A new guided hike at Devil's Den State Park offers some insight into the day-to-day life of the Civilian Conservation Corps workers who built the park.
Mystina Swaim, an interpreter at the park, has been offering the guided hike -- Hiking Through The Legacy of the CCC -- for the last couple of months.
FAQ
Hiking Through The Legacy of the CCC
WHEN — 3-3:45 p.m. Sunday; other dates TBA
WHERE — Devil’s Den State Park; meet at the large pavilion near the playground
COST — Free
INFO — 761-3325
She began working at Devil's Den in October after spending a year at Village Creek State Park and three years at Petit Jean State Park.
Swaim says the CCC Interpretive Trail often gets overlooked compared with some of the other trails at Devil's Den.
Although the trail can be self-guided -- with the help of a brochure from the visitor center -- Swaim says, "when you go on this hike [with me], you get to immerse yourself into the story."
On the trail, hikers will visit a campsite and see foundations from some of the buildings the workers used. Swaim will discuss their work and their day-to-day lives, she says.
The Civilian Conservation Corps, the "Tree Army" of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, began building Devil's Den in the 1930s during the Great Depression, according to the park's website. The CCC worked on the park from 1933 to 1942, Swaim says.
"I like that the CCC boys were people just like you and me," Swaim says. "We wouldn't have the park we have today if it wasn't for them. That's the part I like the best. It's their legacy that was left behind that we are enjoying today."
The hike is a quarter-mile long and takes about 45 minutes. Swaim says the hike is easy for all ages, but she warns it does not meet the standards for the American Disabilities Act.
-- Kelly Barnett
NAN What's Up on 01/29/2016