Friday, June 9, 2017

Climbers Loop Trail at Foster Falls - South Cumberland State Park


After hiking 0.35 miles down to the base of Foster Falls from the parking lot, I decided to follow the Climbers Loop Trail downstream along the base of the cliff to the first exit (or access depending on the direction traveled) out of Robinson Cove. The 1.55 mile hike out completed a 1.9 mile loop. I hiked the trail in early June 2017. I wrote about the overlook and the descent to the base of the falls here.

Topographic map with GPS route

Climbers loop elevation profile from base of falls to parking area

Little Gizzard Creek

Stepping stones

Along the base of the cliff

Cliff face

More steps

A large slab fell off long ago

Smaller rocks also fall off

Missing a layer

There is a trail through here

Time to start climbing out

Seemingly never-ending stairs

Approaching the top

Looking back

Junction with the Fiery Gizzard Trail

Easy hiking compared to the boulder fields below

Boardwalks allow for an even faster pace

Crossing a dry creek bed

Raised planks for traversing a swampy area

Life is tenacious as this tree growing out of a rock demonstrates

Foster Falls and an unnamed stream fall

Both tiers of the unnamed stream falls

Beginning the descent to the creek crossing

Approaching the creek

Steel bridge over Little Gizzard Creek above the falls

View downstream

View upstream

Climbing back to the top of the plateau

Cable fence to prevent fatal falls

Looking across the cove

The upper falls of the unnamed stream

Flowing over the edge...

...about 120 feet to the rocks below

Stream bypassed the drainage culvert

Entry to South Cumberland State Park is free.

The park website is http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/south-cumberland.

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