Hanover Wayside Park (Hanover County, VA) Photos

So on Monday I went to Hanover Wayside park, the oldest county park in Hanover county and a long time childhood favorite to go to! Before Hurricane Gaston there was a pond that was held by a small dam but the hurricane had broken through and now there is no Pond at all. I had caught a huge cat fish there and at that same spot it is just a pile of sand and wild flowers.
Recent renovations to the park has been a new pavilion, parking spots and also the Hanover Veterans Memorial for all of those that are from Hanover County that fought in foreign wars.
I do however regret to say that a lot of the paths through the woods and such that it has been left unattended most the time. Over growth has occurred >_>




This pavilion has been here for a LONG time. Well at least 16 years from what I remember of my life.



So that day I decided to travel around off the paths and such that I really...only use. Kinda made it up as I went years ago lol.



In the creek you can find lots of things. Crayfish, small fish, turtles, rocks, old pieces of asphalt from when the bridge washed out from the Hurricane and also old bottles for the early 1900s that were once buried.





So these flood plain where the water goes when it is way over it's normal levels has some vegetation that is obviously found in wetlands around here.



I remembered coming down to this park not to soon after the bridge gave away and the dam and a lot of trees, plants and such were washed out. Also the creek that went into the pond even changed its direction and cuts differently through the woods. Years later new plants grew in the place where the flood waters were over.



This is the creek now that is right below the bridge at 301.



Most of these plants though are fast growing and get large really fast. They are mostly large weeds and have wild flowers. This plant has berries or some type of fruit that WILL stain clothes...I found out the hard way.



A little blue tailed skink was scurrying around a fallen tree, they love to climb all over my deck out back. Click here for the Wikipedia page.





I loved how the sun beams are cut up and are narrowed down before it reaches the floor of the woods. It is perfect for those low sun light plants that are at the bottom and offers a nice cool climate under the canopy. Felt great.



I love this plant that is scattered all over the ground like confetti on a table top. A nice little red mushroom is peaking up and wants to say hello!









That small clearing with wild grass and such is a real muck area. The ground is more like completely soggy. I remember coming to this spot years ago and it was once part of the actual creek that emptied into the pond but now it is a low area that collects water that comes down the hill in the the low area.



As seen here, what is left of a main creek...




I reached the pond from the west side...or what use to be a pond. Now it is a plain of sand from the flood. With some dirt and time and the creek flowing through it you get this. Lots of plants haha











There are a lot of these paper birch trees all through out the flood plain. They are quite nice :D









I found this up on the hill on a semi-high point. I guess it is a concrete surveying marker. I could not read what was on top of the copper marker, just a few etches in it really.



Up on the hill on the opposite side of the pond area from the park there is a hill that goes up land. From just down the hill, and a few feet up there was a lot of up land plants. Lots of mountain laurel, beech trees and oak.



Poor pond...





Something was eaten and recycled back into nature.







This area was all water years ago but of course that changed. It is now a grove of paper birch trees.



Now what is left of the dam is now covered in graffiti :(





I love this park! Just saying...