This was a nice place to take a break in my road trip! I was skeptical as I followed my navigation into a rather industrial area-could there really be a park and an island there? And as promised, a little parking lot and a park sign popped up as I rounded the corner. There were a number of other cars parked in the lot, but there was ample parking.
I walked along the river, and then crossed the bridge to the island. There's an display right as you enter the island, and it has information about the history of the area and the island as well as information about the wildlife present. There's also a map displaying the various trails. I did the factory trail, which takes you through the Republic Steel ruins. This connected with the Loading Dock trail, which I used to connect back to the bridge and leave the island. It was cool to see the ruins, however it is marred with graffiti. It would be a cool place for a photo op otherwise. read more