Akron Falls Park

Another new trail to share!  A few weeks ago (and it seems like longer, when I look at the almost-bare tree branches in these pictures) we checked out Akron Falls, a local park near our current place that boasts a pretty waterfall.  The falls trail was a lot of fun – smooth and restful in parts, rocky and rugged in other parts, and almost entirely along a babbling stream.

We headed down from the parking lot into the ravine.  There were some harrowing switchbacks on the way down – I inched my way along the trail and held tight to the railings (I’d forgotten my hiking poles).  The slightly scary trip down was worth it, though, because soon we came upon…

Such a pretty rushing stream!  I loved listening as the spring runoff made its way downstream.  The mossy rocks were vibrant and the air was perfectly cool – it was such a gorgeous spring day.

See what I mean about parts of the trail being rugged?  We actually turned around here and headed a different way – this was actually a little too rugged for us while wearing babies.

So instead we walked downstream, enjoying the views of the brook and watching out for recent bird arrivals.

Before too long we came to a stream crossing and picked our way over the rocks…

And then it was out of the ravine and over the road to a grassy area, where we let Peanut out of the chariot to stretch her legs.

 

She seemed to enjoy herself – heh.  Lots of running, dancing, and picking dandelions – for a good 30 minutes – while I bounced around keeping Nugget entertained in the Ergo.  And then we headed back in the direction of the waterfall…

First glimpse – breathtaking!

Loved all the little runoff falls, too.  It was such a beautiful sight – I could have stood and watched the water cascading down for hours.

Reluctantly, after a few minutes of enjoying the view, it was time to head back to feed the kiddos lunch and try to negotiate some naps.  We wandered up the trail, stopping briefly to admire the new spring blooms.

Akron Falls, you’re just lovely!  We’ll be back soon.

Anyone else getting some good spring hiking in?