Clark Tower

If you’re prepared, hiking to Clark Tower would be a fantastic option. Since we weren’t expecting any nature hikes the day we visited, we decided to drive.

A word of caution for drivers: the road up to the tower is extremely narrow and, at times, filled with large potholes. Proceed with caution.

Again, Apple maps has the location really wrong. It’s in the city park and the trail to the tower is well marked. I drove but I would have walked if I’d had time. The signs say it’s about a mile but it’s windy and hilly. One of the stairs near the bottom is loose so tread lightly. And be careful on the metal ladder!

The Clark Tower is definitely beautiful. The limestone is gorgeous and the view impeccable. We followed GPS and ended up on Clark Tower Rd to a back entrance to the park that leads you to a walking trail and boat launch only. There is no road access to the tower from Clark Tower Rd. To drive to the tower one must go to City Park which is off of Court Street past the POW-MIA memorial rock and right turn onto 9th straight into the park just past the Cutler-Donahue covered bridge. ADA accessibility at the Tower: poor with loose gravel, 4+ inch curb from parking to sidewalk. Limestone tower means uneven floor surface and stairs. No handrails. Extremely steep metal stairs to reach top level. If strong and determined and there are an extra set of hands, one can lift a 50 lb nonmobile boy to the top to experience the tower = no barriers! A lovely tower and park to experience.

The tower is a great destination. The walk was very pleasant and the view was nice. Also, the park has lots to offer like a covered bridge and a hedge maze among other typical park amenities.

The address threw us off a little bit. If you go for the cross roads of E. South St and S. 9th street, you might find the City Park a little easier. It is quite a drive to the tower on unpaved roads. We wished we would have planned more time to park in the lot and hike to the tower. It would have been a perfect little hike to stretch legs, with a fun little destination.

This was a neat find! It's in a beautiful park with some really pretty sites to see at the top of the tower! We wish we would have had more time to walk the trails around there.