56 New Hikes in 2019!

I have 3 more hikes to post from my Christmas Break hiking trip to Houston, TX, but the turning of the calendar says it is time for my annual summary and reflection post.  This is the one time each year I post something personal rather than a trail review/description.

2019 brought 56 new hikes for 173.7 miles.  Neither of those numbers are records, but the 23 states covered this year tops the previous record of 19 states in 2017.  Those 23 states included 2 new states: Iowa and New Jersey.  There are only 5 more states to go until all 50 states are represented in this blog.  Overall, 2019 had some great times on the trail with God's creation in its natural state.

Looking ahead to 2020, I have the usual array of hiking trips planned.  The plans include trips to eastern North Carolina, the Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri, northern Tennessee, and a long summer trip to Colorado.  Also, my career hiking mileage as represented by summing the trail distances in this blog now stands at 2127.75 miles.  So I only have 64.25 miles to go to reach 2192 career miles, which is the length of the Appalachian Trail as currently reported by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.  That number will probably be reached in the first half of 2020, so I need to come up with a way to mark that milestone.  We should reach 800 hikes in the first half of 2020 as well.

Finally, 2020 will mark a transition year on three fronts:

1) the extension of this project from a text and photo blog to a Youtube vlog,
2) a refocus to parks (and other outdoor recreation activities) in addition to hikes, and
3) as the end of my math professing career likely comes in sight, a rebranding of my online presence from "Math Prof Hiker" to something to be revealed later, i.e. this blog won't be called the Mathprofhiker's Trail Journal much longer.

Take care, Lord bless, and see you on the trail in 2020!

David Prager, aka Math Prof Hiker

Houston Arboretum and Nature Center: Outer Loop (Blog Hike #782)

Trail: Outer Loop

Hike Location: Houston Arboretum and Nature Center

Geographic Location: west side of Houston, TX (29.76465, -95.45433)

Length: 2.2 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: December 2019

Overview: A nearly flat hike featuring forest, bayou, prairie, and savanna habitats.

Center Information: https://houstonarboretum.org/

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=777217

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: The main parking area for the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is accessed from the northbound I-610 Service Road on the west side of Houston between Post Oak Boulevard and Woodway Drive.  A secondary parking area is located on Woodway Dr. just east of I-610.  You will have to pay an hourly rate for parking unless you come on a Thursday, when parking is free as of my visit.

The hike: Located on the west side of Houston just inside the I-610 loop, Houston Arboretum and Nature Center protects 155 acres at the west end of Houston’s massive and famous Memorial Park.  Before it became parkland, what would become Memorial Park was the location of Camp Logan, a World War I Army training camp that operated between 1917 and 1923.  In 1924, the land was deeded to the City of Houston to establish a park that would honor soldiers who lost their lives in World War I.  Considering the lack of World War I memorials in this country, I found this park’s origins illuminating and admirable.

            The arboretum dates to 1951, when local ecologist and educator Robert A. Vines persuaded Houston’s City Council to set aside 265 acres in the west end of Memorial Park for an arboretum.  Highway construction whittled the allotment down to the 155 acres we enjoy today.  The arboretum features a Nature Center building devoted to education; the building was under renovation when I came here.  Over 5 miles of trails wind through the arboretum, and these trails are open 7am to dusk daily.  This hike features the Outer Loop, which as its name suggests takes you around the perimeter of the arboretum, thus giving a good sample of all the arboretum has to offer.

Outer Loop Trail departing I-610 Parking Loop

            From the I-610 Parking Loop, the signed Outer Loop heads south on first a mulch and then a dirt/gravel treadway.  At the first intersection, you need to turn right to stay on the Outer Loop; the Buttonbush Trail goes straight and left here.  Although the Outer Loop is unblazed, all intersections at Houston Arboretum and Nature Center are well-signed, so staying on course is quite easy.

            Ignore side trails that exit right and lead to a bike trail along the I-610 Service Road.  At 0.2 miles, you reach the Woodland Field Station, the first of several interpretive shelters on this hike.  Made of dead wood recovered from the area, the Woodland Field Station overlooks a mixed pine and deciduous forest, and its numerous interpretive signs tell you about the fauna and flora of the woodlands.

Hiking the Outer Loop

            The wide dirt/gravel trail continues southeast, and 0.9 miles into the hike you reach the Outer Loop’s southernmost point where the Couch Birding Trail exits right.  The Couch Birding Trail is a short spur trail that leads to a wooden overlook of Buffalo Bayou, one of the main waterways through metro Houston.  While I saw no unusual birds on this trail, muddy Buffalo Bayou makes a nice change of scenery.  Also, interpretive signs explain that the natural dirt bayou channel you see today is preferable to the concrete-walled channels that were common several decades ago because they slowly release floodwater into the bayou rather than pouring it in all at once.

Buffalo Bayou overlook

            Back on the Outer Loop, the trail embarks on a northward course with a railroad track across the arboretum’s east boundary to your right.  Even though the arboretum is an attractive natural area, signs of civilization such as this railroad track and persistent highway noise from nearby I-610 remind you of its location in metro Houston.  Next you pass through the arboretum’s tallgrass prairie, which contrasts with the forest that has surrounded you thus far.  The arboretum’s Prairie Field Station sits 0.1 miles down the North Meadow Trail to the left, and it is worth a quick detour if you want to visit all four field stations.

Hiking along the prairie

            After another stint in the woods, you reach the arboretum’s savanna and Savanna Field Station at 1.7 miles.  Numerous interpretive signs describe the sunny savanna, which is dotted with tall pine trees.  Next you curve left through the northeast corner of the arboretum to reach the Donor Boardwalk.  Leave the Outer Loop to walk across the interesting and winding Donor Boardwalk, which takes you across a shallow pond that contained several frogs on my visit.

Donor Boardwalk

            At the other side of the Donor Boardwalk, you reach an intersection with the Wildflower Trail.  The Wildflower Trail forms a 0.3 mile loop, so you can go either way here.  The shortest route to the Nature Center is the option going left, and the I-610 Parking Loop that contains your car is right beside the Nature Center.  Be sure to check out the educational exhibits in the Nature Center before you leave.

Brazos Bend State Park: Prairie/Elm Lake/Big Creek Loop (Blog Hike #781)

Trails: Prairie, Live Oak, Pilant Slough, Elm Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Big Creek, Spillway, and 40 Acre Lake Trails

Hike Location: Brazos Bend State Park

Geographic Location: south of Sugar Land, TX (29.37032, -95.62741)

Length: 8.9 miles

Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: December 2019

Overview: A nearly flat hike past many aquatic areas that offer good bird viewing.

Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/brazos-bend

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=777166

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: Southwest of Houston, take I-69 to SR 99.  Exit, but instead of turning north onto SR 99, turn south onto Farm-to-Market Road 2759.  FM 2759 magically becomes FM 762 in 2.2 miles.  Keep following FM 762 as it makes several sharp turns.  After driving a total of 16.5 miles from I-69, you reach an intersection with Park Road and the entrance to Brazos Bend State Park.  Turn left to enter the park, pay the park entrance fee, and park in the parking lot for 40 Acre Lake, which is the first parking lot on the left after you enter the park.

The hike: Opened only in 1984, Brazos Bend State Park sprawls for roughly 5000 acres on the west bank of its namesake river.  Before it became a park, the land was used as a hunting ranch.  Cattle grazed here, and pecans were grown here; remnants of that time can still be seen on the park’s trails today.

            Brazos Bend State Park is the biggest and best outdoor recreation destination in greater Houston.  On point, the park offers a 71-site developed campground, several picnic areas, three fishing lakes, a playground, an interpretive center, and 17 trails that stretch for nearly 30 miles.  The trails in the eastern part of the park are open to horses in addition to hikers, so I chose to focus on the hiker-only trails in the western part of the park.  The route described here explores every point of interest in the western part of the park, and it passes many wetland areas that offer great bird watching in the winter.  Also, several shorter options are presented should this hike’s distance seem too great.

Start of Prairie Trail

            From the parking lot for 40 Acre Lake, pick up the gravel Prairie Trail as it heads south across the main park road at a marked crosswalk.  True to its name, the Prairie Trail traces the edge of a large tallgrass prairie, and a wooden observation platform gives a slightly elevated view of the prairie.  Although parts of the prairie are quite wet, the well-constructed trail stays dry except after a heavy rain.

Brazos Bend's tallgrass prairie

            The Prairie Trail traces three sides of the prairie, and on the third (east) side it comes close to Jungman Road on the right.  Just past 1 mile, the trail angles left to briefly follow an asphalt maintenance road before angling right to continue its northward course.  At 1.25 miles, you reach the end of the Prairie Trail at an intersection with the Live Oak Trail.  If you want a short hike, you could turn left here and return directly to the 40 Acre Lake parking area in another 0.4 miles.  To continue this hike, turn right to begin the Live Oak Trail, which heads east past an information board and a bench.

Large live oak on Live Oak Trail

            The gravel Live Oak Trail is the park’s newest trail, and for the next mile it traces a nearly straight line flush against the park’s south boundary.  True to its name, several large live oak trees grow beside this trail.  Traffic on the main park road some 200 feet to the left prevents much solitude, but the wooded wetland areas along this trail comprise the first of several excellent bird viewing opportunities.  When I walked through here on a cool morning in mid-December, I saw a green heron, a great blue heron, and several ibises in addition to common songbirds such as cardinals, chickadees, and sparrows.

Great blue heron

            Just shy of 2.5 miles, the trail briefly follows a power line before curving left to cross the main park road.  At 2.8 miles, you reach the east end of the Live Oak Trail at a junction with the Pilant Slough Trail, which goes right and left.  This hike’s next birding destination is Elm Lake, and the shortest route there is to turn left on the Pilant Slough Trail.  To also visit the park’s Interpretive Center, this hike turns right on the Pilant Slough Trail and takes a longer route to Elm Lake.

Pilant Slough

            The Pilant Slough Trail heads northeast with its namesake watercourse in a steep but shallow ravine to your left.  A bench overlooks the slough, which was very still and quiet on my visit.  3.3 miles into the hike, you reach the Interpretive Center.  The Interpretive Center has some interesting exhibits on the birds, amphibians, and reptiles that inhabit the park’s wetlands.  Restrooms are also available here.

            After touring the Interpretive Center, continue north to a trail intersection beside an asphalt park road, then turn left to begin the Elm Lake Trail.  The Elm Lake Trail parallels the park road for 0.4 miles before splitting to form a loop around its namesake lake.  Stay right to hike along the north side of Elm Lake with a large picnic area to your right.

Elm Lake

            Shallow and grassy Elm Lake represents the second excellent bird viewing opportunity on this hike.  A wooden pier takes you out over the water, but I saw flocks of ducks and coots just by walking along the shore.  At 4.2 miles, you reach the northwest corner of Elm Lake and a trail intersection with many benches.  We will eventually turn left to continue around Elm Lake, but for now angle right twice to begin a counterclockwise trip around the Horseshoe Lake Loop.

            There are actually two bodies of water beside this trail known as Horseshoe Lake: Old Horseshoe Lake to your left and New Horseshoe Lake to your right.  Both lakes are former channels of nearby Big Creek, but grassy and shallow Old Horseshoe Lake is quickly being filled with sediment.  Thus, New Horseshoe Lake offers better wildlife viewing opportunities, and I saw several egrets and some turtles while walking here.

Egret in New Horseshoe Lake

            The trail curves left, passes a wooden observation platform that overlooks Old Horseshoe Lake, and arrives at the signed start of the Big Creek Trail at 5.6 miles.  If you are getting tired or have less than 2 hours of daylight remaining, then you should skip the Big Creek Trail and continue around the Horseshoe Lake Loop.  If time and energy allow, turn right to begin the Big Creek Trail.

            The Big Creek Trail forms a lollipop loop through the park’s remote northwest corner, and its dirt surface contrasts with the gravel surface on most of the park’s other trails to give this trail a more primitive feel.  Big Creek’s ravine soon comes into view on the right, and 6 miles into the hike you reach a bench that gives a clear view into the ravine.  The ravine is surprisingly steep and deep considering the flatness of this hike.

Big Creek in its ravine

            Shortly the Big Creek Trail splits to form its loop; I chose to continue straight and hike the loop counterclockwise.  The long but skinny loop passes through open savannah, so this loop would be hot and buggy in the summer and muddy after a good rain.  The fence that marks the park’s north boundary comes into view just before the trail curves left for the second half of the loop.  After closing the Big Creek Loop, turn right to get back to the Horseshoe Lake Loop, then turn right again to finish the Horseshoe Lake Loop.

            At 7.4 miles, you return to the intersection at the northwest corner of Elm Lake.  Turn right to hike along the west bank of Elm Lake.  A dike with several concrete water control structures forms this side of Elm Lake.  At 7.8 miles, you reach the southwest corner of Elm Lake and another trail intersection.  To begin the final segment back to your car, turn right to leave the Elm Lake area and begin the Spillway Trail.

Hiking the Spillway Trail

            The Spillway Trail heads due west atop a dike that separates two periodically inundated areas.  Trees draped in Spanish moss line the trail.  At 8.2 miles, a wooden bridge takes you across the concrete spillway that gives this trail its name.  0.2 miles later, you reach the northeast corner of 40 Acre Lake and a wooden observation tower.  Five sets of steps lift you to the top of the tower, which provides excellent views of 40 Acre Lake to the southwest and smaller Pilant Lake to the north.  Winds buffeted the top of the tower on my visit, but I still took several minutes to see what I could see.

Birds in 40 Acre Lake

            Continue west on the wide gravel 40 Acre Lake Trail as it heads counterclockwise around its namesake lake.  More excellent bird viewing can be had in this area, and I saw the only alligator on this hike in the waters of 40 Acre Lake.  Where the Hoot’s Hollow Trail exits right, angle left and make a brief ascent to return to the parking lot that contains your car, thus completing the hike.

Sam Houston Jones State Park: Longleaf Pine Trail (Blog Hike #780)

Trail: Longleaf Pine Trail

Hike Location: Sam Houston Jones State Park

Geographic Location: north of Lake Charles, LA (30.29871, -93.26779)

Length: 3.9 miles

Difficulty: 4/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Date Hiked: December 2019

Overview: A gently rolling loop partly along the banks of the Calcasieu River.

Park Information: https://www.lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/sam-houston-jones-state-park

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=777135

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: Near Lake Charles, take I-10 to SR 378 (exit 27). Exit and go north on SR 378.  Drive SR 378 north 5 miles to SR 378-Spur and turn left on SR 378-Spur.  Drive SR 378-Spur west 0.9 miles to Sutherland Road and turn left on Sutherland Rd.  The park entrance is 0.4 miles ahead on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the park entrance fee, and follow signs to the parking area for the Kids Trail, which is also the starting point for this hike.

The hike: Occupying 1087 acres on the east bank of the Calcasieu River, Sam Houston Jones State Park is widely regarded as the best state park in southwest Louisiana.  The park opened in 1944, and it was originally named after the Texas folk hero who traveled extensively in the area.  The park was renamed for Samuel Houston Jones, Louisiana’s governor from 1940 through 1944 who was instrumental in establishing the park.

            The park features many nice amenities, including a cozy 35-site developed campground, 8 cabins, a group lodge, some picnic areas, a disc golf course, and 5 hiking trails totaling nearly 8 miles.  Many good hikes can be had here, but this blog entry describes the park’s longest trail: the 3.9 mile Longleaf Pine Trail.  The Longleaf Pine Trail explores both the riverside and upland forest areas, and therefore it gives a nice sample of all the park has to offer.

Longleaf Pine Trail's trailhead

            To reach this park’s main trailhead, walk west on the paved park road past both signed ends of the Kids Trail.  Some wooden signs and a wooden stile mark the main trailhead, and some Christmas decorations were located here on the chilly mid-December afternoon of my visit.  The gravel trail embarks on a westward course that appears to be a continuation of the paved park road.  The Longleaf Pine Trail is wide and easy to follow, but it is also well-marked with plenty of blue rectangular paint blazes.  Lots of palmettos and ferns dominate the understory, and the forest is a mix of pine and deciduous trees that includes some nice beech trees.

            The yellow-blazed 0.75 mile Old Stagecoach Trail soon exits left, and at 0.3 miles the Longleaf Pine Trail splits at a signed intersection with all trails marked in blue.  The left option leads to the Old Stagecoach Trail and quickly returns to the trailhead, so you want to turn right to hike the full Longleaf Pine Trail.  As you hike around the loop, 5 primitive backpack camp sites are reached by spur trails.  These first-come first-served sites make nice places to spend the night for people wanting an easy walk-in camping experience.

Bridge in shallow ravine

            After winding through a shallow ravine, you cross a pipeline clearing and approach the Calcasieu River at 0.9 miles.  The Longleaf Pine Trail is divided into 5 numbered and signed “quads,” which are traversed in increasing order going in this direction.  The pipeline marks your exit from Quad 1 and entrance into Quad 2.  Also, distance markers appear every 0.5 miles.

Calcasieu River

            The next 1000 feet follow the east bank of the Calcasieu River.  Some nice cypress trees grow along the water’s edge, and only some houses on private property across the river mar the view.  After the trail curves away from the river, it winds east near the park’s north boundary through a low area with dense grassy groundcover.

            At 1.8 miles, you cross a dirt maintenance road and enter Quad 3.  Next you come to a spur trail marked as “Scenic Area” that exits left.  The short spur trail leads to a picnic table and benches that overlook a wetland area featuring a large number of palmettos.  Built in 2019 by Ethan Honeycutt as an Eagle Scout project, this area makes a nice place to sit and rest near the midpoint of this hike.

Scenic Area

            2.3 miles into the hike, the trail re-crosses the pipeline clearing and enters Quad 4.  Two options, marked Upper Blue and Lower Blue respectively, exit from here.  Unless it has rained recently, angle left to choose the Lower Blue option, which is the main trail.  As the names suggest, the Lower Blue Trail enters a low area that features numerous wooden boardwalks.  The bridges on the Longleaf Pine Trail are numbered from 1 to 19, and you cross them in increasing order while hiking in this direction.

            At 3.3 miles, the Longleaf Pine Extension exits left.  The Extension is also labeled as Quad 5, but it leads out to the park entrance station and therefore is not part of the main loop.  Continuing straight on the blue-blazed trail brings you out to the park loop road at 3.5 miles.  Turn right and walk 0.4 miles along the road to return to your car and complete the hike.  While you are here, consider a trip to the riverside picnic area or a hike along the park’s 1.6 mile Riverwalk Trail.  The area along the river provides the park’s best wildlife viewing, and I saw several deer and an egret when I visited that area after my hike.

Pymatuning State Park: Sugar Run Trail (Blog Hike #779)

Trail: Sugar Run Trail

Hike Location: Pymatuning State Park

Geographic Location: north of Jamestown, PA (41.49820, -80.45889)
Length: 1.1 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: October 2019

Overview: A short, nearly flat loop below Pymatuning Dam.

Park Information: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=943549

Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Jamestown, take US 322 west 2.2 miles to the signed entrance for Pymatuning State Park on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, then immediately turn right again to head for the dam.  After driving across the dam, turn right on the access road for picnic shelter #1.  Park in the parking lot near picnic shelter #1.

The hike: Straddling the Ohio/Pennsylvania state line, 17,088 acre Pymatuning Reservoir is the largest man-made lake in either Pennsylvania or Ohio (of course, Lake Erie is the largest lake period in either of those states).  The lake was formed in 1934 when the Pymatuning Dam was built on Pennsylvania’s Shenango River, and the dam’s old-school stone construction makes it an interesting roadside attraction on your drive to or from the trailhead.  Because the submerged land is former swampland with little relief, Pymatuning Reservoir is long but shallow: the lake’s maximum depth is only 35 feet.

Interesting Pymatuning Dam

            Two state parks lie on the shore of Pymatuning Reservoir.  To make matters confusing, both of these parks bare the name Pymatuning State Park, but one is owned by the State of Ohio while the other is owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Pennsylvania’s version of Pymatuning State Park has the better hiking opportunities, and that is the one featured in this blog entry.  While not the longest hike in either Pymatuning State Park, the Sugar Run Trail described here offers a well-marked and well-maintained course near the dam area, so it lets you see the interesting dam while also letting you experience the park’s natural environment.

Bridge across Shenango River

            From the parking area, reach the Sugar Run Trail by walking across the iron bridge with wooden deck that spans the Shenango River.  The river flows wide and shallow here as its waters slowly make their way southward toward the Ohio River.  Vegetation crowds the river downstream, while upstream the dam area’s wooden fishing deck and stone dam structures are in view.

View down Shenango River

View of fishing and dam area

            At the south end of the bridge, you reach the Sugar Run Trail, which goes left and right to form its loop.  To get to the dam sooner, I chose to turn right here and hike the loop counterclockwise.  Marked with blue rectangular paint blazes, the Sugar Run Trail heads west paralleling first the Shenango River and then Sugar Run on the right.  The forest is a nice mixture of maple, oak, and hickory trees, and the leaves were just starting to change color when I hiked here in mid-October.

Pymatuning Dam spillway

Ripple in Sugar Run

            Near 0.4 miles, Pymatuning Dam’s stone and concrete spillway comes into view across the creek just before you pass a small cascade in Sugar Run.  Just past this point, the trail forks.  The main loop turns left here to head up a small but steep hill, while a spur trail continues to follow Sugar Run; the spur leads to an alternate trailhead on US 322.  A bridge used to cross Sugar Run and allow access to the picnic areas above the dam, but that bridge was out on my visit.

Hiking the Sugar Run Trail

            Continuing around the main loop, the single-track dirt trail heads through dense broadleaf forest with the park boundary close on the right.  A flat easy cruise brings you back to the bank of the Shenango River, where the trail curves left to once-again start following the river.  A little more riverside hiking returns you to the Shenango River bridge you crossed at this hike’s outset, thus completing the hike.  Before you leave, be sure to check out the interesting stone dam and admire the stark yet elegant construction.

Swallow Falls State Park: Swallow Falls Canyon Trail (Blog Hike #778)

Trails: Swallow Falls Canyon Trail

Hike Location: Swallow Falls State Park

Geographic Location: north of Oakland, MD (39.49893, -79.41852)

Length: 1.1 miles

Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Date Hiked: October 2019

Overview: A short loop passing 4 major waterfalls.

Park Information: https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/western/swallowfalls.aspx

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=943240

Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Oakland, take US 219 north 7 miles to Mayhew Inn Road.  Alternatively, reach Mayhew Inn Rd. by taking SR 42 and/or US 219 south 19 miles from I-68, exits 4 and 11 respectively.  Turn west on Mayhew Inn Rd.  Drive Mayhew Inn Rd. west 4.5 miles to its end at Oakland Sang Road.  Turn left on Oakland Sang Rd. and drive Oakland Sang Rd. 0.3 miles to Swallow Falls Road.  Turn right on Swallow Falls Rd.  Drive Swallow Falls Rd. west 1.2 miles to the state park entrance on the right, which is reached just after crossing a rickety one lane bridge over the Youghiogheny River.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and park in the blacktop trailhead parking lot on the right 0.4 miles from the park entrance.

The hike: If you want national park-level scenery without national park prices or (maybe) national park crowds, then perhaps a visit to rural western Maryland’s Swallow Falls State Park is in order.  The narrow, winding roads that lead to the park testify to the park’s remote location, which reduces but not eliminates the crowds.  The park’s location on the Youghiogheny River, one of the region’s most scenic waterways, provides the national park level scenery.  On point, the 257 acre park contains virgin forest and four noteworthy waterfalls, all of which are seen on this hike.

            The land’s history as parkland dates to 1906, when John and Robert Garrett donated 1917 acres to the State of Maryland.  The park gained notoriety in 1918 when Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, John Burroughs and company camped near Muddy Creek Falls, the tallest of the park’s four waterfalls.  The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked here in the 1930’s, and they built trails and buildings that are still in use.  The park today features a 65-site developed campground, a picnic pavilion, and a small Visitor Center for amenities.

            For hikers, Swallow Falls State Park is the northern trailhead for a 5.5 mile trail that connects this park with nearby Herrington Manor State Park.  The only trail contained within the boundaries of Swallow Falls State Park is the 1.1 mile Swallow Falls Canyon Trail, but it is a good one that passes all four waterfalls and takes you through the virgin forest.  Such is the trail described here.

Portal at start of Swallow Falls Canyon Trail

            From the Visitor Center, walk across the parking lot and through the iron portal with wooden lintel that is the signed start of the Swallow Falls Canyon Trail.  Almost immediately you enter the virgin forest, and an interpretive sign tells you that this area is called the Youghiogheny Grove.  This stand of white pines and hemlocks contains trees that are more than 300 years old, and it is the last forest of its kind in Maryland.

Entering the Youghiogheny Grove

            After only a couple hundred feet, the trail forks to form its loop.  To save the best waterfall for last, I decided to turn right here and use the left trail as my return route, thus hiking the loop counterclockwise.  The wide gravel trail heads south over flat to descending terrain, and the park entrance road comes within sight through the trees to the right.

            Ignore a set of wooden steps that exits downhill to the left and continue heading south.  Soon the descent steepens, and a somewhat rocky and rooty course brings you to the base of Tolliver Falls, the first and probably least impressive of the four waterfalls on this hike.  At less than 10 feet in height, Tolliver Falls is a typical ledge-type waterfall, but it features an attractive plunge pool and rhododendron-filled surroundings.

Tolliver Falls

            The trail heads downstream from Tolliver Falls and soon reaches the west bank of the Youghiogheny River, a whitewater river known locally as “the Yahk.”  You may be able to see (or hear) the rickety one-lane bridge you drove over to get to the park; it crosses the river just upstream from here.  Now following the Yahk downstream, at 0.4 miles you reach Upper Swallow Falls.  Upper Swallow Falls is a 20-foot cascade-type waterfall, and the Yahk provides plenty of water to fall.  The first viewpoint provides a side view of the waterfall and views downstream, but a second viewpoint gives a postcard view from below the waterfall.

Upper Swallow Falls

            Where you reach the bottom of the wooden steps you passed the top of earlier, turn right to continue heading downstream beside the Yahk.  Near 0.6 miles, you reach Lower Swallow Falls.  Another river waterfall, Lower Swallow Falls is a 10-foot ledge-type waterfall, and an overlook area provides a close-up side view of the waterfall.

Lower Swallow Falls

            The trail continues downstream and passes below some rock cliffs and rock shelters on the left.  Next the trail curves left to leave the Yahk and head up the side ravine that contains Muddy Creek.  At 0.9 miles, you reach 53-foot Muddy Creek Falls, the tallest single-drop waterfall in Maryland.  A rocky ledge just below the waterfall provides the best view, but some landing areas built into the wooden staircase that lifts you to the top of the falls also provide nice views.  The view from the top of the waterfall looking down toward the Yahk is not bad either, and some benches near the top encourage you to rest after climbing the stairs and take in the scenery.

Muddy Creek Falls

            The top of Muddy Creek Falls is the other end of the wide gravel trail you started on, so a mostly flat course on wide trail through virgin forest is what remains.  A small parking lot provides handicapped access to the top of Muddy Creek Falls.  After closing the loop, turn right on the entrance trail to return to the parking lot and complete the hike.

Coopers Rock State Forest: Clay Furnace and Raven Rock (Blog Hike #777)

Trails: Eagle, Rhododendron, Clay Run, Roadside, and Raven Rock Trails

Hike Location: Coopers Rock State Forest

Geographic Location: east of Morgantown, WV (39.63796, -79.81515)

Length: 7 miles

Difficulty: 7/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: October 2019

Overview: A loop plus an out-and-back featuring the historic Clay Iron Furnace and fantastic views of the Cheat River Gorge.

Forest Information: https://wvstateparks.com/park/coopers-rock-state-forest/

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=771161

Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: East of Morgantown, take I-68 to the Coopers Rock exit (exit 15).  Exit and go south to enter the forest.  Drive the narrow and winding forest road 3 miles to the overlook parking area, where this hike begins.  If the overlook parking area is full, you can park at any of the roadside parking areas between the overlook parking area and McCollum Campground; this hike passes through all of those parking areas.

The hike: Sprawling over 12,747 acres that straddle I-68 just east of Morgantown, Coopers Rock State Forest is the largest state forest in West Virginia.  The state forest gets its name from a legendary fugitive who hid near the present-day main overlook.  The fugitive was a cooper by trade, and he continued to make and sell barrels from this hiding place while authorities were looking for him.

            During the early to mid 1800’s this area was a center for iron production; the remains of the historic Henry Clay Iron Furnace, the first steam-powered iron furnace in western Virginia, will be passed on this hike.  The state forest was established in 1936, and the depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked here from 1936 to 1942 to build many of the trails and buildings we use today.  The amenities at Coopers Rock State Forest include a 25-site developed campground, 4 picnic shelters, a concession stand that operates during summer months, and 50 miles of trails.  Thus, this state forest feels more like a major state park than a typical state forest.

            The 50 miles of trails mean that hikers have an almost unlimited number of routes to choose from.  The forest’s most popular hiking destinations are the Cheat River Gorge overlooks, the historic iron furnace, and some tall rock outcrops known as Rock City.  This hike takes you to the first two of those three destinations, and Rock City could be added-on if you wanted to do another short hike after this one.

Trail to main overlook

            You will want to go to the main Cheat River Gorge overlook located near the overlook parking area either before or after your hike.  I chose to go there first because I started my hike early in the morning and wanted to see the overlook before the crowds arrived.  A sign adjacent to the parking area that says “Overlook 500 feet” marks the way.

View upstream from main overlook

View downstream from main overlook

            The Cheat River Gorge is located about 20 miles upstream from the river’s mouth at the Monongahela River, and this overlook is located near the mouth of the gorge.  The stone overlook with wooden guardrails stands nearly 1000 feet above Cheat River, and it offers fantastic views upstream into the heart of the gorge and downstream toward Morgantown.  The dense broadleaf forest makes this vantage point popular for leaf peeping.  My visit on a Friday in early October came about 2 weeks too early for peak leaf color, but the view is excellent any time of year.

Start of Eagle Trail

After enjoying the view, retrace your steps to the overlook parking area and find the signed start of the Eagle Trail, which is located on the park road just north (right) of the concession building.  Marked with white plastic diamonds, the Eagle Trail descends moderately through a gap in the rock bluffs and passes an old run-down wooden cabin with moss covering its roof.  Where the Eagle Trail splits to form its loop, you can choose either option, but the one on the right offers the shorter route.

Just shy of 0.5 miles, you reach the access road for picnic shelter #3.  Leave the Eagle Trail’s loop by turning right on the access road to quickly reach the shelter’s parking loop, then turn left and walk ¼ of the way around the loop to find the signed start of the Rhododendron Trail.  Marked with orange plastic diamonds and orange paint blazes, the Rhododendron Trail descends mostly moderately for its 1 mile length.  The Rhododendron Trail’s route curves down the west end of the ridge that forms the Cheat River Gorge’s north rim.

Hiking the Rhododendron Trail

Ignore the Notmucha Trail and the Rock City Connector Trail, which exit right and left respectively.  The mature broadleaf forest features lots of oak and maple trees with a few tulip poplars.  Rhododendron and ferns crowd the understory.

After descending a fairly steep area, you reach the end of the Rhododendron Trail and a major trail intersection; no less than 5 different trails converge here.  This hike will eventually turn right to head east on the Clay Run Trail, but first cross a pair of wooden bridges to reach the historic Henry Clay Iron Furnace.  Between 1836 and 1847 this iron furnace operated around the clock and produced 4 tons of pig iron per day.  About 200 people worked here, and the furnace was the center of a community that featured about 100 dwellings, a store, a church, and a school.  Today the stone furnace sits in a secluded area of the woods, and I enjoyed sitting here and resting while I thought about what this area would have been like in its industrial days.

Henry Clay Iron Furnace

After viewing the iron furnace, exit the furnace area on the Clay Run Trail, which begins a gradual climb upstream beside its namesake watercourse.  The Clay Run Trail is marked with blue paint blazes, and you need to look for the blazes because several unmarked and unofficial trails pass through this area.  Also, because this land is a state forest and not a state park, hunting is a popular activity here.  I saw several hunters along this trail, so wear bright orange clothing during hunting season to prevent accidents.

At 1.8 miles, the trail joins an old road that it will follow for the next 1.2 miles.  The blue blazes tell you to angle left to continue the gradual climb on the old road.  The “trail” going right here is one of the unofficial trails; it leads to the Notmucha Trail you passed earlier.

Climbing on the Clay Run Trail

As the climb continues, the old road begins to follow a low-voltage powerline.  This section of trail is not particularly scenic, but I did see the only semblance of fall colors on my hike in this area.  A high-voltage powerline clearing allows views across Clay Run’s shallow ravine.

Reservoir at head of Clay Run ravine

3 miles into the hike, you reach the man-made reservoir at the head of the Clay Run ravine.  Scenic views appear across the shallow body of water, but no swimming, paddling, or fishing is allowed here.  Walk around the right side of the reservoir and climb the last few hundred feet of old road to reach the east end of the Clay Run Trail where it intersects the Roadside Trail.  Turn right to begin hiking southwest on the Roadside Trail.

True to its name, the unmarked but easy-to-follow Roadside Trail follows the main forest road from the forest entrance gate to the overlook parking area.  Mountain bikes are also allowed to use this trail, so step to the side if you hear one approaching.  At 3.6 miles, you reach the roadside parking area for the Raven Rock Trail; some picnic tables also sit here.  To get another fantastic view of the Cheat River Gorge, walk across the main park road and begin the signed Raven Rock Trail, which is marked with red plastic diamonds and red paint blazes.  If you are getting tired or running out of daylight, you can skip the Raven Rock Trail and hike the Roadside Trail another 0.8 miles to the overlook parking area where you started; the parking area at this trailhead makes it easy to come back and do the Raven Rock Trail on another day.

Start of Raven Rock Trail

The Raven Rock Trail descends on a gradual grade via a wide rocky treadway.  The large amount of small loose rock on this trail surface forces you to step carefully, but careful stepping should get you down without incident.  A couple of wet areas will also need to be negotiated, so I recommend waterproof boots for this hike.

Rocky treadway of Raven Rock Trail

4.5 miles into this hike (or 0.9 miles into the Raven Rock Trail), the trail curves right to leave the old road.  This turn is obvious if you are looking for the red trail markings. Next comes the steepest climb of this hike, as the trail gains about 125 vertical feet in less than 0.2 miles.

Just shy of 5 miles, you reach the overlook known as Raven Rock.  This overlook is more in the center of the Cheat River Gorge than the one you visited earlier, and the lack of guardrails gives it a more rustic feel.  Unfortunately, the high-voltage powerlines you passed under earlier also pass through here, but they only detract from the view a little.  Some rock ledges make nice spots to sit and enjoy the view.

View upstream from Raven Rock

View downstream from Raven Rock

Retrace your steps back to the Raven Rock Trail’s parking area, then turn left to continue the Roadside Trail.  The Roadside Trail undulates gently with ever-present noise from the forest entrance road coming from your left.  After passing through a couple more roadside parking/picnic areas, the trail comes out at the overlook parking area, which marks the end of the hike.  Be sure to check out the main overlook if you did not do so before the hike.  If you have some more energy, you could add the short and fairly flat 0.7 mile Rock City Trail, which also starts at this parking area and heads to the forest’s famous tall rock outcrops.