Soft, dry trails, with surprising hills given the proximity to a large body of water. Beautifully blazed and maintained with color coded signs, benches, and bridges over wet spots. The raft was a treat! I highly recommend Swamp Trail to North-South Trail to Parkers Creek Loop in the American Chestnut Land Trust. We already booked a vacation there next month so we can finish the rest of the trails.
There are clean portapotties at the trailhead and the midpoint (which is another trailhead).
Max elevation: 159 ft
Min elevation: 6 ft
Total climbing: 1996 ft
Total descent: -2006 ft
Average speed: 2.71 mi/h
Total time: 05:25:27
Soft, mulchy paths, sometimes with a green understory, sometimes without. The whole trail is like this.
How can I not take the Path Less Traveled?
Feet over one of the many shallow, sandy rivers. This place is probably a miserable mosquito-infested hothouse in the summer, but in March, it was lovely.
Spoiler alert: there’s a raft. That maaaay have been what attracted us to this hike in the first place.
The trail is all rolling hills. In the valleys, it’s swampy, but the trail maintenance is fantastic. There are sturdy wooden paths and bridges through all the wet spots.
No understory here, just pencils to the sky.
The selling point of this trail, to an outsider unfamiliar with its glute-killing hills and cuddly surface, is the tethered raft. It drifts on steel cables between the banks of a river. You pull it over to you, hop aboard, and pull yourself to the other side. Work gloves are recommended, but we barehanded it and lived to tell the tale.
The trail marking is fantastic. Trees are blazed frequently, and every trail has a color which appears on signs at every potential turn.
This tree has a person-sized hidey hole. Many selfies are undoubtedly taken in it by people more willing to scramble down the steeper-than-it-looks bank and back up.
I’m pretty sure these stairs, miles from a trailhead, meet residential building code.
Next time.
Caught Lady Gagaing on a raised walkway.
I want your trails, I want your walkways
Apologies to Lady Gaga
I wish you’d teach the DNR how to blaze
Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah
Roma, Roma-ma
Gaga, Ooh la-la
I want your hiking trails
Stats
| Distance | 10.6 miles |
| Elevation Gain | 1250 feet |
| Moving Time | 4 hours, 39 minutes |
| Total Time | 5 hours, 25 minutes |
| Average Pace | 30 minutes per mile / 2.3 mph |
| Water Consumed | 1.5 liters |
| Food Before | oatmeal |
| Food During | burrito
1 Clif bar |
Equipment
| Pack | CamelBak Aventura hydration pack |
| Navigation | Phone 6 with AllTrails Pro |
| Shoes | Hoka One One Speedgoat 4 Gore Tex trailing running shoes |
| Used Poles? | No |
| Clothes | Socks: Injinji Trail Midweight Mini Crew Toesocks Gaiters: Generic nylon waterproof gaiters Shirt: short sleeve wicking tee Shirt: long sleeve wicking tee Bottom: lightweight loose running pants Jacket: Medium weight fleece hoodie |
Recording
See my current gear, clothing, and thoughts about it on the Hiking Gear page.