Lovers Leap is the name given to a large bluff located on the North edge of Elkader which overlooks the Turkey River and much of the town below. Other features included in the area are a small limestone quarry, a fire ring, several rock outcroppings, and lots of native plants and wildlife.
Legend has it that a white settler, mining for lead, fell in love with an Indian chief’s daughter. Both were caught stealing the precious lead and were knocked unconscious. When the daughter awoke, she presumed her lover dead and threw herself off the cliff. The settler, after seeing her limp body, did the same. Ever since, the bluff has been known as “Lovers Leap”.
From Highway 13 near Elkader, turn west on N. High Street, then turn right on Sandpit Road. Just past the county office buildings, turn right onto a narrow driveway. (Notice the interesting root cellar or ice house built into the side of the hill beside the roadway.)
See additional waypoints coordinates for available parking and the beginning of the trail. You will need to start walking AWAY from the cache(about 50 yards from the parking coordinates) to find the beginning of the "easy" trail. The trail starts out very steep up a set of badly-worn, barely-visible cement-block steps on the hillside, but the climb becomes much easier after these first few feet.
After finding the cache, continue on the trail to look out over the bluff. Be careful (especially with little ones) because there are no guardrails to prevent stepping over the edge and meeting the same fate as the legendary lovers. You may also want to check out the “Ghost Town of Motor Mill” cache (which wase placed at the same time) while you are in the Elkader, Iowa area.