I’ve written about Big South Fork in a previous post, so I won’t go into too much detail.
This year, we stayed for two nights in the Charit Creek Lodge. We rented the “Corn Crib,” the most loved space, judging by how hard it is to book (we booked nearly eight months in advance, a long weekend in November). Other spaces have screen porches and other outdoor seating, so I wasn’t as big of a fan as others in compared to the lodge rooms, but it was nice for the dog. The lodge rooms have an upstairs (separate access point, for staff), so our dog was very alarmed when strangers were walking around upstairs!
Our first night, we had only six other fellow guests, which offered a really nice, intimate setting. The second night, we were joined by a very large group of men – I believe a church group – and the dining hall was packed to the brim with maybe 30-40 guests; fortunately, the Charit Creek staff sat us with our friends from the previous night, two brothers who were also from Ohio.
As always, the food was absolutely incredible. Unlike last year, however, I felt that there never was quite enough food… at least, not for folks hiking six or more miles each day.
The trails:
Twin Arches Loop – I recommend going counterclockwise. You start with a nice relaxing stroll through the woods before reaching the steep incline. If you started early enough, you’ll get through the touristy section (people drive to just do the half-mile loop with the arches that’s adjacent to the parking lot) before it gets busy, then take the long, meandering, 2.5-3mi portion back down through the woods, with more unique arches and neat nature to view and take in.
Charit overlook – this is a horse trail, which is really nice because the trail is nice and wide, and not very technical (minimal roots and rocks in the path). It’s incredibly steep for the first half, but due to the width, you can walk several humans (and dogs) abreast and take your time with it. It follows a river before turning into a less steep woodsy trail before you get to the overlook at the end. You’ll see the horse parking and then the trail narrows to reach the lookout.
On our way out, we took the horse trail, which was… a mistake. We thought it’d be easier with our packs than the technical trail through the woods (which we loved on the way in), but the shorter exit resulted in a way steeper incline. Hard to believe a horse or carriage or even motor vehicle could climb that level of incline! Don’t do it!
Lez Travel 