🐾 Amber’s Big Adventure to Coon Den Falls (A Couple Weeks Ago!)

Hi friends, it’s Amber! I’ve been meaning to tell you about a super fun adventure Mama and I went on a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been busy napping, sunbathing, and supervising the squirrels in my yard, so I’m only just now getting around to sharing it. But trust me — this hike was worth the wait!

Mama took me to the farm first, where she helps with the horses. I thought I was just going to hang out in the car and then go home afterward, which was kind of a bummer because she’d been promising me a special hike for DAYS. But she parked me in the shade with lots of water and the windows down, so I stayed perfectly cool. Mama came back soaked, though. She says she didn’t fall in the creek… but I have my doubts.

After she finished with the horses, we didn’t go home at all — we drove to a little pull‑off I’d never seen before. I got excited right away because new trails are my FAVORITE. Mama said this one was part of the Appalachian Trail (I call it the Apple‑at‑chin Trail), and I LOVE hiking those sections with her.

The trail went up… and up… and UP. Forever. I didn’t mind — I was ready to GO. We passed an old house, but I didn’t even stop to explore because I was too pumped. There were fun rocks to climb, creeks to splash in, and squirrels to supervise. I tried to go off‑trail to investigate some very suspicious sniffs, but Mama said no. It was okay, though — the trail itself had plenty of good smells.

After climbing for what felt like a million years, we finally started heading downhill. I found another creek (excellent splashing spot), and then we turned a corner and BOOM — the biggest, most beautiful waterfall I’ve ever seen. Mama says it’s not the tallest in the world, but I haven’t seen a taller one, so I’m pretty sure she’s wrong.

We admired the waterfall, and I splashed around some more, and then we followed the creek downhill. Mama said it felt like the waterfall kept going beside us. There were a few big steps where I had to jump down, but that’s no problem for me — I’m basically an athlete.

Eventually Mama checked her phone and realized we missed a turn. I was like, “So what? Let’s keep going!” but she turned us around. We found a little trail that led down to a road… and across that road was a BIG creek. A river, really. And guess what? I GOT TO SWIM. Real swimming! Not just splashing! Mama sat on a rock with her feet in the water while I swam and climbed on river rocks and swam again. The water was cold and perfect on a hot day — my paws, ears, belly, and tail were so happy.

When I finally decided I was done swimming, we headed down the road… and I found a big black snake! Don’t worry — I didn’t bother it. I just showed Mama, she took a picture, and we kept going. The road turned out to be the trail at that point, which seemed weird, but Mama was right. We walked past a cute little group of houses and even met a pretty horse who came over for scratches.

⭐ Amber’s Official Trail Rating ⭐

(Because every good adventure deserves a score!)

• Sniffs: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ So many woodland smells, creek smells, waterfall smells… 10/10 nose entertainment.
• Creek Access: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Multiple splash zones AND a full swimming hole. Perfection.
• Squirrel Activity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A few big ones! Not as many as Bays Mountain, but still exciting.
• Rock Climbing Opportunities: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good rocks! Could have used a few more boulders for dramatic posing.
• Dog‑Friendliness: ⭐⭐⭐ No dog friends this time, but the trail itself was great for pups.
• Waterfall Wow Factor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mama says it’s not the tallest in the world. I disagree.

Overall Amber Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A must‑do adventure for dogs who love creeks, climbing, and exploring new places with their favorite human.