Louis A. Stelzer County Park — Attraction in Lakeside

Love this find, what a trail! This week we have made a family goal to find different hiking trails in SD. This is the 3rd trail in our finds: Mt. Helix, Tecolote Park, and this location. Compared to the others, this park is more vast and has slightly more concentrated brush area(trees). Upon entry, a park ground keeper warned us to keep an eye down for garden snakes🐍. Walking in from the parking lot, make your stop to the front desk and pay for parking($3). There are bridges, dirt paths, different playground areas, an outdoor reception area, love that this is so lush with trees, boulders sprinkled the grounds along with benches on the trails, make sure to check temp before hiking in harsh conditions, drink plenty of water grab a sturdy stick to check your paths for any snakes sleep in the brush. So many bees! They're harmless. Such a vast area, our family of 5 completed half the trek and plan to return to complete the entire trail. The loop up hill is the best part, if you slow down at the grand blue deck at the half mark on Wooten Loop - you can look west to see the vast V-shape mountain line. Wonderful park, a few eating areas, 3 different hiking trails, a stage for talent shows or special ceremonies, the park has a map of the grounds for easy navigation. Also small tip: walk in a line oppose to side by side to prevent stepping on...

I visited Louis A. Stelzer County Park on a weekday in December when the weather was perfect for hiking, and the crowds were somewhere else. I hiked all four of the park’s trails and didn’t encounter another person. The wildflowers were gone, and the stream was dry. Golden eagles, however, were out and on the hunt. From the summit I watched four pairs cruising above and below me. One pair spent about 5 minutes circling just above my head – I’m not a bird nerd but I thoroughly enjoyed the show. The trails are wide and easy to navigate. Signs and trail markers are in place. Parts of the Stelzer Ridge Trail require an uphill climb. The last 100 feet or so of the Summit Trail is a path that requires you scamper over or around vegetation and boulders. The park has a picnic and play area – one school was participating in a field trip while I was there. The park also has restrooms and a ranger station. The construction of a new visitor center/ranger station and a tree-planting project were both happening during my visit, so the parking lot was a bit crowded with heavy equipment. The parking...

Louis Stelzer County Park is manned by friendly, helpful rangers. The climate is temperate. Old oak trees cover much of the acreage with a cozy, leafy canopy. A fish pond graces the front entry. There are access ramps, bridges, and hiking trails - challenging enough to be stimulating, and mild enough for a great grandparent to traverse. There are even grinding boulders with deep holes caused by years of native American families pulverizing acorns and other hard nuts, seeds, and grains. Hidden, almost, under the oak trees, are picnic tables (safely spaced with Covid-19 signage, playgrounds for children, and the young at heart, an amphitheater for campfire and storytime, block outhouses with hand sanitizer (no indoor plumbing) A wooden sign promises a campground beyond the head of the hiking trail. The setting is restful, with a few families celebrating the Holiday, according to Covid-19 regulations. Dogs take their people for walks along the trails. Stelzer Park is a happy place for individuals...