The Best Hike In Tennessee  -  By Jim Brown - May 29, 2001
 
Hiking trails abound in the Savage Gulf of Grundy County.  To be precise, there are 14 of them, and they are generally long, interesting and satisfying to travel.  Many of the trails meander across different types of terrain and create an illusion you are hiking four or five separate trails.

This is part of the secret of the Savage Gulf, enticing hikers like me back inside its boundaries time after time.  However, my all-time favorite is the Collins Gulf - Connector - Stagecoach Road loop. From trailhead to finish, the hike is about 13 miles, a good day's work . Most of the trail is not overly difficult, but three or four brief sections can be strenuous, especially in the humidity of the summer.

On a recent outing, the weather was overcast and 45 degrees with no wind, my favorite hiking weather.  In such weather, sweat from the exertion evaporates quickly, and a cool, refreshing feeling is prolonged hour upon hour. From the Collins West gravel lot, I signed in as a day hiker, which makes diligent rangers aware that a hiker has gone out and needs to come back.  I strongly recommend if you are considering this hike, you obtain a map at the South Cumberland Recreation visitor center between Tracy City and Monteagle, or at one of the two ranger stations.  At the trailhead, a left turn ‹ the recommended start for this loop ‹ took me into the gulf and to Suter Falls, where Fall Creek tumbles into the gulf before joining the Collins River.  Suter Falls is in actuality a series of drops about one-eighth of a mile long, and the lead waterfall drops 65 feet or so.  The roar of the water falling over ancient rock, some of it 325 million years old, can be deafening at high water or a mere trickle, the water tapping the rock before collecting for a more energetic run.
After traversing a field of boulders, Otis, my black Labrador retriever, and I rock-hopped for half a mile or so across terrain made more difficult by a 3-inch layer of leaves on uneven ground.  But eventually the rocky descent ended, and a steadier decline led us to the Collins River.
After three miles of brisk hiking, with an occasional pause to view the breathtaking wall of the gulf to the left, a spur trail to Horsepound Falls broke to the right.  Here awaited a marvel of geology.  The falls, named for Civil War dissidents and criminals who cached stolen horses in this remote
area, are magnificent.  After dropping 30 feet, the water collects in a transparent pool before reorganizing for another run to the next precipice.  The terrain here is so exotic your imagination can get hold of you. Fanciful images of Tolkien scenery and characters appeared in my rejuvenated mind. A camera is a must to capture this scenery, and that day, I had brought both a 35 mm and a video recorder to ensure the moment could be revisited.  Perhaps a half-mile farther along, Fall Creek Sink, a picturesque creek with mini-falls cascading from rock-lined walls, passed gently over broken rock
before disappearing into a sink ‹ the creek actually disappears into the ground.

The third distinct leg of the journey began with a climb. The trail skirts the now-dry Collins River, which had also disappeared underground, before crossing the dry bed of the river.  Remnants of a 1928 Model-T Ford that was pushed into the gulf by an unhappy mechanic surprised me.  This section of the trail leads the hiker to a junction at the Connector Trail, and junctions mean one
thing ‹ decisions.  A sharp left turn takes the hiker to the famous Stone Door, but that trip was for another day.  The brief walk on the Connector Trail was not fruitless.  A 12-foot-high bamboo forest skirts the remote Sawmill campsite. This is the lowest point in the Savage Gulf, 1,000 feet above sea level.  After four-tenths of a mile on the Connector, the trail again branches three ways.  Sticking to the white blaze, I began the gradual 1.6-mile ascent out the gulf on the Stagecoach Road Trail. After a mile, there is advertised evidence of slave labor ‹ the road is supported by stone blocks, chiseled and measured so perfectly that it looks as if it were set recently.  How the road is bolstered in this steep terrain is an engineering marvel.  It has stood the test of time since 1836.  After reaching the top of the gulf, I was back on the Collins Gulf Trail, now 2,000 feet above the sea.  Otis and I were briefly challenged by a poorly marked section of the trail. But panic never set in, and we resumed our walkabout.  The stunning views of the work of time and water left me awestruck. Perhaps the best view of the gulf ‹ and the best view in Tennessee ‹ is three-quarters of a mile in on this trail. T here a look to the northeast toward McMinnville offers a beautiful stretch of open expanse meant for one purpose, gazing.

Walking along the rim of the gulf, I encountered never-ending rhododendron, wild blueberry,
in-season holly bushes, a variety of mosses ‹ one stump with surrounding moss looked like the Emerald City of Oz ‹ and a variety of fir and pine trees. Wildflowers peak in mid-spring, but I like December's offerings most when invasive vegetation retreats and allows bright and vigilant survivors of the forest to have their moment. But both seasons have their bounty.   The trail alternates by skirting the gulf and then abruptly turning to creek crossings.  The end of the hike is difficult.  Tired from a full day, Otis and I came to a crossing of the Collins River and stared at a 120-foot suspension bridge lined with chicken wire.  The roar of the whitewater gave the illusion the 35-foot drop over the river was actually higher.  My canine buddy was none too happy to cross the bridge, but he summoned the courage to cross.  Still shivering from our crossing, a larger boulder field awaited us.  Our last abrupt climb out of the gulf took away our reserves but not my
smile or my friend¹s tail-wagging.

Hiking do's and don'ts

1. Make sure you wear ankle-high support boots. Ankles can twist easily on this trail.

2. Bring an oversupply of water and high-energy snack food. Try dried banana chips, good quality beef or turkey jerky, roasted soy nuts and trail mix.

3. Tell friends exactly where you are going and check in at the ranger station

4. Bring a detailed map of the area and a compass.

5. Research the hike beforehand.

6. If you lose the trail, stop to gather yourself and take your time to spot familiar markings. Avoid free-lancing.

7. Dress appropriately in layers easy to peel off and carry.

8. Do not over-pack; only bring necessities, avoid trivial items. Matches, a small flashlight and a good pocketknife can come in handy.

9. Consult a hiker's guide for important tips.

Leave the forest as you found it for the next hiker to enjoy.

How to find the Collins West trailhead:
Take Interstate 24 East to Chattanooga. Use the Pelham/Winchester exit, the last exit before scaling Monteagle Mountain. Turn left on State Route 50 and drive through Pelham. Cross U.S. 41. Drive up the mountain and turn right on State Route 108. You¹ll pass Grundy County High School on your right. Travel straight through the light at State Route 56. Pass through Gruetli-Laager on
State Route 108 and pass the Piggly Wiggly. Take a left at 55th Avenue (Collins West sign), and go a few miles until you see a marked gravel lot that says, "Savage Gulf State Natural Area: Collins Gulf Access." Park and check in. A brief connecting trail leads to the Collins Gulf access point.

Winter Wanderland - January 3, 2002
by Jim Ann Howard - Friends Life Member, Artist, Naturalist - a Cumberland Plateau Resident
Photos by Ron Castle


It’s mudluscious and heading for a freeze, but on Fiery Gizzard trail await wonders large and small.

In this season of augmented sound and muted color, polypores and shelf lichens shine. Inedible and often overlooked, these beauties recline in rosettes, wave in chorus lines from the trunks of fallen trees and ascend in layers up the reaches of the still living. Take off your glove to run your hand lightly through such a colony. If the fungi are moist and young, the feel is unexpected and deliciously springy. Multi-layered zones of color in species, such as the Violet Toothed Polypore and False Turkeytail, range from cream to indigo to violet to a whole range of oranges and rich browns. In the early morning walker the exquisite beauty of these fungi and lichens rimed with frost sparks a mood that rises with the sun and the high, crisp air of the Red-tailed hawk.

On the ridge path above Little Fiery, as oak and poplar give way to hemlock, the trail dips. Concealed beneath steps formed by rocks and conifer roots, but revealed to the backward glance of a watchful eye, are the delights of the tiny stalked puffball known as “Pretty Lips.” Though its golden shield–like cap whose center glows a filigreed scarlet falls from the matured mushroom, a patch of “Pretty Lips” in varied stages of development is well worth the muddy knees of close inspection.

Still winter air and gorge acoustics accent the varied songs of the Gizzard Creeks to fullest effect. Traversing the path from rock formation to rock formation, the walker moves from one concert to another and yet another. Factor in the olfactory, the splendid spice of hemlock and the richness of humus, and the total experience stands well beyond the reach of words and priceless admission

Along the northern end of the creekside trail are scattered the lacy remains of fantastic Umbrella magnolia leaves with mosses and seedpods of tulip poplars poking through. The tiny-twin red dots of partridge berries wreathed in green lay beneath seed skeletons of last year’s Pink Lady Slipper and Cranefly orchids. The rising wind plucks a low melody from hemlock boughs.

If this weather suggests the environs of a comfy chair, warm fire and good book, it also offers the possibility of a rare and thrilling spectacle. Rain followed by a sudden drop in temperature can turn the Gizzard bluffs into glorious temples of ice, delicately tinted pale green and gold with mosses and minerals leached from the rock, which crack and sing as temperatures shift. Save the fire for later. Don your stoutest boots, dress warmly and carry a sturdy walking stick – while the beauties of the winter trail are unsurpassed, they also demand respect and careful going.