Its gnome surprise-Park #6- Woolly Hollow State Park

Visited January 23, 2021

We are 6 parks into our checklist and Steven decided we need more "interactive

experiences." Basically- he wants to get out and "do" the park. So, I chose Woolly Hollow and decided we would take on the Huckleberry Trail. The Huckleberry Trail is 3.5 miles and is classified as an easy to moderate hike.

We showed up on the cold and overcast Saturday and I am honestly impressed with how many people are out to enjoy the park as well. Several of the parking lots were teeming with cars, people and pets. We even saw someone we knew and got a chance to say "hi" as they a were heading into the woods! It lifted my spirits to see so many happy faces wanting to experience Woolly Hollow. We bundle up and took off on our walk.

The trail is well-maintained, offering the perfect opportunity to catch some great views as you make your way around Lake Bennett. You really snake through the woods, forgetting you are even near a lake, until you round a curve and are captured with picturesque views of Lake Bennett. We started at the trailhead by the bathrooms, per instructions on the park website, although we noticed that there were multiple entries into the trail. The Huckleberry Trail crossed paths a few times with Enders Fault, which all my mountain bike friends will know well. We saw a high number of people on bikes that day too, soaking up some trail love. Please enjoy some of the snapshots from the trail that we took during our hike.

The bench in the pictures above was one of three along the lake. We came across the bench about 2 miles in and both took it up on its offer to stop and enjoy a moment with Lake Bennett. We took a selfie with the lake. *smile Lake Bennett*

My favorite part of the hike was running across the unexpected gnome. It was just a surprise to be walking through the woods and all of a sudden be greeted by the smiling host of the forest! I know there is a mountain bike race here called "The Ugly Gnome" and I can only assume that race and this gnome are interconnected. I am on the hunt for more details and will update our Instagram- @stacyandstevendoar- with these knowledge nuggets.

In our last 3/4 to 1 mile, as we were making our way down a fairly steep climb, we crossed paths with a young lady who was huffing and puffing on her way up. Steven and I both agreed we made the right choice to follow the trail brochure's instructions on the trailhead entry. If we had been forced to make THAT climb as we were just starting the trail, I might have had to side eye and mean mug Steven for his need for an "interactive experience!"

Join us next time for #arstatepark lucky number 7, where we fittingly hike the Seven Hollows Trail. Be sure to follow us on Instagram @stacyandstevendoar where we post extra tidbits, not seen in our blog, about our adventures!