Bear Creek Lake Park

Andrew wanted to take Oliver for a hike, so we headed out for Lair of the Bear. On the way, we passed Bear Creek Lake Park. It's about four miles from our home, and we've been meaning to check it out to see what the campground is like. We decided to spend the afternoon there instead.

Unlike most parks and open spaces in Jefferson County, Bear Creek Lake Park had an entrance fee. It's $5 a carload, which isn't so bad. As we drove into the park, there were forested areas for hiking and picnicking. We went further in to Big Soda Lake, which advertised a swim beach. It was quite the place! There was a playground, a bike rental shop, beach volleyball, and a swim beach full of kids. Further down was a dock for boaters and a place to rent boats.

Oliver wasn't dressed for swimming, but I'd brought an extra outfit along just in case. Thankfully, I'd put sunscreen on him before leaving the house, too. Andrew took Oliver straight down to the water. At first, Oliver protested because he wanted to go to the playground. Once he discovered the rocks along the shore, his attitude changed for the better.

He found more rocks!

Quick family shot:

Dredging up rocks from the water to throw:

I had to get back in the shade! Here are more photos of my two wonderful guys:

Oliver loved it when Andrew dipped him into the water:

We were only there for about half an hour, but for a toddler, that was enough time! He came back happy and worn out. We peeled off his lake-water clothes and let him pee in the back of Andrew's car (in the potty, of course).

After getting settled back into the car, we drove to check out the campsites.

I was very disappointed to find out that the campsites weren't in the forested area. In fact, there was no shade around the tent area whatsoever. It was just prairie. That would be a hot, miserable, and public place to camp. All the tents were close to each other, too, which meant that if Oliver got fussy while camping, he'd disturb all of the other campers. Boo.

As we drove on, we found two yurts. One was in the sun, but the other was in a shaded area, away from the other tents. How cool would it be to rent a yurt? Andrew and I made a mental note to try it out one day! Maybe we'll do it next season when Baby Girl is with us.