In mid-March my father and I drove out to Seven Bends State Park for the first time. This is an interesting park near Woodstock, Virginia, that’s split into two sections along the Seven Bends area of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. In both cases you first have to navigate a very narrow one-lane windy road and then cross a one-lane bridge that’s very low to the river. We were told by a park ranger that it’s fairly common for the bridges to flood, so if you visit be sure to watch the weather and plan accordingly. Also, please be patient and drive safely, making way if you can for oncoming vehicles.

Seven Bends is a reasonably recent addition to the network of state parks. It was created when Dr. James R. Myers donated almost 700 acres of land in memory of the Fravel and Myers families. It’s always nice to see donated lands turned into park land.

Though we drove to both sections of the park we spent most of our time on the Hollingsworth Road section, hiking the Bass Bight Trail. The park appears to have a range of trails of varying difficulty. The easier trails parallel the river and the more difficult ones head up into the hilly mountains. This time around we stuck to the river trails.

The first thing we noticed on the Hollingsworth Road section was a large corn field just beyond the parking areas. It wasn’t in season so everything had been cut down and was brown, but it might be interesting to return and see what it looks like with corn growing. I wonder if it might be a good location to photograph certain species of birds that might gather in corn fields?

It was early enough in the year that most trees were still bare of leaves. But we did see the first signs of leaf growth, both lighter shades of green and in some cases shades of red. I was drawn several times to different sections as the sun lit up the leaves. I don’t know that any of these photos are anything special but I think they show some potential for this area.

We noticed several flowers while there, though it’s still early in the season. The first we noticed were small groups of grape hyacinth in the grassy areas. Later, at the end of the trail, I stumbled across some unknown flowers that I later learned were young Virginia bluebells, an absolutely lovely flower sometimes found along rivers or creeks. It’s good to know another location where we might find these flowers if we arrive at the right time. In the same area we found lots of rough horsetail growing.

Near the end of trail I noticed something moving in the river. It was bright white but also orange. All I had with me was a wide angle lens and a macro so I couldn’t get any closeups, but with the macro I was able to create a few photos that revealed the creatures to be a pair of Greylag geese. I very strongly suspect these are domesticated. One of them appeared to have some kind of problem with its feathers, or perhaps it was molting.

Before we left we spoke with a ranger who recommended we get lunch at the local Woodstock Cafe, and I’m glad she did. My father and I each had a great sandwich and I sampled some of the local coffee. Stop by if you ever find yourself in Woodstock, Virginia. 

Have you ever heard of, or visited, Seven Bends State Park in Virginia? It’s certainly a location I’d like to visit again.

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