Creek Bottom Trail

The Creek Bottom Trail follows Split Rock Creek through the wooded bottomlands of Palisades State Park, offering a gentler counterpoint to the rocky rim trails above the quartzite canyon. The trail winds along the creek through a corridor of mature cottonwood, green ash, and box elder trees whose canopy shades the path and creates a cool, humid microhabitat markedly different from the exposed quartzite formations visible on the hillside above. Split Rock Creek runs clear over a bed of rounded quartzite cobbles, and shallow riffles alternate with deeper pools where smallmouth bass and sunfish are visible from the bank.

Fishing is one of the primary draws of this trail corridor, and the park maintains several established fishing access points along the route where anglers set up for walleye and smallmouth bass. Great blue herons are permanent fixtures along the creek, standing motionless in the shallows for long minutes before striking with their javelin bills. Green herons and belted kingfishers work the faster riffles, and wood ducks raise broods in the large cottonwood cavities overhanging the water. In late spring, the creek bottom wildflower display includes large patches of wild blue phlox, golden alexanders, and Jacob's ladder. The trail connects to the quartzite rim trail via several short spur paths, allowing hikers to combine both experiences in a single outing.