Route map of the Homestead Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...
Homestead Trail Map
Route map of the Homestead Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...
Homestead Trail/Hardtimes Road Junction
The eastern terminus of the Homestead Trail is here, at its junction with the Hardtimes Road, just beyond the concrete bridge over Bent Creek in this shot...
Bent Creek
Bent Creek rushes beneath the bridge from the previous shot...
Homestead Trail/Hardtimes Road Junction
The eastern terminus of the Homestead Trail is here, at its junction with the Hardtimes Road...
Homestead Trail
The Homestead Trail as it departs its eastern terminus at the Hardtimes Road...
Bent Creek
This is a nice stretch of trail as it never wanders far from the creek...
Homestead Trail
Curving upwards a bit through the rhodo and pines...
Bent Creek
Passing a scenic little cascade on Bent Creek...
Homestead Trail
It's definitely nice to have rushing water to listen to along this trail...
Homestead Trail
Tunneling through the rhodo just before reaching Lake Powhatan...
Lake Powhatan
Suddenly the trail breaks out alongside the Lake Powhatan Dam...
Lake Powhatan
Despite being so obviously artificial (i.e. the dam), Lake Powhatan still possesses a certain beauty...especially on a perfectly calm morning like this with the clouds and surrounding hills reflected in its waters...
Lake Powhatan Dam
Looking down at the dam...
Homestead Trail
The trail quickly abandons lake views for rhododendron once again...
Homestead Trail
More tunneling...
Homestead Trail
After less than a half-mile the Homestead Trail passes its junction with the Small Creek Trail, seen here departing to the left. The Homestead Trail continues straight ahead...
Homestead Trail
Just down the hill form the previous shot a sign pointing hikers in the direction of the Small Creek Trail is passed...
Homestead Trail
This narrow footbridge takes the trail across Small Creek, just above where it empties into the lake...
Lake Powhatan Beach
Passing the small beach at the western end of Lake Powhatan...
Lake Powhatan
The waters on this visit created a perfect mirror of their surroundings, so calm were they...
Homestead Trail
The Homestead Trail as it arrives at the beach from the west...
Lake Powhatan
Looking across the calm waters of Lake Powhatan. The dam viewpoint from earlier is located beyond the dock, seen to the right of center in the distance...
Homestead Trail
Heading around the west end of Lake Powhatan...
Homestead/Deerfield Loop Trail Junction
Just before arriving at its western terminus the Homestead Trail passes the lower end of the Deerfield Loop, arriving from the southwest...
Homestead Trail
The Homestead Trail as it arrives at its western terminus along Wesley Branch Road...
Bent Creek
Looking over at Bent Creek, just above where it empties into Lake Powhatan, at the trails western terminus...
Homestead Trail/Wesley Branch Road Junction
The western terminus of the Homestead Trail is located here, between the bridge seen ahead and Wesley Branch Road...
Bent Creek
A final shot of Bent Creek, looking upstream, from the footbridge in the previous shot.