Walnut Creek Park

If you want a taste of the mountains without the steeper and longer climbs, and with a shorter drive from Richmond, Walnut Creek Park is a good bet.  I went there on January 26 with the Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club.  It's about a 20 minute drive south of Charlottesville, still in the Piedmont, but getting quite close to the mountain hiking experience.  Our group of about 15 took two hikes together for a total of nine miles, one of about 6.8 miles and the other of 2.4 miles.  In between the hikes, we hunkered down in a covered picnic shelter by the lake for lunch.

Here are some photos from the hikes in Walnut Creek Park, starting with the reservoir:

Some of the group moves down the trail.

 This once was part of someone's home.  Now, it is an easy drive to a big town with a huge university, but at the time of this cabin, it would have been near wilderness and very remote.  No grocery stores for these folks!

This is the dam that creates the reservoir, and the spillway into the creek.  During this hike, we reached several creeks that were too high to cross without getting soaked, so the hike leader altered the route - which included hiking along a road for a bit (but it beat getting soaked boots!)

A few of the lake from near the end of the first hike.

The second hike was short but very scenic - it really gave me the feeling of being in the mountains.  The streams were beautiful!  There was also another old cabin site.  I wonder what these mountain peoples' lives were like?  What happened to them?

Doesn't this look like a mountain stream?

Some of the group left after the first hike.  I think we had about 10 for the afternoon hike, and here, some of them move along the trail.

This was a lovely stream to walk along.

I enjoyed my not-in-the-mountains hike that felt like it was in the mountains.  I highly recommend walking here.