TUES., OCT 10 thru THURS., OCT 12, 2023
After traveling 200 miles south from Cottageville, WV, we arrived here at Hungry Mother SP in Marion, VA. We are in the southwest corner of Virginia in the Blue Ridge portion of the southern Appalachian Mountains. We’re seeing some beautiful early fall color on the trees and enjoying cool temps. Our sites are long and spacious. However, we probably won’t be staying here again as the interior roads are narrow and the 2.5 mile road into the campground was more “interesting” than we might want to tackle again.
We enjoyed several late afternoon Happy Hours and a campfire while here. We did some chores and booked some additional campground reservations.Then on Thurs., Oct, 12 (2023) I did a fun 2.5ish mile hilly hike with the Hannafords in the state park. Gary opted to stay behind and do a few additional tiny home chores. During our hike we saw ferns, a salamander, and even bear claw marks on a tree. There were signs posted to be “bear aware.” After our 400+ ft climb, we were rewarded with a very nice view.
In case you’re wondering why the state park is called “Hungry Mother” (and even if you’re not)… the legend goes:
A pioneer named Molly Marley and her small child were captured by a Native American tribe and taken to their mountain camp. Molly and her child eventually escaped and wandered through the woods foraging for food and searching for shelter. One day Molly collapsed from exhaustion and the youngster continued along the creek until help was found. The only words the child could utter were “Hungry Mother.” A search party later found Molly dead at the foot of the mountain near the creek. The mountain went on to be called Molly’s Knob and the stream Hungry Mother Creek. In the 1930s, the park was developed by the CCC and eventually the park was called Hungry Mother State Park. The debate over the legend and the park name continues to this day.
You’re welcome!
Tomorrow we move on to Asheville, North Carolina!
