If you can ignore the industrial stacks that rise just south of the park you are in for a treat.
I'm always looking for great places to a) get a quick nature fix to help me make it through the work week--even though I live in the city I am NOT a city gal at heart, and b) to give m dog some good exercise away from sidewalks/town streets.
Bender has some absolutely beautiful trails on top of the bluff. As far as I can tell, almost everyone who uses the park heads to the beach and stays there. Great. More trails for me--and for you. And our dogs. Just to clarify, my hubby and I have seen people on the trails exactly TWICE in an entire summer of walking at the park.
The trails are not challenging--they are mostly level bluff-top trails, unpaved, thank god, and they go across the bluff, around a big meadow, and through the woods. If you want real exercise, go around a couple of times or climb down/up the bluff. You CAN park at the beach and climb up the hill for extra effort--just don't look down if you're like me an get vertigo at the drop of a hat (like the climb, hate noticing where
I am in terms of space versus the ground).
Park at the first big dirt lot you see on your left when you enter the park, and then find either the wooden bridge or the grassy path near the lot to get started. Either way, you'll get forest and bluff. Enjoy! If you have older loved ones who like a nice natural/unpaved trail but can't handle the kettles, this would be a beautiful place to take them. read more