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:
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 heels 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.
It’s official, all 469.1 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway are open for travel again with no detours, just in time for beautiful weather over the 4th of July holiday weekend.
Today at 12:00 noon ET, the National Park Service opened the last closed stretch of the scenic roadway near Asheville, NC from MP 399 at Bad Fork Valley Overlook to MP 405.5 near NC Route 151. This section of the Parkway had been closed since October 2009 because of a potential rock slide. Only one lane has opened, but the Parkway can now be travelled from end to end again, detour free. A traffic light will help control the flow of traffic. Read more »
The National Safety Council reported in 2003 that there were 530,000 car collisions involving animals. A major portion of these are wildlife and the largest part of those involved deer. Deer are a common factor in many motor vehicle collisions in National Parks. Most areas administered by the National Park Service provide habitat for white tail and in the west mule deer. A favorite food of deer is the tender new growth of grass along road shoulder after it is mowed. This brings these popular yet hazardous representatives of nature in close proximity of fast moving vehicles.
Here are a few tips that will help you understand the dynamics of deer movement and how to avoid collisions that can cause serious property damage and at times personal injuries.
Deer are most active at dawn and dusk. This is when they like to feed so you are most likely to see deer on road shoulders.
Remember that deer can also be encountered any other time of day.
Drive the speed limit or below when in areas frequented by deer. This applies to most park areas.
Be alert scanning tree lines and road shoulders for deer including the reflection from their eyes at night.
Once you see deer or the reflection of eyes, slow down, and stay alert for movement.
If you see deer running across the road in front of your vehicle, do not follow where they are going with your eyes. Instead look to where the deer came from. Deer do not travel alone and more deer may come from the same direction.
At times deer will run down the road in front of your vehicle in a zig-zag pattern. Drivers are often confused by this behavior. Their natural instincts are kicking in and this is how they attempt to escape a predator. If you stop your vehicle, they will finally run off the road.
Should a deer jump into the road in front of you, hit your brakes and stay in your lane. More extensive damage and more serious injuries can result from swerving to avoid the deer and striking a tree, rock, or oncoming vehicle.
You will see devices sold that you can place on your vehicle that make whistling sounds to scare deer away. It was my experience that these do not guarantee safety and I saw many vehicles with this equipment in place still have collisions with deer.
This June 5th is National Trail Day and marks the debut of the Gems of Rockbridge County Geocache Trail in Virginia. The Trail has been developed by the organizations Rockbridge Area Tourism, Rockbridge County, and Celebrate Buena Vista. A grant was awarded for this partnership to develop a geocaching experience which ties into The Blue Ridge Parkway’s 75th Anniversary Celebration.
Geocaching is a growing recreational activity throughout the United States. Participants can obtain the geographic coordinates of caches hidden by others and then use handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) units to find them. It is similar to a high tech scavenger or treasure hunt. Caches can consist of secreted containers with small items that can be taken as souvenirs and or the chance to leave a token behind. Virtual caches can lead the hunter to the answer of a puzzle or riddle. Many Geocache enthusiasts then share their finds on the web site; http://www.geocaching.com/.
The Gems of Rockbridge County Geocache Trail showcases the county and communities adjacent to The Blue Ridge Parkway and their cultural and natural relationships.
This Trail fills a niche of interest that cannot be satisfied on The Blue Ridge Parkway since geocaching is prohibited in National Park Service Areas. This fun activity is enjoyed by individuals and families. There will be 10-12 caches secreted in the Rockbridge County area. Participants can pick up a passport with information that will lead them through the trail at the Buena Vista and Lexington Visitor Centers in Virginia. The first two hundred people to locate all the caches will receive a commemorative coin.
