Giant City State Park

Giant City State Park is a place to have big fun! There are many activities to choose, from fishing and boating to hiking and camping. Clip a leash on your dog’s collar and get ready for an adventure at this dazzling park. When you're out and about at Giant City State Park, you can be sure to see a wide variety of plants, from wildflowers to trees and large sandstone rocks. 

If you want to learn more about where you're walking, you should stop in at the Giant City State Park Visitor's Center for interpretative information about the park's natural flora and fauna. There are six trails for you and your pooch to hike and they vary in distance and difficulty. 

You can grab a self-guided tour brochure for the Arrow-Wood Nature Trail at the visitor's center and learn all about plants you'll see such as sassafras, the Northern Red Oak tree, or persimmon. The Devil's Standtable Trail and the Stone Fort Nature Trail are each a third of a mile and rated at a moderate difficulty. 

There is poison ivy on this trail as well as venomous copperhead snakes in the sandstone bluffs. The most challenging trail is the Red Copper Trail, at 12 miles. The Red Copper Trail is for serious hikers and backpackers, and there is even a campsite at the mid-way point. You can grab a pamphlet at the visitor's center for each trail to get familiar with your hiking route. 

The Giant City State Park also has 85 campsites that have water, electricity, showers, and bathrooms. You can reserve your campsite before you go at their official website, Reserve America.com. There are also 14 primitive walk-in campsites where there are privies/outhouses, showers, and fire rings. 

Whenever you're hiking or camping at the Giant City State Park make sure your furry friend is always on a leash. Also remember to pack enough plastic poop bags to clean up after him, whether on trails or at a campsite. Don't forget the water, either, so your pup stays hydrated.