FRIENDS OF SOUTH CUMBERLAND STATE RECREATION AREA, INC.
Savage Gulf    Stone Door    Fiery Gizzard

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Hemlock Pest Alert!
Read about the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid that threatens the health and sustainability of our eastern and Carolina hemlocks. The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is a fatal threat to our trees.
(PDF format - 3 mb)

See the Latest Hemlock News Update

 
Park
Happenings
Free Park Programs
for Kids of All Ages
Park Activities

May 2008

 Sport Climbing How-To-Clinic
May 9

Rappelling at Stone Door
May 22

Meadow Jaunt
May 24

Creek Critters
May 31

June 2008

National Trails Day
Creekin'
June 7

Rappelling at Stone Door
June 12

Are You Batty?
June 14

Sport Climbing How-To-Clinic
June 20

Small Wilds Sunset Hike
June 28

 

 

State Natural Areas Field Trips for 2008
2008 schedule in PDF

 
Coming to the Park? Check the Park weather forecast.
 

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Campaign video online here!

 

The Friends of South Cumberland State Recreation Area, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit public benefit corporation. Learn more about us at GivingMatters.

Last updated
Monday May 12, 2008

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Friends State & Local South Cumberland News

Marriage Made in Heaven with Services at Stone Door
Posted by Ron Castle without Bill knowing about it!


Aundrea and Bill Knapp with Ranger and Reverend George Shinn presiding

Assistant Park Manager Bill Knapp was recently married on an almost too rainy day at Stone Door.

Bill reports:  We had friends and family that came from all over the nation. The plan from the start was to have the ceremony out on Stone Door overlook (where I also proposed to Aundrea). The weather was great until the day of the wedding. We woke up to heavy rains. It rained right up until noon with the wedding starting at 1 o'clock. The rain took a break just long enough for us to have a beautiful ceremony and take a few pictures. If you notice in the picture Park Ranger George Shinn married us, a good man. We hiked out just as the rain started up again. After hiking out and back, Aundrea never did get mud on that dress!

We had a reception with friends and family at the dinner theater. I count myself lucky to have so many great friends and family and am thankful the weather helped us out.

Friends Purchase Truck for Stone Door Ranger Station
May 2, 2008

Dear Friends of South Cumberland,

I have been the ranger at Stone Door for four and a half years now and in that time we have had only a patrol vehicle.  Our two conservation workers and myself have relied of this vehicle for both maintenance  jobs and patrolling.

There have been many times on a weekly basis that maintenance has suffered because I have had to use the truck for security or administrative reasons.  I have always feared that one day we would have an emergency, but be unable to respond because the truck would be in use for a maintenance project or task.  Luckily, this scenario never happened even though we came close to it a few times.

We have always failed at acquiring an addition to the fleet from state government.  Fortunately, because of the Friends we don't have to worry about this any more.  We now have a brand new Ford F-150 in addition to our patrol truck thanks to the generosity and hard work of the Friends.  Your donation has enabled us to become more efficient and effective at keeping the beautiful Savage Gulf State Natural area beautiful and safe for everyone that comes out to enjoy it.  Once again we thank you for your support and appreciate the generous donation to pay for our new truck. 

Sincerely,

Jamie Hambrock
Park Ranger II

Conservation Forestry Workshop May 27-29, 2008

A Conservation Forestry Workshop on the Southern Cumberland Plateau sponsored by the Open Space Institute and others is scheduled for May 27-29 in Sewanee.  Check it out.

http://www.osiny.org/site/PageServer?pagename=programs_Institute_CFN_TN

New Watershed Signs Along Tennessee Highways
March 21, 2008

 

I am pleased to share an update on the Watershed Sign project announced during last year’s Earth Day celebrations. A total of 187 Watershed Signs were recently installed along Tennessee roadways to identify entry points to the 55 watersheds throughout the state. TDEC and TDOT were equal partners on this project with the intent to increase public awareness regarding the importance of watersheds and to encourage good stewardship of the state's valuable rivers, streams, wetlands, lakes and ground water. 

 

The driving public has noticed these watershed signs. Many citizens are learning a watershed is the entire land area that drains into a lake, river or other water body. Inquiries, questions and education regarding watersheds will present a number of opportunities for us to communicate our message about sound watershed management that protects Tennessee’s vital water resources.

 

These signs also reinforce the department’s watershed management approach.  Our biologists and environmental specialists are continually collecting, analyzing and interpreting water data in order to indicate the quality of the state’s waters and inform our citizens of the progress being made to improve Tennessee’s water resources. Through these efforts – from Watershed Signs to the current public comment period on the 2008 303(d) list - citizens gain a better understanding of how activities in watersheds affect the quality of their water. 

 

Watershed groups and interested citizens are in a critical position to help reinforce or amplify these important clean water messages at the local level. I encourage you to use and share the information resources we have created to support the introduction of Watersheds Signs to communities across Tennessee. We have developed a dedicated Web page at www.tdec.net/watershedsigns, and I am attaching a poster and brochure that might be helpful in communicating with individuals and groups in your community. Don’t hesitate to contact me with other ideas or suggestions on how to move these important messages forward.

 

I appreciate your work to promote healthy watersheds and clean water for Tennessee. 

 

- Paul

 

Paul Sloan
Deputy Commissioner
Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation
401 Church Street
First Floor, L & C Annex
Nashville, TN 37243

615-532-0102
Paul.Sloan@state.tn.us

 

bredesen announces
heritage conservation trust fund grants

grants include leveraged funding for grundy county conservation project

 

DECEMBER 6, 2007 Nashville, Tenn. – Governor Phil Bredesen and the members of the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund Board, along with Senator Jerry Cooper and Representative Bill Harmon, announced today that nine projects, protecting more than 14,455 acres, have been approved for $7.1 million in grant funding. 

 

"I am very pleased with the continued focus and dedication of the Heritage Conservation Trust,” said Bredesen. “The ability of the trust fund to effectively leverage resources with other public and private partners is helping us protect thousands of acres of priority land for future generations of Tennesseans.”

 

One of the projects receiving a Heritage Conservation Trust Fund grant will help protect the view- sheds of Savage Gulf, a state natural area in Grundy County.

 

“The work of the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund is helping protect the areas that make Tennessee special,” said Cooper.

 

“I’m pleased the trust fund board is helping preserve thousands of acres in this magnificent area of Grundy County,” continued Harmon.

 

Since its inception in 2005, the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund has approved more than $28 million in grant funding for projects with an estimated total cost of $108 million to protect 37,000 acres across Tennessee.

 

Details of the projects recently approved for Heritage Conservation Trust Fund grants include:

 

§   The Land Trust for Tennessee Lost Cove Acquisition, Franklin County – A $750,000 grant, supporting a previous Heritage Conservation Trust Fund grant, to assist in the acquisition of 2,987 acres that will connect the Franklin/Marion State Forest, the University of the South Domain and Carter State Natural Area.  Project partners include The Nature Conservancy, the Benwood Foundation, Lyndhurst Foundation and the University of the South.

 

§   The Nature Conservancy Butler-Jones Tract Acquisition, Franklin County – A $470,450 grant to assist in the acquisition of 1,011 acres of native hardwood forest on the southern Cumberland Plateau.  This site lies just south of the David Carter tracts that were purchased by The Nature Conservancy and subsequently gifted to TWRA in 2005.  Partners include the Benwood Foundation.

 

§   The Nature Conservancy Thompson Tract Acquisition, Franklin County – A $400,000 grant to assist in the acquisition and protection of a forest and watershed that is critical for aquatic biodiversity.  The tract encompasses more than a mile of Estill Fork watershed, and it is adjacent to the Walls of Jericho, also known as the Bear Hollow Mountain Wildlife Management Area.   This area also lies near the David Carter tracts.  Partners include the Lyndhurst Foundation and the Wild Turkey Federation.

 

§   Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation Scotts Gulf, White County - An $811,936 grant to acquire 643 acres that will continue efforts to create a 60,000-acre wilderness area connecting the Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness Area and Fall Creek Falls State Park.   The tract is critical to protecting the scenic beauty of Scott’s Gulf, boasting three miles of bluff line. 

 

§    South Cumberland State Park and Natural Area’s Savage Gulf Project, Grundy County – A $2 million grant supporting a previous Heritage Conservation Trust Fund grant to protect the view sheds of Savage Gulf, an established state natural area. The 4,400-acre project will permanently preserve scenic vistas of the Big Creek Gulf and protect the Collins State Scenic River, which The Nature Conservancy has listed among the U.S. watershed hot spots with 10 or more at-risk imperiled aquatic species and 11 at-risk fish and mussel species, including four listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Savage Gulf is an officially recognized National Natural Landmark, and its trails have National Recreation Trail System status. The stage road in Savage Gulf is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the virgin timber tract has been described as the best and largest virgin forest left in the mixed mesophytic region of the Eastern deciduous forest.

 

§   Tennessee Wars Commission Davis Bridge, Hardeman and McNairy Counties – A $864,500 grant to assist in the preservation of the Davis Bridge Battlefield, one of Tennessee’s most significant Civil War battlefields.  The 643 acres constitutes more than half of the existing National Register/National Landmark battlefield boundary.  The forested and agricultural landscape retains much of its original appearance, as it would have looked during the Oct. 5, 1862, battle.  This acquisition will add to the more than 200 acres of battlefield the state currently owns, and its close proximity to State Highway 57, Big Hill State Pond Park and Shiloh National Military Park make it an ideal location for attracting Civil War heritage tourism.  Partners include the American Battlefield Protection Association, the Civil War Preservation Trust and the Davis Bridge Memorial Foundation.

 

§   Tennessee Wars Commission Parker’s Crossroads, Henderson County – A $300,000 grant to assist in the preservation of 86 acres of core battlefield at Parker’s Crossroads.  The acquisition will protect another of the state’s 38 most significant and endangered battlefields.   A portion of the property, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will include pedestrian trails, incorporating it into the existing interpretive program.  Partners include the city of Parker’s Crossroads, the Civil War Preservation Trust and Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Association. 

 

§   Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Escanaba Tract, Lake and Dyer Counties – A $563,200 grant to assist in the acquisition of land for wetland restoration.  The Escanaba tract will be added to TWRA’s Tumbleweed Wildlife Management Area and will be allowed to recover to hardwood, creating optimal habitat for interior forest birds.  Acquisition of the tract will also provide fishery habitat protection on the Mississippi River.  The tract is near Blaker Towheard, a river feature containing backwater habitat for game fish and the federally endangered pallid sturgeon.  Partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

§   Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Shaw Tract, Lake County – A $953,344 grant to assist in the acquisition of land for wetland restoration.  Located adjacent to the Escanaba tract, the Shaw tract will be added to TWRA’s Tumbleweed Wildlife Management Area.  Once conserved, the tract will be allowed to recover to its natural, pristine state of hardwood forest to provide optimal habitat for interior forest birds.   The Shaw tract is part of TWRA’s larger acquisition program in the Lower Obion watershed and will be used as match to leverage future funding from the North American Wetland Conservation Fund.  Partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

The projects approved for grant awards must meet certain criteria before the funds are provided, including property surveys and appraisals, environmental assessments and enactment of mechanisms, such as conservation easements, to guarantee the permanent protection of the properties.

 

“Greater prioritization of funding is given to projects that involve partnerships, leverage state funds, and enhance or connect existing public lands,” said Trust Fund Chair Drew Goddard. “This round of grants will help protect more than 14,455 acres, with an estimated total value of more than $25.7 million.  By leveraging available funding for priority projects, we’re able to provide the maximum benefit for Tennesseans.”

 

Eligible projects range from the preservation of tracts for the purposes of tourism and recreation to projects focused on protecting or restoring the state’s physical, cultural, archaeological, historical and environmental resources.

 

The application deadline for the next grant funding cycle will be March 1, 2008, with grants to be announced in June 2008.  Projects demonstrating a level of urgency for threatened lands also may be considered by the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund Board at any time.  Pre-application instructions and forms and additional information about the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund is available at http://tennessee.gov/environment/trustfund.

From Chattanoogan.com

Historic Land Acquisition on Cumberland Plateau
Connecting the Cumberlands - 127,000 acres in state hands
posted November 8, 2007

Gov. Phil Bredesen joined Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke and representatives from The Nature Conservancy Thursday to celebrate the completion of a historic 127,000-acre conservation acquisition on the northern Cumberland Plateau.

“Today we mark the successful conclusion to the largest land conservation initiative in our state since the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was dedicated in 1940,” Gov. Bredesen said. “This project gave us a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect ecologically significant woodlands on a large scale and make them available for recreation. It will also help protect our air and water quality and wildlife habitat, as well as the natural beauty and cultural heritage that make our state uniquely Tennessee.”

The project is called “Connecting the Cumberlands” because it connects the acquired property with other publicly owned land on the northern Cumberland Plateau. This connection creates a swath of protected forestland for preservation and public enjoyment that totals 200 square miles – about twice the size of the city of Knoxville where today’s celebration was held.

The state of Tennessee partnered with The Nature Conservancy and two conservation-minded timber companies, Conservation Forestry and Lyme Timber, to successfully complete the acquisition, which encompasses contiguous tracts in Anderson, Campbell, Morgan and Scott counties. All 127,000 acres will be managed for public use by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Tennessee State Parks.

The state contributed $82 million to the $135 million total investment through a one-time appropriation supported by the General Assembly. Conservation Forestry and Lyme Timber contributed approximately $40 million, and The Nature Conservancy added $13 million, as well as a great deal of time and expertise, to help make the project successful.

“We’re pleased to celebrate the successful completion of this project with our partners here today,” said Commissioner Fyke. “It will increase recreational opportunities such as hunting and fishing, as well as hiking, biking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing, while at the same time, utilizing conservation tools that protect the land and local economies.”

Those conservation tools include working forest easements that allow working lands to continue to produce economic benefits with the use of sustainable forestry practices; conservation easements that provide protection without removing lands from the property tax rolls; and in lieu of tax payments made by the state to local communities on properties purchased outright.

“This is the kind of opportunity that doesn’t occur very often,” said Scott Davis, director of the Tennessee Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. “We have to seize this moment to protect one of the last great places left in Tennessee.”

“I believe the best things are accomplished when people with a shared vision work together toward a common goal,” said Bredesen. “We were able to do just that, successfully leveraging our resources to make an investment that will support tourism and the economies of some of our most rural areas, while at the same time ensuring this land is protected for the benefit of Tennesseans for generations into the future.”


  Exploring Savage Gulf -
A Last Chance For Wilderness

 May-June 1977 issue of The Tennessee  Conservationist

Story and photographs by Mack S. Prichard - Department of Conservation

  
Read the article in PDF format.

Raptors Invade South Cumberland
Friends Annual Meeting Features Birds of Prey. . . . . by Ron Castle

Nearly 100 Friends of South Cumberland State Recreation Area held their Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 18 at the Park Visitors Center.  The highlight of the gathering included a special program presented by David Haggard, Tennessee State Park’s West Tennessee Regional Interpretive Specialist, and his Birds of Prey program featuring a live bald eagle, a great-horned owl and a red tailed hawk.

Haggard has more than 20 years of experience with Tennessee State Parks and specializes in birds of prey. He works at Reelfoot Lake with the rehabilitation clinic for raptors including peregrine falcons, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, great-horned and barred owls.  Children of all ages attending the program delighted in petting "Hooter" the great-horned owl who fell from his nest when several weeks old and has been hand raised by humans.  Hooter especially enjoys having the back of his head scratched.

Bud Werner from Tracy City was the honored recipient of the 2005 James D. Prince Memorial Award for his dedication to the Park and for keeping the Fiery Gizzard Trail, which traverses Werner's property, open to the public.

In the election of officers for 2005-2006, Scott May from Memphis is president, Latham Davis from Sewanee is vice president, Phillip Johnson from Murfreesboro is treasurer, Gray Campbell from Atlanta is secretary and Dr. Glenn Himebaugh from Murfreesboro is historian.

Friends president Scott May presented to Park Ranger Allen Reynolds the 2005 Ranger of the Year Award for his heroic actions to apprehend and convict vandals who were burglarizing vehicles at the Greeter Falls parking area during 2004.

Park Manager John Christof stated at the Annual Meeting, "We are forever grateful and appreciative for our Friends group and the support you provide to our Park."

The Friends of South Cumberland is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation whose sole purpose is to support Tennessee's largest State wilderness park.  Friends' membership is open to the public.  For more information visit http://www.friendsofscsra.org.


                                                                                   photos by Ron Castle

**********

 Report given by John Christoff, SCRA Park Manager at the Annual Meeting of the Friends
 on June 18, 2005

Over and over again the Friends have continued to play an active part in meeting park financial needs:

§         Overall:

*          Funding by the Friends has enabled us to continue to improve the park in a meaningful way, though our state budget orders are still the same – spend nothing!

*          A donation of $300 in support of the Experience Works program (formerly Green Thumb) that provides four part-time employees at the park.  These employees work at the Savage Gulf and Stone Door ranger stations, as well as the Visitor Center.  Three hundred dollars is a fraction of the benefit the park receives from these employees.

§         Programming:

*          Purchase of rock climbing gear, which allows rangers to conduct free climbing workshops at Foster Falls.

§         Savage Gulf:

*          Sponsorship of a major clean-up project at Savage Gulf.  We inherited an old burned-down hunters’ cabin when the state purchased critical land on the northwest side of the natural area which has finally been cleaned up.

§         Visitor Center:

*          Purchase of new recreation equipment for loan to visitors who are enjoying the recreation complex.

*          Installation of a new front door to replace the old one that had been patched together. 

*          Renovation of the volleyball court. 

It means so much to continue to be able to improve the park, despite state budget problems.  We thank the Friends for their continued generosity and support.

The Pine Beetle infestation that has damaged timber throughout the park for the last two years seems to be easing.  Using the state’s Iris Fund, park staff has planted hardwood trees at the Savage Gulf entrance and Stagecoach Road campsite to replace the dead pines.  We will have to continue to work for years to clean trails of dead pines as they fall.  However, the effect of pine beetles seems to be less this year than in years past.

We want to thank the South Cumberland Wilderness Association for constructing a beautiful new footbridge over Little Laurel Creek below Small Wilds on the Fiery Gizzard Trail.  The Friends contracted with the Wilderness Association to do this job, and this group of talented, hard-working local men and women has proven to be a tremendous asset to benefit the park.

On the law enforcement front, Nathan Childers and Linda White pled guilty to numerous charges involving the vehicle burglaries at Greeter Falls.  Each was given an eight-month jail sentence and served four months.  In a second case, a local juvenile was arrested for running a motocross motorcycle through the Grundy Lakes Road at over twice the posted speed limit.  The case is pending in court.  A third case, also pending, involves the theft of about 3,000 Hemlock trees from the day loop at Grundy Forest Natural Area.  Ranger Jason Reynolds observed the theft in progress and with the help of other staff was able to arrest three subjects.

The park staff wants to invite everyone to visit often and take advantage of the outstanding programs offered by park rangers and seasonal staff.  We thank you again for being a Friend to the park and look forward to seeing you soon!

See Foster Falls Again
Cooperative Park & TVA Works Clears the Way

By Scott May, Friends Board Member - August 5, 2003

At the request of the Friends board, and with the agreement of TVA (and at TVA expense), John Christof, Park Manager, hired a tree trimmer and supervised the "opening " of a viewing window which allows persons using the Foster Falls Overlook to see the base of the falls and a portion of the pool.

I took the photo at your right on August 2, 2003.

Thank you John and TVA.

Students Help with 30th Anniversary Celebration
by Mary Priestley

Students in Kimberly McBee's 5th grade at Grundy County's Swiss Memorial School went all out to help with the park's 30th anniversary celebration, to be held at the park Visitors Center on Saturday, June 28. Each student, using his or her own experiences or the Friends web page for inspiration, drew a picture of some part of the park and then made a poster or diorama. They made a display of the posters and dioramas for their school hallway.

Students participating in this project were: Tiffany Layman, Rachael Land, Whitney Haynes, Joseph Layman, Donna Kilgore, Jennifer Nance, Lindsey Borne, Azia Hiett, Jon Campbell, Elicia Totherow, Ethan Mell, Wesley Anderson, Shelby Burnett, Crystal Poe, Drake Payne, Paige Hood, and Kirbee Hart.

Swiss Memorial School, located in the Gruetli-Laager community that was settled by the Swiss in the late 19th century, is about a mile from the Collins West trailhead. Most of the students told Friends member Mary Priestley that they enjoyed visiting Suter Falls or some of the other major sites in the park. The artwork will be displayed at the visitors center on June 28. Many thanks to these students for helping make our celebration brighter.

Jim Ann Howard Wins the Jim Prince Award 2002
by Mary Priestley

This picture was taken when I presented the Jim Prince Award to Jim Ann Howard at St. Andrews-Sewanee.

With Jim Ann and me are some of the students who helped her with the "Millenium Coke Ovens Project" and a couple of SAS staffers who have been particularly supportive of the park: Academic Computing Director Rachel Malde who designed the Fiery Gizzard trail map bandanna and Chaplain Bude Vandyke who was project manager on the construction of the ranger house at Grundy Forest.

Left to right: me, Po-Keng Sung, Jim Ann, Brannan Denney, Rachel, Jade McBee, Bude, and Brandon Barry.

Friends Work to Educate Grundy County High School Students

Friends secretary, Mary Priestley, took the environmental science class from Grundy County High School hiking in Fiery Gizzard in October to do some water quality testing. Although the results aren't posted, there are some nice shots of their activities. The Fiery Gizzard trip is at:

http://www.sewanee.edu/biology/mountainhome/field_trip_f%2702.html

The main "Mountain is our Home" page, which outlines all of our activities

with that class, is at:

http://www.sewanee.edu/biology/mountainhome/

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 friendčs 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. Youčll 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.

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