First time Hiking Todd Creek Falls Trail
I have mixed feelings about this particular trail. When I’m out on a trail, I want to feel like I am completely engulfed in wild raw nature. But that was not the case at Todd Creek. The very first thing you notice is the massive power line transformers dominating the landscape. We almost kept driving to find a different trail once I saw them. However, we parked and sat there discussing what to do. Thankfully, the second thing you notice is the rushing sound of the stream that was so peaceful and relaxing. The power of that sound overwhelmed my auditory sense and quickly overrode the less than pleasant landscape.
After getting out, we notice the trail is a dirt footpath. I loved that! It's not too often that you can find a footpath trail. Now I will say, the clear-cutting for the power lines changes the landscape into something quite different. It didn’t feel like we were in the upstate. It didn’t feel like all the other densely wooded trails. It felt like what I can only imagine hiking in northern Texas would feel like. With the dry grasses and direct sunlight, we kept saying how it felt we were in the southwest. And that was unique. You can hear the stream the entire time and several cut-offs to the water allow you to stop and enjoy the serenity of Todd Creek.
Halfway down the trail, the dirt path stops and an enormous rock takes its place. We could have stayed there for the rest of the day discussing and appreciating all the swirls and character of that rock. How neat to have been that rock worn and shaped by the creek and only becoming even more beautiful and interesting for it. What lessons we have to learn from nature!
Continuing back on the trail, the land opens up to see the falls from the top. We took a moment to appreciate the falls from this perspective and Emme decided this was a good spot to splash around in the water! We headed on down to the base of the falls and soaked it all in. Because there aren't many trees, the sun was warm, making it a perfect spot to go swimming in the spring. Which is no secret because there were several groups of people coming and going. But we did get a few minutes to enjoy the waterfall alone in between the groups.
The trail continues on past this point, but we were very happy and content to spend the rest of our time appreciating the uniqueness of Todd Creek Falls and regretting not bringing swimsuits. So despite my initial disappointment, I am so glad we decided not to judge a book by its cover and we can’t wait to go back!
