© 2019 Rachel L. Shumate | All rights reserved.
If you’re ever feeling adventuresome and have four wheel drive, there’s a back road that I like to take from time to time that starts a little ways off of the Bragg Pluto Road exit (about a mile south of highway 64) and takes you to River Road in Hinton. After taking the exit you turn onto what some might consider a formidable road called Irish Mountain.
The story goes that back in the day when the Hinton railroad was under construction, the Irish immigrants working on it were so reviled, merely for their heritage, that they weren’t allowed to live within the town. So they made their own home on the outskirts and thus this road was named for its occupants.
These days I doubt that you’ll find too many of the families living along this stretch of mountain to be Irish. However, the road itself is almost as rough as its history. Some of it has recently been paved in the past year or so, but not entirely. When we have a good rain, that particular section tends to get a bit bumpy as the gravel washes away. This would be why I suggest a four wheel drive vehicle, although my mother has been known to go down it in her Prius.
Some might also say that it’s not just the road that makes the area rough. (I’ve never run into any trouble, but caution could be exercised all the same.) However, I must say it is fun to take out of town city folks down this road because they tend to find some of the surroundings and the drop-offs alarming. I’ll never forget the time my mom drove a car load of family members from St. Louis down the mountain. I laughed at them so hard I cried.
At any rate, I happen to think the drive is nice and I especially like to stop along my way at the St. Colman’s Catholic Church. It’s a quaint little structure that is steeped in history as well as faith. It’s a nice quiet place for reflection.
As you travel onward and make it to the bottom of the mountain, you will find yourself on River Road and just a little to your right is Sandstone Falls. This is also a fun place to stop and picnic, fish, or hike. The scenery is beautiful and the falls are really something to see.
After that there are several different ways you can travel; I personally like to stop at the Hinton Dairy Queen for a treat and then head home on a different route. If you decide to try it out, just be sure to be careful and take an all terrain vehicle.
