Monday, October 10, 2016

Take a Hike at Parfrey's Glen State Natural Area!




Parfrey's Glen.
This was the Cedar Glen before the beautiful rocky gorge of Parfrey's Glen.

The hike isn't very difficult. If you want to have the place to yourself you need to get there early. By 10 AM there is a crowd and you can't hike anywhere without running into another group.
I was there about an hour after sunrise and had the place to myself. I went to the spot where the stream came through the Cedars and just hung around looking for interesting spots to take a photo.
I was not disappointed.

My friends showed up not too long after and we hiked up through the gorge.

I was lucky to be able to get some fairly nice shots and avoided the folks hiking there.

I've only been to Parfrey's Glen once before and that was in the winter. It still is very impressive.
But the colors in October are incredible.
The trees above are various shades of autumn colors which contrast with the green pines and the vibrant green mosses that cover almost everything in the Glen.

I think everyone goes to the end of the gorge to see the famed waterfall.

It is pretty and worth seeing.

There are so many other things to see. I could spend much more than 3 or more hours exploring photographic opportunities.





The gorge walls themselves deserve a whole day of studying!

But alas, I stuck to the stream this time and didn't get any great shots of the imposing rock walls.

However this shot with my cell phone ought to give you an idea of how imposing this place actually is.


If you go.
Be prepared to get your feet wet.
Don't hike in sandals or high heels. If you do, don't go past the maintained trail sign.
Respect the trails, don't wander off trail. The area has some very precious plants and there is no need to trample them.

Take your garbage out with you. Don't leave stuff behind.

Most of all, enjoy the natural beauty and take a moment to learn why Parfrey's Glen is so unique.

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