One of my favorite places to enjoy the great Outdoors is
Crystal Springs Recreation Area. Since
opening to the public in 2006, I have made this location a staple in my life. It’s not unusual for me and family to visit
the park two or three times a week. It is convenient to town, only a 4 mile drive, yet the vast wilderness makes me
feel as if I’m a hundred miles from civilization. Crystal Springs Recreation Area includes some
of the finest hiking/biking trails in the area. Visitors are sure to find a
trail that accommodates their fitness level. Throughout this blog, I will introduce you to these beautiful trails.
The first trail constructed on the property was the .7 mile
Woodpecker Run trail. This might be
considered an intermediate trail by some, but I think it is an easy hike. If you are unsure of your ability, I advise…take
your time, enjoy the songbirds, and take in the beautiful scenery. The trail wanders through canopies of rhododendron
and vast hardwoods. While enjoying this
trail, hikers can take a break at the birding viewing area.
Salamander Meander (0.14 miles) is small connector trail. This trail joins the aquatic viewing area to Woodpecker Run Trail.
The Waterline Trail is
an easy .47 miles of mostly rolling terrain.
The trail parallels a large
section of the Woodpecker Run Trail before passing by the mountain bike terrain
park. The Waterline Trail is a nice
alternative to the heavier traveled Woodpecker Run Trail. It is nice and flowing, with no major
inclines or declines. The trail gets it's
name from the old underground waterline that runs adjacent, and is exposed in certain areas of the trail.
The Crystal Springs Loop Trail is an intermediate, 2.1 miles
hike. The trail meanders through open
forest and hikers should expect several lengthy inclines and declines. In case of foul weather were to arise during your
hike, there are 2 shelters situated along
this trail. The shelters also make a
nice place to sit and catch your breath.
The recently completed, 8.5 mile Boundary Trail is the most
difficult trail due to it's length and elevation increase (approximately 3,300
feet). The trail follows the boundary of the 1,800 acre property. This trail is a good half day hike, however,
for those wanting to extend their back-country experience, they can easily turn
this hike into an overnight backpacking adventure. There are 5 backpacking
campsites along this trail. If you have
a desire to backpack but never have, then I highly recommend this trail. It makes for a great first-time backing
packing experience.
All of the trails at Crystal Springs find their way to the
old Town of Wytheville watershed, which was built in the early 1900’s. Since there was not enough water capacity the
reservoir become a backup form of water for our town. Today it makes for a great pit stop to cool
off during a hike. FYI…I’ve also spotted
some nice size wild Rainbow trout. More
on fishing Crystal Springs Recreation Area in a future blog.
With such a valuable resource so conveniently located, I encourage
you to get outside and explore the beauty that is Crystal Springs!
Crystal Springs Recreation Area is located at 723 Pump Hollow Road. Follow US 21 South out of Wytheville for three miles, turn left onto Pump Hollow road and proceed for one mile to the parking area on the left.
Comments
Post a Comment