The weather this past week has been impossibly hot, so I wasn’t keen to go on a long hike this weekend. Instead, I decided to check out the trail off of River Road. It’s a small loop of 0.9 miles and I left early in the morning to avoid the worst of the heat, finding one of my favorite trails in town to date.
The trail is flat, with only a couple very gradual inclines throughout. It’s wide and well maintained, and the back portion of the trail circles a large pond. The water is brackish, and was so green with algae that it almost appeared luminescent - it was full of crayfish, snakes, and frogs, and it was fun to walk along the trail as a mass of critters jumped into the water as I went.
Information on the Caperton trail also points to the fact that it’s a great bird watching spot, and while I’m not someone who actively pursues the hobby, I still enjoy seeing wildlife when I’m out for a hike. I saw a several interesting birds, including a Kingfisher and a Wild Turkey that leapt out of the brush no more than three feet from me, which made me just about jump out of my boots. I also saw a large bird of prey that followed me for a bit, but I couldn’t identify it - it had a call almost like a crow’s, and was very large but searches for a bird matching it were inconclusive.
Caperton Swamp is a great gem tucked away right near the heart of the city. If you haven’t been yet, pack some bug repellent and check it out. It’s a nice short hike, but the scenery is absolutely great.
