Oh, Enchanted Valley. Ever since my 2014 trip to revisit this iconic place, I’ve returned every few years. In 2014 the chalet was hanging over the eroded river bank and in danger of collapsing into the river course. On that trip I ran into Jeff Monroe, the house mover who was eventually employed by the park (Jeff made his services available for free) to move the chalet 100 feet away from the brink. Today it sits in the same place, only a few feet from the further eroded bank. As of this writing the river’s main course is a distance away, but there is always the chance that it will redirect itself to the channel that abuts the chalet.

I talked to a ranger who was working the site and he informed me that the chalet is only used today as a storage facility for gear. The chalet is inhabited by deer mice and nobody sleeps in it anymore, nor it is open to the public. The building still rests on the support beams used in the move and is slowly sagging and deteriorating from lack of use and maintenance. The park has yet to take positive action concerning the building…move it another 100 feet to a safer location, dismantle it, dismantle it and reconstruct it in a different location, or let nature take its course until the building eventually collapses. Perhaps the latter is the easiest option because it requires no effort or decision?

*The astounding canopy of the trail to Enchanted Valley, ONP*

Aside from the chalet, this hike is a splendor of green, especially this time of year. The round trip is 28 miles with 3,700’ of vert, making for a great first hike of the year for unaccustomed hiking legs. Although the valley is indeed charming, the trip along the river course is simply astonishing in its flora, covering every foot of the understory and the trees themselves. Moss, ferns, water…repeat. Another bonus, the Graves Creek Campground does not accommodate trailers or larger RVs, so when I arrived at 4 PM the evening before my hike (Thursday), there were only 3 sites occupied on the board (including myself). I parked the van in site 4 next to the river, and relaxed after the 4 hour drive, the last 45 minutes over pothole hell. I set my alarm for 6:30 AM, a leisurely start insuring a good breakfast with coffee. I was feeling floppy on those last return miles, departing the chalet by 2 PM, but made it back to the van well before dark, spurred on by the enticement of a cold beer and a hot shower. This was a fabulous way to kick start the season!