By:
Submission
Impressed by no admittance fee to the park. I visited because I wanted to see the two waterfalls in the park. Due to the dry weather the waterfalls are more stairs and shelves now. Mountain laurel, rhododendron and other wildflowers are visible as well as butterflies.
Solo camped here for a night just to get out of town. Bluejay campground was nice and quiet and peaceful.. I fully enjoyed it. I stayed in space #7. All the sites had metal trash cans, picnic tables, and fire rings. The toilets were close but the hand washing stations didn't work. Water flow to the bathrooms sucked. But there are several potable water faucets to access water at as well.
My husband and I rented the Ranger Outpost cabin for 2 nights. We parked our car near the park office and hiked the 3.1 miles up Farley Ridge Trail to Almost Heaven and to the cabin. It is very nice, primitive and clean. No electricity or water so pack in food, water, bedding and lighting. The outhouse has a composting flushable toilet and plenty of toilet paper and is pretty nice. Bring lighting in with you. The cabin has 4 built in bunks plus another bed in the loft. Mattresses are pretty comfy for what they are. There are 2 windows with screens and a small one that opens but does not have a screen in the loft. Sleeping was comfortable when a breeze was blowing - a little warm when it quit. The fire pit has a grate and a bench like rock plus a smaller one to sit on near it. There was a big citronella candle inside and they had a bundle of fire wood on the porch for each night we stayed. There are 2 chairs and a small bench on the porch to watch the beautiful views, especially at sunset and sunrise as well as the bunnies. We took the table out to the porch during the day to play games and enjoy the outside. Saw lots of stars and even the Space Station one night. If you like backpacking but not sleeping in a tent I highly recommend this. And the staff were all super friendly and helpful.
This park was beautiful for fall. Most places were easily accessible. The waterfalls were gorgeous. We were disappointed we missed seeing any horses.
Always a great trip! Such a great gem! So much to see here. When you enter the park, the main playground is right there at the beginning with ample parking. Break to the left and down the gravel road if you want to go to the lower Falls or children and handicap fishing area. Continue straight and you can choose to park right away or continue driving for a short distance to make your walk to the other waterfalls a little bit shorter. If you drive the full way the Falls are just 3 miles on the walking trail. It's a great Park to bring your dogs or your horses.
