Pack a lunch. If you drive just north of Traer in Tama County, youll run right into T F Clark State Park, though you might miss it if you blink. It covers barely thirty acres. Most folks drop by to throw a line into Wolf Creek, hoping to pull out channel catfish or northern pike on a hot summer afternoon. Plenty of shade here. Old oak trees stretch overhead, keeping the midday heat off the wooden picnic tables.

Don't expect massive hiking trails or noisy campgrounds with RV hookups. There aren't any. Instead, Theodore F. Clark donated this quiet patch of dirt back in 1924 so local families would always have a spot near the water to unwind. So bring some worms. Grab a worn-out lawn chair, listen to the creek scrape over the rocks, and take a breather from real life for an hour or two.