Mark’s Score 8.5
I had planned a trip to Onancock to visit the Historic Onancock School Museum. I was dismayed to learn that the building was closed, due to a fire in January, and that the museum would not reopen until the end of summer. There is a hiking trail on the property, so I decided to go for a hike instead.
The Town of Onancock owns the land on which both the museum and trail sit. However, both are run by the Friends of Onancock (a private not-for-profit organization). The total campus, including the trail, is 13 acres (5.3 hectares). The trail runs along the edge of the property, following the course of the Onancock Creek. This is part of a museum complex so the focus is environmental and educational, showcasing native plants and giving the hiker opportunities to observe and learn about local ecosystems.
This spring has been unusual, we have had short stretches of summer heat, followed by days and days of cold damp weather. Though it was early May when I visited Onancock, it was yet another dreary damp early spring day. But in spite of the weather, it is indeed spring, meaning as I followed this short trail I was surrounded by native flowers. I am embarrassed to admit, I did not recognize most of them. Maybe I should make learning the names of local plants and learn how to recognize them an objective of this project.
The trail begins inauspiciously in the playground, and for a short time, it marks the boundary between the forest and the playground. However, the trail quickly turns toward the river and almost immediately you enter a small swamp containing a small grove of bald cypress trees. Though this grove is very small you can walk among the “cypress knees” that spring up around these trees. I find the knees fascinating, I found them all the more fascinating when I learned that scientists are not really sure of their purpose.
Though I had not planned it, my walk on the trail corresponded to the blooming of multiple flowering plants. On this particular day there were multiple pear and fringe trees in blossom. Both species are native to coastal Virginia. Fringe tree blossoms have threadlike petals that resemble delicate fringe, hence the name of the tree.
The forests along the creek bed can be thick, so you do not get many views of the creek. But at one point along the trail there is a little pier jutting out into the water providing a panoramic view. They also thoughtfully placed a bench on the pier, giving you an opportunity to stop and reflect on the beauty of Virginia’s coastal wetlands. Though the bay is not visible from this point, this area is part of the Chesapeake Bay wetlands, so the water is brackish.
Though this trail can easily be walked in 20 minutes, it is well maintained, well-marked and passes through several ecosystems displaying many native plants, making this trail well worth a visit, in spite of the museum being closed.
What else is there to do in Onancock?
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