SubscribeWe loaded up our gear into L.T.T. (Little Toyota Truck) and headed north on Route 219. Since we were going right through Thomas on our way out to Cranesville, we made it a point to stop and eat breakfast at our favorite breakfast spot: The Flying Pig. It's on Front Street (the main drag) in Thomas and specializes in breakfast. Seriously, if you haven't had their amazing food, go check it out. Just make sure you go Wednesday through Sunday before 2pm. It's good food, but to keep themselves in business, I think they are only open when they are expecting customers.
Okay, back to the story at hand. (Sorry, food often distracts me!) There are five trails that traverse Cranesville Swamp. All of the trails are less than 2 miles each. We decided on the Orange Trail to the Loop Trail to the Blue Trail. This created a circuit hike of around 3 miles. (I'm estimating the distance, just FYI) This is a wonderfully easy hike. The trails were all fairly level--flat, no altitude gains to worry about nor big rocks in the trail (a BIG change from a Mon Forest trail).
The Orange Trail goes through some woods. Its main purpose is to connect you to the Loop Trail. The Loop Trail is the main attraction because it is the trail that actually goes THROUGH the swamp. The website warned that the trail might be muddy in places, but we didn't have to contend with mud significant enough to even mention (again, being regular Dolly Sods hikers, we have experienced mud). There are boards down in the soggiest of places and about 1500 feet of boardwalk through the swampiest parts of the bog. I recommend going in a clockwise direction on the Loop Trail--this saves the best for last. The spot of the boardwalk also happens to be the prettiest part of this entire trip! A vast openess with cranberries, moss and water. We took the Blue Trail back. This was a nice little journey through a pine plantation on our way back to the parking area.
All in all, I give Cranesville Swamp a 3.5 out 5 hiking sticks. It's a beautiful place, but I still find Cranberry Glades much more scenic. The best part of Cranesville Swamp has to be the plantlife. If you are just learning how to identify trees, wildflowers, plants, edible plants...this is the place to come! We saw hawthorne trees, wood sorrels, skunk cabbage, cranberries and an amazing amount of huckleberries (small blueberries). I have to say, if you are wanting to do some huckleberry picking, this is the place to go. THEY WERE EVERYWHERE!
Here are a couple of pics from this adventure. I've posted most of the photos on Facebook.
Okay, back to the story at hand. (Sorry, food often distracts me!) There are five trails that traverse Cranesville Swamp. All of the trails are less than 2 miles each. We decided on the Orange Trail to the Loop Trail to the Blue Trail. This created a circuit hike of around 3 miles. (I'm estimating the distance, just FYI) This is a wonderfully easy hike. The trails were all fairly level--flat, no altitude gains to worry about nor big rocks in the trail (a BIG change from a Mon Forest trail).
The Orange Trail goes through some woods. Its main purpose is to connect you to the Loop Trail. The Loop Trail is the main attraction because it is the trail that actually goes THROUGH the swamp. The website warned that the trail might be muddy in places, but we didn't have to contend with mud significant enough to even mention (again, being regular Dolly Sods hikers, we have experienced mud). There are boards down in the soggiest of places and about 1500 feet of boardwalk through the swampiest parts of the bog. I recommend going in a clockwise direction on the Loop Trail--this saves the best for last. The spot of the boardwalk also happens to be the prettiest part of this entire trip! A vast openess with cranberries, moss and water. We took the Blue Trail back. This was a nice little journey through a pine plantation on our way back to the parking area.
All in all, I give Cranesville Swamp a 3.5 out 5 hiking sticks. It's a beautiful place, but I still find Cranberry Glades much more scenic. The best part of Cranesville Swamp has to be the plantlife. If you are just learning how to identify trees, wildflowers, plants, edible plants...this is the place to come! We saw hawthorne trees, wood sorrels, skunk cabbage, cranberries and an amazing amount of huckleberries (small blueberries). I have to say, if you are wanting to do some huckleberry picking, this is the place to go. THEY WERE EVERYWHERE!
Here are a couple of pics from this adventure. I've posted most of the photos on Facebook.
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