Cumberland Trail

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Cumberland Trail is a hiking trail following a line of ridges and gorges along the eastern escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. The trail begins at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and ends at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee. The trail cuts through 11 Tennessee counties.

Over 300 mi (483 km) of trails are planned. The Cumberland Trail became Tennessee's 53rd state park in 1998 and the state's only linear park. The park is named for Justin P. Wilson, in honor of his work to help make the vision of the Cumberland Trail a reality. Justin Wilson served as the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in 1996 and deputy governor for policy for former Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist, the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park will contain a core corridor of trail stretching from Cumberland Gap National Park to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area.

Still a work-in-progress, approximately 165 mi (266 km) of hikeable trail are ready for hiking in the Cumberland Mountain segment above La Follette, Tennessee and Jacksboro, Tennessee and in the Cumberland Gap National Military Park; the Smoky Mountain segment in Campbell County, TN; the Frozen Head segment in Morgan County, TN; the Obed Wild and Scenic River segment in the Obed Wild and Scenic River and Catoosa Wildlife Management Area and the Grassy Cove segment on Black and Brady mountain in Cumberland County, TN; the Rock Creek segment in Hamilton County, TN; the Possum Creek segment in Hamilton County; the Soddy Creek segment in Hamilton County; the North Chickamauga segment in Hamilton County; and the Tennessee River Gorge segment in Prentice Cooper State Forest. The newly constructed trail is not considered complete, only hikeable, until the permanent bridges are installed, the trailheads paved and marked, and the "punch list" items revealed by weathering and use by hikers on the new trail are completed. Bridges are planned over a number of the creeks that cannot be safely crossed after major rainstorms. Paved and secure trailheads are planned at road crossings that currently lack space to safely pull over and park.

As a non-profit Associate Organization organized under Tennessee Trails Association (TTA), the Cumberland Trail Conference (CTC) assists by organizing volunteers and supporters to help build, maintain, and provide activities on the Cumberland Trail. This includes trail maintenance and building outings, trail-building training sessions, and periodic hikes on the CT.

The Cumberland Trail is designed and built to minimize the potential environmental impact on sensitive wildlife habitat, unique aquatic or terrestrial habitats, or endangered/threatened species. The Cumberland Trail's environmentally conscious footprint on the land provides the hiker with picturesque waterfalls, scenic overlooks, and a wilderness experience rare in the eastern US.

[edit] See also

• List of Tennessee state parks
• StumpJump 50k

[edit] External links

• CTC website
• Friends of the Cumberland Trail
• Justin P. Wilson State Park

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}