For this hike, we returned to Chewacla State Park where we have been hiking before. This is quickly becoming one of our favorite parks to visit. It is small enough to be able to become familar with the whole geography of the park, but big enough that there is lots to do and has some good and varied hiking trails. There are also campgrounds and a beach for swimming when the weather is warmer.
The park is also becoming known for Geocaching. Several local cachers have placed geocaches throughout the park. The park rangers themselves have even set up a geocaching challenge for visitors. If you are interested in geocaching at the park, more info can be found Here, or through the Geocaching.com website.
As far as the hike for today, this is a difficult one to describe in a lot of detail. We actually hiked portions of 6 different trails and in the process, circumnavigated a good portion of the park. We started off at the lower pavillion parking area located a short ride inside the front gates of the park.
From there, we took Trail 1 (Sweet Shrub Trail) east to Trail 2 (Boy Scout Trail), which ends at Murphy Drive towards the eastern side of the park. From there, we hiked south along Murphy Drive a short distance and picked up Trail 4 (Eagle Scout Trail), which headed towards the eastern side of the park and then turns south until it ends on Trail 8 (Mountain Bike Trail). We followed the outer, southern course of this trail which turned into Trail 5 (Deer Rub Trail). We followed that along the river all the way up to Chewacla Falls. At this point, we picked up Trail 7 (Mountain Laurel Trail), which bisects the park along the south side of the lake and followed it until it ends at Murphy Drive just south of where we initially came out from Trail 2. The final leg was to follow Trails 2 & 1 back to our car.
The weather was sunny in the low 70's with little humidity and wind, and was perfect for a hike. The set of trails we hiked today was about 3.85 Miles total and took us about 2 HR 45 Min to finish.
The paths had some level changes and there were some obstacles such as a muddy patches and fallen trees, so we would suggest you wear hiking boots and have a walking stick. Also, one stretch of Trail 5 along the river rises steeply with only a foot or two of clearance with a sharp drop-off. Trail 5 near the falls also involves climbing in and around a lot of rocks. (See picture above) Trail 7 has a lot of roots, rocks and springs to be careful of.
We are very proud of both of the kids. They did a great job. There was a lot of complaining at times, but they say that they had a good time. Paige was a bit of a water hog, and we have sworn that she can carry her own water bottle next time. When its gone, its gone... Oh, and she gets the best quote of the day. "It seems like we are nowhere, but we have to be somewhere." Very true kid.
Overall Difficulty: 6/10
Lower Pavillion Parking Area Coords: N 33 11.130, W 85 28.583
Lower Pavillion Parking Area via Google Maps: Lower Pavillion
Upper Pavillion Parking Area Coords: N 32 58.050, W 85 28.567
Upper Pavillion Parking Area via Google Maps: Upper Pavillion
More Trail Information (PDF): Chewacla Trails
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