Cumberland Mountain State Park

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Cumberland Mountain State Park is a 1,720 acre (6.96 km²) state park four mi (6 km) south of Crossville, Tennessee along US 127. The park was begun in 1934 as a New Deal project of the Resettlement Administration (RA), and continued by the RA's successor the Farm Security Administration (FSA), to provide a recreational area for some 250 families selected to Cumberland Homesteads Project the Cumberland Plateau. The families in the Homestead community built the park along with help from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration. The FSA deeded the park to the state of Tennessee in 1938. Alvin C. York was the first park superintendent until he left in 1940 to advise on the filming of Sergeant York.

Contents 1 The CCC at the park 2 Facilities 3 Other points of interest 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] The CCC at the park

The most recognized feature of the park is the stone dam. The dam is 319 feet (97.2 m) long and 28 feet (8.5 m) high with seven large arches, and was built from 1935 to 1938. The dam created a 50 acre (200,000 m²) Byrd Lake by impounding Byrd's Creek. Company 3464 of the CCC built the dam under the direction of the National Park Service. The dam is constructed of native sandstone, commonly called Crab Orachard Stone. It still stands today as the largest masonry project ever built by the CCC. CCC Company 3464, assisted by Company 1471, continued to work at the park until 1941, building trails, picnic areas, cabins, boathouse, a bathhouse, and other structures.

The Mill House Lodge is found adjacent to the dam is one of the structures. The designers of the Cumberland Homesteads project proposed a grist mill at the site of the dam. The Religious Society of Friends were brought in to construct the mill. The mill house was completed but the water wheel and the grinding machinery were never installed. Opposition to the federally subsidized mill was raised by local mills, so it was never completed. It is now rented as a cabin.

[edit] Facilities

There are many recreational facilities at Cumberland Mountain State Park. They include an olympic sized swimming pool, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, four tennis courts, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard, basketball courts, badminton, and volleyball courts. A 6,900 yard (6300 m) , 18 hole Bear Trace golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus was added in 1998. Year long hiking trails, including a 10 mi (16 km) overnight backpacking trail, are found throughout the park. Byrd Lake is available for fishing and boating by canoe, rowboat, and paddleboat.

The park contains 37 cabins and 147 campsites . The Mill House Lodge is also available for rent. The park's Cumberland Mountain Restaurant is located along Byrd Lake.

[edit] Other points of interest

The Homestead Museum, located one mile (1.6 km) from the park, depicts the Cumberland Homestead Community of the 1930's. It is found in a Crab Orachard Stone water tower, built by the CCC, at the junction of U.S. Route 127 and State Route 68. The Cumberland General Store is located directly across from the Homestead Museum. The Grassy Cove Section of the Cumberland Trail is located 11 mi (18 km) away on State Route 68, and the head of Sequatchie Valley is 12 mi (19 km) south on U.S. Route 127.

[edit] See also

• List of Tennessee state parks

[edit] External links

• Cumberland Mountain State Park
• Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
• South Cumberand Elementary Crossville, Tennessee

v • d • e Protected Areas of Tennessee National Park Service Andrew Johnson National Historic Site • Appalachian National Scenic Trail • Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area • Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park • Cumberland Gap National Historical Park • Fort Donelson National Battlefield • Fort Donelson National Cemetery • Great Smoky Mountains National Park • Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail • Natchez Trace Parkway • Obed Wild and Scenic River • Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail • Shiloh National Cemetery • Shiloh National Military Park • Stones River National Battlefield • Stones River National Cemetery • Trail of Tears National Historic Trail National Forests Cherokee National Forest • Land Between the Lakes National Wildlife Refuges Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge • Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge • Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge • Lake Isom National Wildlife Refuge • Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge • Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge • Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness Areas Bald River Gorge Wilderness • Big Frog Wilderness • Big Laurel Branch Wilderness • Citico Creek Wilderness • Cohutta Wilderness • Gee Creek Wilderness • Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness • Little Frog Mountain Wilderness • Pond Mountain Wilderness • Sampson Mountain Wilderness • Unaka Mountain Wilderness East Tennessee State Parks and Natural Areas Big Ridge • Booker T. Washington • Cove Lake • Cumberland Mountain • Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail • Davy Crockett Birthplace • Fort Loudoun • Frozen Head • Harrison Bay • Hiwassee/Ocoee • Indian Mountain • Norris Dam • Panther Creek • Pickett • Red Clay • Roan Mountain • Sycamore Shoals • Warriors' Path Middle Tennessee State Parks and Natural Areas Bicentennial Capitol Mall • Bledsoe • Burgess Falls • Cedars Of Lebanon • Cordell Hull Birthplace • David Crockett • Dunbar Cave • Edgar Evins • Fall Creek Falls • Harpeth River • Henry Horton • Johnsonville • Long Hunter • Montgomery Bell • Mousetail Landing • Old Stone Fort • Port Royal • Radnor Lake • Rock Island • Sgt. Alvin C. York • South Cumberland • Standing Stone • Tims Ford West Tennessee State Parks and Natural Areas Big Cypress Tree • Big Hill Pond • Chickasaw • Fort Pillow • Meeman-Shelby • N. B. Forrest • Natchez Trace • Paris Landing • Pickwick Landing • Pinson Mounds • Reelfoot Lake • Ross Cross Landing • T.O. Fuller State Forests Bledsoe • Cedars of Lebanon • Chickasaw • Chuck Swan • Franklin • Lewis • Lone Mountain • Martha Sundquist • Natchez Trace • Pickett • Prentice Cooper • Scott • Standing Stone • Stewart Pocket Wildernesses Honey Creek * Piney Falls • Laurel-Snow • North Chickamauga Creek Gorge • Stinging Fork Falls • Virgin Falls Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (web) - Tennessee Department of Agriculture {web}