July 22, 2016

Tomahawk Pond



This pretty pond is in George Washington National Forest between Orkney Springs and Broadway, Virginia. It's on Runions Creek Road and easy to miss since it's not well marked and is kind of in the middle of nowhere.


This looks like the sort of vacation spot that our mountains are famous for. People still come here to fish, but the recreation area here isn't maintained anymore, so if you want to spend more than an hour exploring a lake, you might want to check out nearby Bryce Resort or go across the mountain to Trout Pond in West Virginia.

Photo by Frank. Orange You Glad It's Friday?

I was disappointed to see the area in disrepair. The restrooms are closed, the bridge is damaged, and even the signs are neglected. The forest service website does not mention that they have cut back on services here but there is a sign on the now-locked restroom building.

The biggest disadvantage to hanging out at Tomahawk Pond is the ants! I believe they are Allegheny mound ants and they will bite!

I almost hate to tell you those negative things about this scenic pond. If I'd left off the narrative and the last two pictures, you'd be left with a nice impression of the pretty reflections.  But that wouldn't be fair to the folks who find this post by searching for information about Tomahawk Pond. 

14 comments:

  1. Love your views. A bit like my shot today.

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  2. Thanks for the honest viewpoint. Pretty sure I would go visit...but maybe not given the restrooms. I hope a committee or something is formed to preserve this area again.

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  3. The photos are beautiful. It's too bad that there is no money to maintain the area.

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  4. It looks like a lovely place to visit - even with the ants - as long as you go to the bathroom before you get there! I like the reflections in the pond in the first two pictures!

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  5. Beautiful views, and I love the reflections of the trees in the water. It's a shame that it has not been kept up.

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  6. This is really wonderful water reflections.

    http://blog.photobymanka.se/

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  7. Wow! What a beautiful place! Great photos!

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  8. It would be well worth putting the money back into keeping the place up.

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  9. Brilliant summer greens and blues---so nice.

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  10. Shame about the ants ...
    This looks such a lovely place

    All the best Jan

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  11. How sad that such a wonderful place isn't cared for. Maybe you should make some noise about it to get it shaped up. It's a beautiful spot.

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  12. What a beautiful place to visit. Thanks for joining OYGIF. Your orange photo will be featured this weekend. Hope you could drop by again.

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