and about....

And there were beautiful pinecones budding with varying shapes and sizes along the trail....

In the woods there are Eagle Scout projects that have been built....This is called the "Critter Corner" and various brush piles of "artworks" were built for creatures to hide and folks to wander through...

There is an observation tower to look out over the fields and trails. Great for a quick cardio pick-me-up, not so great for recalcitrant knee and hip joints.

Sparky loves seeing the wildflowers pop up in the early spring, then the changeover to the summer flowers and warmer weather. These are called the Great Waterleaf.

Sparky was shocked to see lupines at this park a couple of weeks ago...She thought they were mainly in the northern growing zones.

So much to see and appreciate at Oxbow County Park. We are lucky to have such a beautiful park so close to us to enjoy....Happy hiking, walking and moving to you!