Turkey Point Lighthouse

Location: Elk Neck State Park, North East, MD
Season Visited: Spring
Trail Length: 1.5-mile loop
Time to hike: About an hour and a half
Difficulty Level: 2

Elk Neck State Park is a small park in the state of Maryland, but what it lacks in size it makes up in charm and lovely views.  It's a nice place to walk if you're in the area, and boasts some fun wildlife.  Here is the park's website.

Like the last park we explored, this park also features a lighthouse.  While not as tall or impressive as the Cape May Lighthouse, the Turkey Point Lighthouse is still a treat to see.  Check the website for operating hours if you want to climb it.

Sean by the Turkey Point Lighthouse.

To get to the lighthouse, you first need to hike the trail!  And to get to the trail, you have to enter the park, then pass through a residential area, and then re-enter the park again.  It's kind of strange, but you'll get there.  Don't get all confused when you're suddenly amongst a bunch of houses.

Cleo enjoying the spring breeze.

When you get through the houses, you'll finally come to a parking lot.  Park here and the trail will be right in front of you.

It starts uphill immediately, but it's not steep and there are benches to rest on.  Enjoy the views of the Chesapeake Bay and Elk River and have fun playing amongst the trees if you feel adventurous and want to brave the "cliffs."  Check the coastline for wildlife - last time I was there I caught a brief glimpse of what I believe was a coyote!

Continue following the trail and you will come to the lighthouse!

Enjoy the view, and watch for wildlife!

Beautiful black rat snake sunbathing on the cliffs.

After a saunter through the woods, the trail will lead you back where you started.

Climb down to the water if you are so inclined.

Overall, the trail to the Turkey Point Lighthouse is a nice walk with abundant wildlife and rewarding views.  It's a great little day trip if you want to get outside for a while.  Enjoy your hike, and keep wandering!

Pinterest

Blue Trail

Location: Cape May Point State Park, Cape May Point, NJ
Season Visited: Spring, Summer
Trail Length: 2-mile loop
Time to Hike: Less than an hour
Difficulty Level: 1

Cape May Point State Park is a lovely little place to get away to.  It's the perfect place to go to see some wildlife while around the Jersey shore and is home to some amazing migratory bird species.  You also get to see some history while you're there, including the Cape May Lighthouse and a WWII bunker.  Check here for some helpful information about the park.

The trail itself is very pretty and is easy-peasy to walk since it's mostly a board walk.  It's really more of a pleasant stroll than a hike.  Honestly, there's not a whole lot to say about this trail that the pictures of it can't say better.  So, here are some images of the lovely Blue Trail.

The Cape May Lighthouse, built in 1859 from the bricks of an earlier lighthouse that stood in the same spot.  You can climb it for a fee during certain times of the year.

Sean enjoying the beach.

You pass through multiple habitats along the trail.

Snowy egret.

Small dirt section of the trail leading to board walk.

Daisy fleabane.

Little rabbit trying to be sneaky.  It was so close!

I hope this has been enough to prove to you that the Jersey shore isn't just a bunch of overly-tanned crazy people and bikinis.  There's natural beauty here, too!  Keep wandering, and enjoy your hike.

http://pinterest.com/pin/270919733805362799/

Dark Hollow Falls Trail

Location: Shenandoah National Park, Stanley, VA
Season Visited: Spring
Trail Length: 1.4-miles there and back
Time to Hike: One and a half to two and a half hours
Difficulty Level: 3

Dark Hollow Falls Trial is located, like South Rivers Falls Trail, in Shenandoah National Park.  It begins on mile 50.7 of Skyline Drive in the Big Meadows area.  The waterfall itself is a lovely 70-foot cascade with lots of fun rocks to play around on (though there are plenty of warnings to stay on the path - disobey at your own risk).  This is a fairly popular trail, but it's never overly crowded in my experience.  It's great when you want to kill a couple of hours in the park but don't want to kill yourself with anything too difficult.  Still, the uphill climb back from the falls can be quite tiring.

Warning at the top of the falls.  It honestly cracks me up lol.  This photo was taken on my first trip, at the end of March a few years ago.  The rest were taken in May of last year.

Start at the Dark Hollow Falls parking area.  The beginning of the trail is a pleasant walk near a creek.  There are chipmunks everywhere around here!

You'll spend the next half hour or so heading downhill.  There are beautiful flowers and butterflies along the way.

Cabbage white butterfly.

Most of the trail is an even gravel slope.  While I'm usually a stickler for natural rock or dirt, the beauty of the woods surrounding the trail and falls allows me to excuse this :)

Travel onwards and you will arrive at Dark Hollow Falls.  There is a spot to rest here.  Have fun with the photo ops!

My sister Amy in the pool of Dark Hollow Falls.

Me at the falls.

I have hiked this trail twice, and the first time I headed back up from here.  However, the trail goes on downhill for a little longer to a bridge where some trails meet, and the bottom of the falls, while less spectacular, is still absolutely gorgeous.  I recommend going all the way.

The true bottom of the falls.

As a warning, heading back up is not nearly as much fun as going down.  I personally need a few rest stops along the way.  Nevertheless, it's certainly not unmanageable and it's more than worth it.  All in all, Dark Hollow Falls really is a beautiful trail.  It's fun and doesn't take too long to hike.  If you want a short but rewarding hike while at Shenandoah, this is the one for you!

Keep wandering, and enjoy your hike.

http://pinterest.com/pin/270919733806195181/

South River Falls Trail

Location: Shenandoah National Park, Stanley, VA
Season Visited: Spring
Trail Length: 4.7-mile loop.  Variations available.
Time to Hike: Three to four hours.
Difficulty Level: 4-5

South River Falls Trail is located in Shenandoah National Park, one of the two National Parks that I've visited and the only one that I can make a weekend trip out of due to distance.  It takes between four and five hours to get to Shenandoah from where I live.  I've done it twice on my own and have driven up on Saturday morning and back on Sunday evening.  It's a little exhausting, but it can be done.  If you're really nuts and live in South Jersey you can even make a day trip out of it, but you have to about as insane as I am :)

Although Shenandoah is most popular in the fall for its spectacular fall colors, I've made a tradition of going in the spring.  The first time I went in late March when most of the campgrounds in the park weren't even open.  It was great to see the first buds of spring, beat the crowds (there was next to nobody there), and see the early trillium in bloom, but it was also freezing at night.  I'm pretty sure I've never been as cold as I was the night I spent in a tent on Lewis Mountain in March.  Not recommended.

Trillium grandiflorum

Last year I went in May, which was much more pleasant.  The weather was beautiful, I saw tons of deer and five black bears, and the millipedes were everywhere!  Note that I am an insect enthusiast so this was very exciting for me.  Also note that it was terrifying for my husband and sister who went with me since I swerved the car on Skyline Drive every time I saw a millipede so I wouldn't run it over.  Gosh, I love millipedes!  They are just so adorable.  But I am getting off track...

A bit blurry, but it's a millipede!

The Shenandoah NPS organizes the map of the park into different sections.  South Falls Trail is located in the Lewis Mountain Area.  Here's a map.  Park at the South River Picnic Area, between mile marker 62 and 63 on Skyline Drive.  Enjoy the ride - Skyline Drive is one of the most beautiful drives in the country.  Be sure to stop at any lookouts you'd like.

View of Old Rag Mountain.  I plan to conquer that one soon!

Once you've made it to the picnic area, you can start on the trail.  The beginning is relatively easy.  It's not long before you come to the lookout at the top of the falls.  Photo opportunities abound.

The impressive South River Falls.

The hubby and me at the top of the falls.

It's nice to see the falls from above, but the real beauty is at the bottom.  To get there, take the spur (included in the mileage listed at the top).  It's worth it.  Just remember the beauty of the falls on your way back up, because that's when the hard part starts.

There's also this really great rock formation to the right of the falls that you can relax on if you have the energy to climb it.  It's also a great photo spot.  Chill on it for a while.  You're going to need it.

Alderfly near the falls.

Now comes the tough part.  The journey to the falls is moderately easy.  The falls are beautiful.  You now have two options.  You can either re-trace your steps back up, or you can make this a loop via the South River Fire Road and the Appalachian Trail.  I have never re-traced my steps, but have rather taken the loop.  I can say, without a doubt, that the South River Fire Road is the single most unpleasant hike I have ever taken.  I have never been as miserable on a hike as I was the last time I took that damned fire road.  I think they call it that for a reason: it closely resembles Hell.  I really can't tell you why I find the fire road to be so exhausting.  It's not terribly steep and there are no rock scrambles or anything like that.  It's just a mile and a half or so up the exact same uphill climb.  I realize I'm not in the best shape, but my legs feel like Jello after that fire road.  My main motivation in taking the loop is that I have had a love affair with the AT since childhood, so I'll do pretty much anything to hike it's sacred footpaths even for a moment, and you have to do the fire road to take the AT back to picnic area.  However, I'm really not sure that I'll ever take that loop again because I hate the fire road so much.  If I ever do South River Falls Trail again, I'll re-trace my steps.  I guess all I can say is that if you take the fire road - you have been warned.  And for God's sake, wear some good shoes.

After that awful fire road, the AT is a very welcome sight.

No matter what you decide to do, I can tell you that you're going to feel both amazing and exhausted at the end of this trail.  You'll probably feel like a warrior who's just been through battle, but you'll know you've seen some amazing beauty and conquered the South River Falls Trail.

I'm probably heading back to Shenandoah in May, so maybe I'll see you there!  In the meantime, keep wandering, and enjoy your hike!