Towards the end of my parkway journey, I passed under the “Little Switzerland Tunnel” on the parkway, drove thirty more minutes, and started to see signs for Crabtree Meadows campground. At the entrance I noticed a store and decided to check it out. Inside there was a gift shop, restrooms, parkway maps, and even a place to eat. This little restaurant served hot dogs and sandwiches. It was a laid back atmosphere and housed quite a few hungry travelers.
About 20 feet from the gift shop and camp store, was an amphitheatre for the campground. Here, campers could go for solitude as it stretched out across a grassy field and was far from disturbances. The campsites were just beyond the amphitheatre and could be reached by a short trail leading from the gift shop. That way, if campers ever forgot an essential like their toothbrush, were craving some candy, or wanted ice to keep their food cold, the gift shop wasn’t far for them to journey.
Crabtree Meadows Campground was the quietest campground I have been to thus far. Tucked away beyond the parkway main road, it was very serene and peaceful. Whether you have an RV or a tent, you are handicapped or ready to hike; Crabtree Meadows has facilities for the whole family. Campsites were surrounded by large trees and spread out from neighboring sites.
This campground is near an ample amount of activities for folks of all ages. The ranger programs go on throughout the summer and different activities happen in the evening at the amphitheatre. Mt.Mitchell is only a couple miles from Crabtree Meadows and accessible by car for a daytime adventure. Also Crabtree Falls is only one mile from the campground entrance sign. Which means the trail is smack dab in the middle of the campsite for hikers to utilize during the daytime hours.
Visit Virtual Blue Ridge to view and print a free map of this campground.
Most visitors zip past the James River/Otter Creek area of The Blue Ridge Parkway in their cars headed to the higher elevations of the Peaks of Otter or Humpback Rocks. This is one of the few areas of the park that you will find straighter and flatter stretches of road that prompt people to speed by attempting to make time traveling north or south. The road here follows Otter Creek, one of the longest water courses within the park boundary and through the lowest elevations (649 feet) along the entire Blue Ridge Parkway. If a visitor would take the time to stop and get out of their vehicle, they would be rewarded by the nature and history that abounds between mile posts 60 to 64.
There are the obvious facilities in this section; the Otter Creek Campground with its new entrance bridge and Kiosk, the concession operated Otter Creek Restaurant, and the James River Visitor Center. But there is so much more.
The inquisitive visitor will discover the Otter Creek Trail. This 3.5 mile trail meanders along the creek and Parkway motor road from the campground to the visitor center. The trail is easy to walk and crosses the creek numerous times on stepping stones and pedestrian bridges. Sharp rock bluffs, mountain laurel, redbud, and bird life are abundant. At State Route 130 the trail travels through an underpass of the road. If you are observant you will see what appears to be a ditch that follows the edge of the trail. This is the remains of what was once a large mill operation that was obliterated when the present bridge for 130 was built.
The trail forks and makes a loop around Otter Lake. At the north end of the loop you will find the skeletal chimney and foundation of what was once the Nathaniel Sledd Cabin. This site is believed to have been the home of the first European settler in Amherst County, Virginia in the early 1700s. He was drawn to this location to trade with Native Americans for beaver pelts. Otter Creek was a heavily used travel route from the mountains above to the James River and above the threat of flood. Otter Lake did not exist at that time being built when the Blue Ridge Parkway came through in the late 1950s. Beaver still live in Otter Creek today. Hikers can see their handiwork in dams and the stumps and bases of trees that they have felled for food and construction materials. Trees around the trail have wire mesh around their base to protect them from the industrious rodents.
Beyond the James River Visitor Center you will find a remnant of our Country’s transportation history. On the opposite bank of the James River is a fully restored canal lock from the Kanawha Canal System that served as the main commercial transportation from the Shenandoah Valley to Richmond, Virginia before the Civil War. Looking up river you will be looking into the James River Water Gap, a geological feature left from a millennium of the river cutting its way through the Blue Ridge Mountains. This makes the James one of only two rivers that flow from west of the Blue Ridge toward the Atlantic Ocean.
So the next time you are driving through this area stop and get out of your vehicle and see what wonders await you.
Just last week CNN Headline News featured a viewer video of a woman being chased and struck by a bison at Yellowstone National Park. In the video you can see that the bison is meandering across a paved parking lot minding his own business when a friend of the woman keeps approaching closer and closer to get a better look. The woman, even knowing better, followed her friend to get a better video.
To view the video in its entirety, go to the YouTube link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro7KMYmWjk0
You will note in the video that the bison gave several warnings that he was uncomfortable with the approach of humans. First he tried to move away and place a tree line between the threat and himself. When the person still came on through the trees the bison then lifted his head and looked at him with his head moving up and down. The bison then kicked his heals up lowering his head and the woman still kept filming him. Finally the wild animal stressed by the perceived threat had to revert to flight or fight mode. Since the threat had kept moving toward him even after he attempted to calmly make flight from the area he most likely felt he had no choice but to fight and attack.
These same behaviors can been seen in any wildlife you may encounter in a National Park even if it is a bear, deer, or chipmunk on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Always give wildlife their space. Revel in the opportunity to view animals in their native habitat, but do not crowd or stress them into instinctual reactions.
This incident once again illustrates the lesson I have told several times on this blog and in my book, “A Park Ranger’s Life”, that park visitors should always enjoy viewing wildlife from afar.
National Park Rangers throughout the country spend thousands of hours every year rendering aid to and searching for lost or injured hikers. Even the simplest hike can quickly become complicated by changes in weather, unexpected terrain, minor injuries, inappropriate clothing and gear, or group members becoming separated.
Here are some simple tips to help prevent you or a family member from becoming a statistic in a report and ruining a wonderful Blue Ridge Parkway experience.
- Plan ahead for your hike. Review a map of the area or check for a map posted at the trail head. Having a vision of the trail route and where it goes will be helpful should you become confused by unofficial social trails.
- After reviewing a map and if available a description of the trail, do not take on a hike that is more physically difficult than all the members of your group can handle.
- Check the weather report for the area before your hike. Dress and carry appropriate gear to remain comfortable and safe during your time outdoors. Remember that in mountainous terrain temperatures drop sharply at night, so be prepared to prevent hypothermia should you be late getting to your destination or vehicle.
- Proper foot wear is essential not only for comfort but to prevent injuries. If hiking in rocky terrain, be sure to wear stout hiking boots with good tread. Most of the injuries treated by park rangers involve slips and falls on trails by people wearing inappropriate foot wear.
- Stay on the designated trails. The vast majority of the searches for lost hikers I worked during my career involved people getting off the trail, getting confused, and then trying to cut cross country to get to their destination.
- Keep your group within sight of each other. Never let some members, especially children, run ahead of the group. This is a recipe for disaster when members of your hiking group take a different trail and become separated. The result is generally people overreacting and contributing to the complexity of the situation. This reaction is amplified when the missing hikers are children. Well intended emotions then kick in and decision making becomes more difficult for members of the group. One tip is to have the slowest member of your group walk in the front and everyone has to stay behind them.
- Carry water even on short hikes. You may be amazed how quickly you can dehydrate while hiking outdoors. Dehydration and hypothermia both result in confusion and a loss of decision making skills.
Following these simple practices will help you to enjoy your next visit to any park.
The Vastness of the Blue Ridge Mountains never ceases to take my breath away. When you live in Boone, the parkway and all it has to offer seems as if it should be for tourists only.
For those who haven’t had the opportunity to soak up the inconceivable views, sleep among the North Carolina trees, or feel the cool evening breeze all around them.
Reality is, those privileged enough to call the mountains home, love the surroundings just as much as the visitors of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Read more »
