Cumberland State Forest

On Monday I spent a wonderful day playing in the rain at Cumberland State Forest. I started the day off by taking a hike around Channel Cat Loop at Bear Creek Lake State Park. On May 15th during the trail celebration I will be leading a guided hike about trees and wanted to get a preview and some talking points. Halfway around this 2 mile loop the sky opened up and I got drenched. But it was totally worth it when I encountered a whole colony of pink ladyslippers! For those who don't like pine plantations and say they are not diverse, I would say, why then does this uncommon orchid make it's home there?

After getting out of the rain for a bit I decided to hike along the Cumberland Multiuse Trail and clear some downed trees. I also wanted to check on the swinging bridge and some other areas. I also began to look at a trail that will extend from the southern swinging bridge, past three beaver ponds, following the Willis River and Bear Creek, and popping out on the far side of the forest. This would be potentially a 5+ mile loop with an excellent opportunity for wildlife viewing.

At the end of the day I had a great time visiting with the wonderful Friends of Bear Creek Lake State Park and we prepare for the May 15th trail celebration!

Cumberland State Forest

On Monday I spent a wonderful day playing in the rain at Cumberland State Forest. I started the day off by taking a hike around Channel Cat Loop at Bear Creek Lake State Park. On May 15th during the trail celebration I will be leading a guided hike about trees and wanted to get a preview and some talking points. Halfway around this 2 mile loop the sky opened up and I got drenched. But it was totally worth it when I encountered a whole colony of pink ladyslippers! For those who don't like pine plantations and say they are not diverse, I would say, why then does this uncommon orchid make it's home there?

After getting out of the rain for a bit I decided to hike along the Cumberland Multiuse Trail and clear some downed trees. I also wanted to check on the swinging bridge and some other areas. I also began to look at a trail that will extend from the southern swinging bridge, past three beaver ponds, following the Willis River and Bear Creek, and popping out on the far side of the forest. This would be potentially a 5+ mile loop with an excellent opportunity for wildlife viewing.

At the end of the day I had a great time visiting with the wonderful Friends of Bear Creek Lake State Park and we prepare for the May 15th trail celebration!

Cumberland State Forest

So I've posted a few items about what's going on at Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest but here is some information about Cumberland State Forest. As the second largest state forest (16,222 acres) CSF is a great place for a day trip and can be combined with a visit to Bear Creek Lake State Park which has camping or top of the line cabins available. Both the forest and the park have a fairly extensive system of trails that provide a good experience for any user.

There are currently two new trails planned for Cumberland to be done as time, money, and labor are available. The first would be a loop trail around Arrowhead Lake which would be approximately one mile in length. If I can get a good bid on picnic shelters I would like to place one at Arrowhead Lake towards the spillway on the dam. I would also like to eventually fix up the boat ramp, however, I feel the issue of sedimentation filling in the lake must be addressed first. The second trail is planned from the southern swinging bridge (past Arrowhead Lake) through some wetlands and ending near the State Forest Headquarters. This would be a great trail for birdwatching and general wildlife activity as it passes through some diverse habitat. I haven't decided if these will be multiple use yet, it largely depends on how the tread will turn out once we initially begin construction.

Currently equestrian parking takes place in the field in front of the historic house and state forest headquarters. We have decided to move parking to another area of the forest. I have applied for a Land and Water Conservation Grant to move the parking lot across the road next to the neatly thinned pines. There is another area that could be used and may be planned if the grant falls through. This area is located off of Goff Road which is down towards Rt. 60. Both locations would provide good access to the Cumberland Multiuse Trail (CMT)and would give users more room to spread out and would provide amenities such as hitching posts, a mounting block, a picnic shelter, corral, and a non-potable well (though we may be able to tap into a water line and make it potable). I know moving the current location is not desirable but it has been decided that we need to move parking from our "front lawn" if you will and give users a more stable area that could be used in all weather conditions. For the time being, however, users can still park in the field until another facility has been built.

Speaking of parking, four new small parking lots have been constructed on the forest along the CMT and Willis River Trail. These lots are located on Bear Creek Forest Road, Rock Quarry Road, Rt. 624 near the Willis River Trail, and Warner Road at the northern swinging bridge. These are fairly small lots but would be ideal for bikers and hikers (car parking).

So that was a mouthful but hopefully gives everyone some insight as to what's going on down in Cumberland. Come on out and check out this awesome forest!