Blue Ridge Country July/August 2022 - 29

HUNGRY MOTHER ISLAND
SEVEN ISLANDS STATE BIRDING PARK
LEFT TO RIGHT:
New River's Sandstone
Falls can be viewed up
close and personal from an
island observation deck.
Secluded Hungry Mother
Island cottage is surrounded
by the rushing waters of
Hungry Mother Creek.
A ranger introduces visitors
to one of the 200 bird
species at Tennessee's
Seven Islands State Birding
Park.
VIRGINIA
er, which zigzags gently when the captain
lets children take the wheel. The island is
dominated by a palladium-style mansion,
a replica of the one built in 1798 by Harman
Blennerhassett. The mansion was
burned and Blennerhassett routed after he
alledgedly conspired with Aaron Burr to
harbor a treasonous military encampment
on his estate. Why he supported Burr in a
reputed plot to form a new country out of
the western states no one knows.
These days the park celebrates the
Blennerhassett's happy years of music,
parties and guests that included King
Charles X of France. The house has been
re-created with period accuracy and contains
some of the Blennerhassett's furnishings.
Costumed docents entertain
visitors with the particulars of the mansion's
decorating and hospitality-solid
silver door knobs, for instance. Open
May-October, the park features teas hosted
by a Margaret Blennerhassett impersonator,
culinary talks and carriage tours.
(blennerhassettislandsp.com)
Deer Island at Philpott Lake, Bassett.
Accessible only by boat, Deer Island
is steeped in true getaway vibes. Wooded
mountains cast their shadows across 13mile
long Philpott Lake, and campers fall
asleep to the rhythm of lapping water.
The island campground is especially appealing
to paddlers exploring the lake.
Philpott Blueway is a 25-mile system of
water trails leading to Philpott Dam, five
waterfalls, and an old mill site. Deer Island's
21 paddle-in campsites are perfect
for relaxing after hooking one of the area's
plentiful largemouth bass. The shady sites
have access to pit toilets and are available
by reservation only. (540-365-7005) The
island is easily accessible from the Goose
Point and Salthouse Branch launch sites,
and a mile from the Philpott Marina.
Hungry Mother State Park, Island
Amphitheater, Marion. Hungry
Mother, one of Virginia's six original state
parks, is known for its majestic ridges, historic
cabins, biking, hiking and its small
placid lake. Hungry Mother Lake supports
a variety of sport fish including crappie,
muskellunge, walleyes and various types
of bass. The park has a sandy beach, boat
rentals-and an island.
This nameless island is accessed by a
footbridge from the main parking area.
Its focal point is an open amphitheater
where weddings and concerts are held.
But on weekdays it's a secluded spot for
picnics with terrific views of the surrounding
mountains. A few couples wedded
here testify that it's the perfect place to
pop the question. (dcr.virginia.gov/stateparks/hungry-mother,
276-781-7400)
Hungry Mother Island Cabin,
Marion. Privately owned Hungry Mother
Island sits just south of the state park, in
the middle of Hungry Mother Creek. The
three-bedroom cabin perches on its own
island in the quiet forest. The creek is visible
from every window, but the best way
to enjoy the creek's water song is to climb
a spiral staircase to the rooftop sitting area
or to grill dinner on the streamside stone
patio. Access to the cabin is via a small
footbridge. When it's time to unwind,
there's a downstairs Jacuzzi and 60-inch
television.
It's your own little island for as long as
you stay.
Bordered by Hungry Mother State Park
and the Washington & Jefferson National
Forest, the site offers lots of opportunities
for hiking, biking, fishing and wildlife
watching. Access to the cabin through
Hungry Mother State Park is fee-free, and
park amenities can be used for a small fee.
TENNESSEE
Seven Islands State Birding Park,
Kodak. If it's a bird species that frequents
the Blue Ridge mountains, you're likely
to see it sometime at Seven Islands State
Birding Park. Located east of Knoxville,
the park's mix of river, forest and grassland
is a premier birding destination with
nearly 200 species sighted. The site on the
French Broad River is situated along a major
migratory path for many species.
During the breeding season the refuge
echoes with the trills and cries of songbirds,
hawks and waterfowl; several anJULY
/ AUGUST 2022 29
http://www.blennerhassettislandsp.com http://dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/hungry-mother
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2022

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