Piney River Trailhead - Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail

While driving to the Stinging Fork Falls trail head, I noticed what appeared to be a roadside park on Shut In Gap Road.  Returning from my hike to the falls, I stopped to discover the Piney River trail head of the Cumberland Trail.  A quick bit of exploration provided a number of views of the river before it flows through Spring City and into the Watts Bar reservoir of the Tennessee River.  The Cumberland Trail is a work in progress that will eventually cross the state from Cumberland Gap in the north to the Tennessee River Gorge in the south as a continuous 300 mile foot path.

Piney River from the Shut In Gap Road bridge

Dry high water channel upstream of the bridge

On this day, the river was shallow and fast

Tree roots are exposed as the river scours the bank

The river cascades over the rocks

The valley widens below the bridge

Rocks impede the river's progress

Either over or around, water finds its way

This pool is deep enough to be the local swimming hole

The park website is http://www.tn.gov/environment/parks/CumberlandTrail/.
The Cumberland Trail Conference website is http://www.cumberlandtrail.org/.