Rock River wilderness near downtown Beloit

The electronic sign outside the M&I bank in downtown Beloit read 89 degrees yesterday afternoon. I didn't want to be there! Fortunately, just minutes away I discovered an urban wilderness with sufficient shade to make the sweltering day tolerable.

I don't know the status of the riparian woodland. There were no signs indicating a park but it wasn't posted with "no trespassing" signs either. The track I followed was faint. But an empty lawn chair sat on the gravel spit at the tip of a narrow island in the Rock River. Someone appreciates the solitude and serenity of the spot.

(If you look closely, the chair is just visible in the center of the shot below.)