Steamboat Rock — Saturday, May. 13, 2017

Steamboat Rock is located within Steamboat Rock State Park. There is a gate at the entrance manned by an employee, and a Discover Pass or Interagency Pass is required to access the park. The park offers recreational activities such as camping, fishing, or hiking, and is typically full of RV campers. Well maintained paved roads free of any obstruction lead to the trailhead ensuring easy access for any vehicle and the trail is in good condition.

The trailhead is on the left (west) side of the road as you come from the main entrance along Steamboat Rock Park Entrance Road. The trail consists of a gradual incline approaching Steamboat Rock before requiring a rocky scramble to ascend to the summit. Once at the summit there is a trail network that winds through fields of wildflowers and offers various viewpoints in each cardinal direction. I spotted a lot of wildlife once atop Steamboat Rock to include marmots, deer, and several large birds such as Golden Eagles.

Be advised there are a large number of bees on top of the rock this time of year pollinating in the fields of wildflowers. I walked among the flowers for nearly an hour and the bees were not bothersome, but if you are allergic to bee stings then make sure you bring an EpiPen or avoid the field of flowers altogether.