The Village Creek State Park Lake Dunn Trail begins -you won't be surprised to hear- at Lake Dunn. Before you get to the trail's true beginning you pass fishing, boating, and picnicking areas:
The brochure specifically mentions the "popular swinging bridge". We watched for signs of the bridge as we walked.
No sign of the swinging bridge, but hope springs eternal.
Enjoying the hike though we were, we still looked without success for direction signs to the one attraction noted in the brochure. We did come across this remarkable creature:
which I promptly christened The Venerable Beded One. But no swinging bridge. Forging ahead...
Along the way I enjoyed the various fungi
And back to the beginning
with no sign of a swinging bridge. Strange. We saw deer, turkeys, many different kinds of birds, but I couldn't get video. I did get a video of an armadillo:
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I wonder if the people at the Nature Center were able to tell you where the swinging bridge was. Maybe you didn't swing enough for it to show itself (bad PUN). So did it really take you 4-6 hours to hike that trail? It was certainly lovely, and very nice to see in the winter how enjoyable this outing presented itself.
ReplyDeleteI've had bad luck asking visitor center employees about trails. Some of them (not this park specifically) don't walk the trails but just man the counter. Sometimes if I go in and compliment them on a trail, they'll ask questions about trail conditions (like whether or not that tree has been removed from blocking the trail, etc.). There's usually a trail map available, but some are better than others. I'd rather just explore on my own. If we hadn't eventually found the bridge on a different trail I'd have asked.
DeleteNo, it took more than 3 but less than 4 hours.
I've only seen armadillos in zoos as we don't have them this far north. That was a cool video. And I like the beam man of the wood. Someone (or some people) have a sense of humor. And I think the fog gives your photos an interesting effect. It looks like a pretty place to visit. And I think a nice hike would feel really good seeing I've been cooped inside for what seems like weeks. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteWe were pleased with the weather, which was rainy the whole time but not too cold for us to want to walk :)
DeleteThe armadillo was fascinating to me because we don't have such creatures up here. It didn't even care you were walking nearby!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to know, too, if there was anywhere you could ask about the swinging bridge? You'd think it would be on any maps they had...but no maps? Not even any info online as to its whereabouts--just its existence? Bummer.
Looked like a peaceful walk that was quite pretty, though. :)
That armadillo would've let me pet it, I do believe!
DeleteI could've asked, but my history with asking visitor center staff about specific trail elements isn't good and we persevered on our own. There was a trail map, but the swinging bridge wasn't on it.
It was peaceful, quiet :)
What a lovely place for a walk. I wonder if the swing bridge gets put away for the winter. I got a chuckle from your beaded man ...
ReplyDeleteThe "popular swinging bridge" is a permanent trail element. Yes, the beads were so much fun to see lol
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