Cranberry Wilderness
I camped at Cantrell last night after spending yesterday afternoon lounging at the river with my friend Melody. Today, we want to do a little hiking, so she meets me at Cantrell and we get a game plan together. We decide to visit the Falls of Hills Creek, a series of three waterfalls that are supposed to be absolutely spectacular. Melody calls our friend Devin to invite him along, and he agrees to meet us on the way.
The Cranberry Wilderness area of West Virginia is a biologically spectacular place. We begin our exploration by visiting the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center, where we get to see some live native snake species and other interesting exhibits. Afterward, we walk the interpretive trail behind the nature center out to an overlook and back to our vehicles.
The next stop on our adventure today are the Cranberry Glades. These high-altitude peat bogs offer a unique ecosystem unlike anything else in West Virginia. If you’re a fan of a certain country music artist, you may have heard of the Cranberry Glades.
A short boardwalk loop offers views of this biologically diverse wonder, and interpretive signs give information about the region. We walk the loop and see a variety of birds, fish, and interesting plant species. We even spot two Northern water snakes sunbathing, and a cluster of pitcher plants. Devin tells me that the pitcher plants are non-native and were introduced years ago by a botanist, but they thrive in this environment. Seeing them brings back memories of my undergraduate research project involving pitcher plants; the first time I ever visited Highlands, NC was to collect larvae of the W. Smithii mosquito, aka “pitcher plant mosquito,” from the high-altitude bogs at the Highlands Biological Research station, back in 2009.
Falls of Hills Creek
Our final stop in the Cranberry region is Falls of Hills Creek. There are three significant drops on Hills Creek. A paved, gently sloping path leads to an upper overlook of the first drop and is wheelchair accessible. Unfortunately, at this mid-summer visit, the view from this overlook is obstructed by vegetation and you can’t get a great view of the upper waterfall on Hills Creek from any vantage point.
The Middle Waterfall on Hills Creek is reached by a series of steps down to an overlook at the base of the falls. This waterfall is significantly more impressive than the first, mostly because we can actually see it.
Finally, a multi-level tower of steps leads to the base of the Lower Waterfall on Hills Creek, which is one of the tallest waterfalls in West Virginia. This waterfall free-falls 65ft off a sheer cliff, creating an impressive sight as it plunges into Hills Creek far below.
As we hike out, Devin spots an interesting rock in the creek above the middle falls. He pulls it out of the water and says, “what is this?” I take one look at the stone and immediately know what it is, because I used to have one. It’s a top rock, part of someone’s bow-drilling kit, used to put downward pressure on a spindle during bow-drilling to create enough heat and friction to form an ember.
By the time we finish the hike, all three of us have worked up an appetite. We decide to stop in the small town of Richwood, once a thriving railroad town, for an early dinner. There seems to be only one restaurant in town open, The Oakford Pool Hall, so we stop in for a burger and a beer before heading back to Fayetteville, where I plan to camp again tonight.
Adventure Like A Girl 