Hungry Mother State Park: What’s In A Name?

Numerous versions of the story exist, but they all seem to possess a common thread. That a mother, perhaps named Molly, and a child escaped Indian captivity and when other settlers found them, the child of the dead (sometimes dying) mother proclaimed in a feeble voice, “Hungry, Mother.” So when we arrived at Hungry Mother State Park, our first question to park manager Nathan Clark was: How much of the legend is true?

“Nobody really knows,” he said. “It does make a great story, and we do know that Native Americans did raid this area in the 1700s and early 1800s. But beyond that, again, nobody knows.”

But one thing that is definitely true about this park, located just outside of Marion, Virginia, is that it is a delightful place to visit. Certainly one of the reasons is the handiwork of the Civilian Conservation Corp, which constructed five cabins and one lodge prior to the park’s opening in June of 1936.

“About 600 CCC men, transferring in and out, worked at the park during the Great Depression,” Clark said. “The cabins are similar in construction but yet different. For example, Cabin 2 has logs that are positioned vertically while the other cabins have their logs positioned horizontally. And many of the cabins have different floor plans. Those men had individual ways of doing things.”

Certainly another example of that individuality is the stone work of the parking lot medians. No cookie cutter type construction with perfectly straight sections exists there. Instead, the medians display visually pleasing, slightly crooked lines and uneven heights.

“The story that I’ve always heard regarding the medians and believe to be true is that they were built into the shapes of hand tools that the crews used during construction,” said Clark.

Another of Hungry Mother’s charms is the namesake 108-acre lake, one of the largest existing totally within a Virginia state park. The lake hosts populations of largemouth bass, channel catfish, hybrid striped bass, walleyes and bluegills—the last of which is a popular quarry of families with children. When our children were young, we took them fishing for this sunfish family member (boat rental is available), and they were quite content to do battle with a spunky gamefish that usually runs six or seven inches or so in length.

In recent years it is a gamefish that looks something like a barracuda that has garnered the most acclaim—the muskellunge. Clark said muskies up to 52 inches have been caught recently, and several other specimens have also topped 42 inches; fish have to measure more than this to be legally kept.

Another favorite activity at Hungry Mother is for visitors to combine hiking and bird watching. As we enjoy both activities, Clark recommended that we take the 4-mile Clyburn Ridge Loop, rated hard. On our early June excursion, we heard or saw 29 species, highlighted by our harking to Northern parula warblers (a rising buzzy trill) and hooded warblers (tu-he, tu-he tee-too). A red-tailed hawk made its presence known with its sharp, harsh screams; and black-and-white warblers and American redstarts chimed in. 

The trail sparkled with the vibrant reds of cardinal flowers and the delicate whites of mountain laurel, and it appeared that it wouldn’t be too long before the great rhododendron burst into bloom. Black cohosh, cinnamon and Christmas ferns, and wild blueberries adorned the trail as well. For beginning hikers or those families with children, Clark said the .5-mile Clyburn Hollow Trail is a good choice. Enjoyable moderate treks include the 5.7 mile Lake Trail Loop and the 1-mile Shawnee Trail. Another trail ranked hard is the 1.9-mile Molly’s Knob, which is one where sojourners can enjoy panoramic views at an overlook.

Visitors should also know that Hungry Mother staff  have been working hard on two environmental fronts. The hemlock woolly adelgid has struck the region’s Canada and Carolina hemlocks, and the park is chemically treating some of the trees to prevent their deaths. The woolly adelgid has killed many thousands of this keystone conifer in our region.

State park personnel have also been involved in several prescribed burns on the property to create more early successional and young forest habitat. Some three dozen species of songbirds need these two types of critical habitat to survive. The park also offers a restaurant, 32 cabins, three campgrounds, two yurts, and a host of outdoor activities. 

“I’ve worked for Virginia’s state parks for 12 years, the last four here,” Clark said. “Hungry Mother is an iconic park; it was among Virginia’s first six parks to open. Another unique aspect is that it has such close ties with the Smyth County community. 

“A lot of local people work here, many plan their family reunions here, and a lot of folks learned how to swim and ride their bikes here. When we need someone to advocate for the park, the local forks are always there for us. This is a great place to work and visit.”

More info: dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/ hungry-mother