Flower Power on Charles Creek Trail: Cranberry Glades
If you like wildflowers, you�ll love the Charles Creek Loop Trail. It�s right next to the Cranberry Glades Boardwalk and supports wildflowers galore. Creek side, glade, meadow, forest, the trail slices through a diverse set of environments each with a unique charm. All this variety comes in just a round trip of 2 1/4 miles and an elevation change of just 100 feet. The best time to hike this loop is mid-July, and I will describe the flowers you�re likely to see at that time of year. Start at the Cowpasture Trailhead (GPS: Lat. 38.195573, Long. -80.272579) on the Cranberry Glades Road about 750 feet before (south) of the Cranberry Glades Parking Lot. The trail begins in woods and is flat with a smooth tread. Great Rhododendron line both sides of the trail, and in mid-July the shrubs are loaded with blossoms. Hugging the ground, Heal-all plants abound as well. What I especially like about this section of trail are all the Bee balm flowers. In the wetter stretches of the trail, they are pr...