Through the years Gal has fished, hiked, canoed, ice-skated, camped, kayaked, attended nature events, swam, picnicked, stayed in the cabins, played, and of course geocached at Parvin. Today I set out on a section of trail I have never hiked on in an area of the park I have never visited. I was absolutely amazed on my journey at the number of planks I had to cross. There were no less than thirty-six! What fun!
Although there are several ways to get to this one, the best way is to park at Second Landing. There is a waypoint below for the trailhead for the first plank and correct trail. You will actually be hiking on the Red, or Long Trail. From parking, this is just under two miles round trip. This trail is also approved for biking although you would probably want a mountain bike. This path can be very muddy and some of the planks have seen better days. Some of them may be missing or loose, so be careful.
Along the way I spotted a large Great Blue Heron and right near ground zero a pair of fawns went loping off. You will be passing through a variety of habitats and a nature area rich in fauna and flora. There were several Boy Scout Troop and Eagle Scout Projects along the way as well.
The cache container is a small, with just a logbook. If you come in the recommended way, after finding the cache, continue on just another 100 feet and you will find a delightful spot where the trail crosses over Muddy Run.
This cache can also be accessed by paddling up Muddy Run and pulling out at this bridge, with just a short hike on the trail to the cache. While exploring the area today I actually found an old, mud covered GPS’r sitting on the bridge. Wow, it looks and feels like a dinosaur!
As always, be safe, have fun, and enjoy the Planks @ Parvin!
