Shot Tower and Foster falls.

This past weekend our weather was beautiful. Kenan took Saturday off and went for a drive to admire the changing leaves. We were planning to go hiking at Beaver creek, but instead decided to continue on to the New River trail.

Nice view of Buffalo mountain on our way to the New River Trail. Buffalo mountain is only a few miles from house, and we enjoy hiking up it a couple times each.

We started our hike at the Shot Tower. This shot tower was built more than 150 years ago. It was used to make ammunition for the firearms of the early settlers. Lead was melted in a kettle atop the 75-foot tower and poured through a sieve, falling through the tower and down an additional 75-foot shaft beneath the tower into a kettle of water. The long fall was thought necessary to mold and shape the round shots and the kettle of water at the bottom helped to cushion their fall. We've never been inside the shot tower, but i think they occasionally open it for tours.

Then we headed across the old trestle bridge and wandered along the New river trail towards Foster Falls. We hiked this a few years ago, and really enjoyed it.

The village of Foster Falls was named for an early settler and farmer at the location. It was a product of the iron industry that flourished in the New River Valley of southwestern Virginia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. There are many original buildings from the village still standing. Although, i failed to take any pictures of them this time.

They also now have a livery that rents bikes, canoes, kayaks and tubes. There is a campground right on the river, and a horse stable with horse back rides.

The iron furnace at Foster Falls was constructed in 1881. The furnace ceased operations in 1914.

The trail is beautiful and the hike from the shot tower to Foster falls is less than 3 miles round trip, i believe. It follows the New river, and offers up some beautiful scenery. Despite its name, the New River is considered to be one of the oldest rivers in the world, between 250 million and 360 million years old. It is second in age only to the Nile River, making it the oldest river in N. America.


As usual, all attempts at a nice family picture looks like this. :) i hope your weekend was filled with lots of smiles and laughter.