I had the opportunity to hike another part of the Cumberland Trail in early November 2013. This section is near Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee along a gorge carved into Walden's Ridge by North Chickamauga Creek. When completed, the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park will span approximately 300 miles between Cumberland Gap National Historic Park at the Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky border in the north to Prentice Cooper State Forest west of Chattanooga in the south.
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The single-lane road to the parking area has several large potholes |
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Portions of the road were covered in leaves |
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The only parking "rule" is not to block someone else in |
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This gate blocks vehicles from the trail |
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A sturdy kiosk provides trail information |
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Although missing a bench on one side, an old concrete picnic table is just off the trail |
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The initial trail is wide, but has several rocks that could be tripping points |
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The trail descends to a pool on North Chickamauga Creek |
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Looking downstream from the pool |
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Out of the forest and in the sunshine |
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The trail quickly heads back into the woods |
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Instead of crossing the creek on the wide track, head to the right... |
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...up the single-track rock stairs |
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The trail continues climbing along the hillside... |
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...before dropping back down to cross Hogskin Branch |
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Hogskin Branch was just a trickle after a dry October |
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Foliage along the trail |
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Foliage above the trail |
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More steps |
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After a switchback, the trail continues to climb |
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Ascending from the single track on the left, the trail finally reaches an old mining road and another switchback |
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Although there are several rocks embedded in the trail, this is much easier hiking |
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The trail passes beside a small rock shelter |
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The trail surface is less than optimal as it continues to climb |
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The trail passes between concrete foundations for the old coal tipple |
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The trail skirts a large slab of rock that seems to have slid down the hill |
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Side trails invite exploration of the area around the abandoned mine |
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More slabs of rock litter the forest floor |
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This is all I could find of Upper Strip Mine Falls |
Although the trail continues for nearly another three miles, I did not have time to hike the entire trail before dark. I decided to turn back at this point just over one mile from the gate and about 500 feet higher. The late afternoon sunlight illuminated the upper reaches of the gulch while the creek was already in shadow.
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A small pool below Strip Mine Falls |
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The 1700 foot crest of Flipper Bend is visible through the trees |
Instead of descending along the lower Hogskin Branch loop, I continued straight on the old mining road. This led to another crossing of Hogskin Branch as it meanders through a rock fall along the side of the trail.
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Hogskin Creek on the upper loop of the trail |
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The old road is littered with rocks... |
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...and downed trees |
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The reward for the extra hiking is incredible views like this |
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The trail continues along the base of a bluff... |
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...before descending down the hill on a single track |
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After rejoining the lower trail, a glance back reveals a sign and blaze I didn't notice while walking along the wide lower road. |
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Another view of the gulch from the parking area |
There are no fees associated with hiking on the Cumberland Trail.
The Cumberland Trail Conference website is http://www.cumberlandtrail.org/.
The state park website is http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/cumberland-trail.
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