metcalf bottoms trail

During the hot, hazy days of August this is a perfect short and shady hike along a happily flowing river and its tributaries.

There's a lot to see, and at the trailhead is one of the park's nicest picnic grounds.

The hike starts out along a wide, graveled jeep road that runs parallel to the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area. As I hiked there were children laughing and splashing in Little River, happy welcoming sounds that took me back to sweet summertime memories.