Summer Visit: Grand Tower, Illinois

 Grand Tower has fascinated me wince my father took us there when he was scout master for the Carbondale Branch troop 151.  I was told that the island was the smallest National Park in the United States.  It actually is not a National Park but is part of a Conservation area which is small and includes some of the Missouri shore.  When I was traveling from Carbondale to St. Louis I made it a point to drive past this area and take a few pictures.  The campground is called Devil's Backbone.  The island tower is actually in Missouri.  When the water is very low you can access the island from the Missouri side.  I was always fascinated by tragedy of the wedding story which left me forever scared of whirlpools on the Mississippi.






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