Sunday, May 10, 2009

Paul's Creek Hike and Water Slide

5/10: SUNNY: A beautiful, sunny day across Nelson County. Expect highs in the mid 70’s in the valley and in the mid-60’s in the mountains. Happy Mother’s Day! For the full, local weather report, visit www.NelsonCountyLife.com

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Paul’s Creek Trail and Water Slide

Yesterday was the perfect afternoon to head to Paul’s Creek for some cooler temperatures. This hike is a family favorite for those visiting Nelson County and Wintergreen Resort.

The Paul’s Creek Trail is located from Stoney Creek at Wintergreen Resort. Enter Stoney Creek at Monocan Drive and go to the end of the road, take a left on Rodes Valley Drive, left on Crawfords Climb and right on Paul’s Creek cul-de-sac. Park your car in the cul-de-sac.

Even though this trail is only 1 mile round-trip, be sure to go prepared. This trail is marked blue for moderate so wear sturdy walking shoes. Also, like with all hikes, tell someone where you are going and when to expect your return. I did notice that my Alltel cell phone did work on this trail.

Some special notes for this trail include the notice to bring or wear bug spray. We went on this hike late in the afternoon, and there were lots of bugs. Also, we noticed some areas of the trail that have washed during recent storms. Watch your step.

The sun dips behind the mountains early in this area and we noticed a decrease in sunlight by 5:30PM. The temperatures were considerably cooler along the hike. Watch for wildlife coming to Paul’s Creek in the late afternoon and early evening. Yesterday, we were the only hikers on the trail and enjoyed the sounds of nature including the babbling creek.

Be sure to bring your camera on this hike as the creek and waterfall scenes are beautiful. About half-way into the walk to the water slide, you will begin hiking next to Paul’s Creek. At one point, you will cross the creek on stones for steps. At the end of the hike is a series of cascading waterfalls and even a swimming hole. Bill reports that the water is still “very cold”—I didn’t get in yesterday. This is a place to retreat the Summer heat and even bring a picnic. There are several large rocks to sit on for lunch.

The surfaces of the rocks have been smoothed by rushing water over thousands of years. This has created a natural “water slide”. Check out the photos. Add the Paul’s Creek Trail to your list of things to do in Nelson County and bring your camera.



I hope to see you in beautiful Nelson County soon…

Kim Chappell is a graduate from the Realtor Institute and is an agent with Wintergreen Resort Premier Properties, the official real estate office of Wintergreen Resort. Kim also lists and sells property in beautiful Nelson County. Contact Kim Chappell at kim@ExperienceNelsonCounty.com or 434-238-2430. The Free Daily Blog is posted on both www.ExperienceNelsonCounty.com and www.ExperienceWintergreen.com