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Distance: 4 miles or 8 miles

In spite of hot humid weather, and with frequent rest/water breaks in the shade, ten people and five dogs enjoyed the natural and historic features of Black Hill Regional Park. We began early, with a short bushwhack along the shore of Little Seneca Lake, which is 505 acres and part of the WSSC watershed. After passing the 5-station Fitness Course, we entered the woods where we saw one of the original boundary markers for the William and Mary tract of land. Later we took a side trip to see the remnants of Waters Mill, the grist mill built by Zachariah Waters and operated from 1810-1895. The group then continued through woods and meadows, where we saw some of the park’s many bluebird houses. Three people and two dogs chose the shorter option, and the rest continued hiking along trails and bushwhacking along the lake shore. We saw 2 old fireplaces from the Mary Waters homestead, both facing the same direction. The park naturalist suggested that one was inside the cabin and the other faced outside for cooking in summer (something we all could appreciate on such a hot day). We reached the parking lot about 1:45 PM and enjoyed lunch at a picnic table under a tree watching people paddling canoes on the lake.