My daughter doesn’t like hiking this time of year when there’s no snow on the ground and the forests are devoid of greenery. As she puts it, “The forests look like a nuclear wasteland.” Although I see her point, there are some advantages to hiking now. If you are considering hiking to some destination where there is no trail (like Trimmer Arch in the Paint Creek Wildlife Area) then going at this time of year means that you will have to contend with the least amount of undergrowth of the year. Similarly there are a number of waterfalls that are partially obscured by vegetation, but if you go before the trees begin to leaf out, you can get a much better view. We found that to be the case with Fallsville Falls in the Fallsville Wildlife Area. However if you like hiking hills as we do, this is also a great time to check them out. Unlike the greener months, it is a much easier to get the lay of the land. From hilltops you can see neighboring hills and the valleys beneath you. With that in mind we recently decided to go hiking at Great Seal State Park. During a previous visit we had wanted to hike the Rocky Knob Trail, but it turns out we had started too late in the day to complete the hike before dusk. So on our return trip to Great Seal Park we made our priority the Rocky Knob.
