During a short visit to Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park in late June 2013, I chose to hike the Hidden Passage trail to Crystal Falls. The round trip distance to the falls is about 1.6 miles, but the trail head is also the historical southern terminus of the 278 mile Sheltowee Trace. Sheltowee or Big Turtle was the name given to Daniel Boone by Chief Blackfish of the Shawnee. This section is now a spur off of the main trail as the trace has been extended southward toward a possible future connection with the Cumberland Trail. Crystal Falls is on an unnamed tributary of Thompson Creek and consists of two tiers of water curtains with a total height of 20 to 25 feet.
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| The parking area off TN 154 is well marked |
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| The trail is well-maintained |
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| The easy descent begins almost immediately |
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| A sign marks the only trail intersection |
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| The trail goes through a "Hidden Passage" in this rock shelter |
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| Inside the Hidden Passage |
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| Looking back at the Hidden Passage |
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| Crystal Falls from the trail |
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| Crystal Falls - a closer look |
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| Crystal Falls from the base |
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| Crystal Falls sparkles with the right shutter speed |
On the return trip through the Hidden Passage, I recorded this hand-held video. I then set it to play back at double speed to show the length of the passage without taking too much time.
The park website is http://www.tn.gov/environment/parks/Pickett/.
We would not have found Crystal Falls without having read your blog. Thank you so much. The “Hidden Passage” trail was truly hidden and your pictures helped us to figure out we were in the right place.
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