Petit Jean

It was cool, cloudy and rainy last Friday.  Which translates to perfect photography conditions.  And luckily enough, I had taken a vacation day and was actually able to enjoy it.  So that afternoon, I headed out towards Petit Jean Mountain.

I wanted to get a picture of a waterfall, but this Spring has been a bit on the dry side.  So I decided to hit one of the most powerful waterfalls in the state - Cedar Falls.  Even if there has been a lack of rain lately, the falls here should at least have a decent flow.  Plus it had actually been a few years since I'd hiked there, so it was time for a return visit.

It was lightly raining when I found the temporary parking for the Cedar Falls trail (the lodge at Petit Jean is being renovated, so things have been moved around some).  I started down the trail, past the steep switchbacks on the hill leading down to the creek.


From there it was a just a manner of following the well-worn trail along the creek to the falls... 


This is easily one of the most popular trails in the state.  The falls, at 95 feet tall, are a truly impressive sight.  Usually there are tons of people here, so I was a bit surprised to find not a single other person there.  It's rare to visit these falls and have them all to yourself.


And one last view of the falls, before I had to make the slow hike back up the steep hill to the car...

And finally one more shot of a dirt road that leads off into the woods on the top of Petit Jean Mountain...