Hiking, Backpacking and Camping Tips
Tennessee Wilderness Adventure Tips, Be Prepared, Have Fun!
personal advice provided by Ron Castle, Web Master  Last updated June 14, 2009.

I have personally hiked every trail in the park at least once and enjoy being outdoors any month of the year in any kind of weather.  Solo backpacking is something I particularly enjoy and have spent many nights in the park during cold weather when I was the only person on the trail during the day and the only person in the campground at night.  I hope you will find these tips helpful.  Your comments, additions and personal experiences are welcome on the Nature Notes page or will be used on this page.  Please email them to me, thanks.

Jump down the page to:
Hiking and Day Trips
Handicapped Access
Stream Crossings
Bluffs and High Places
Hiking at Night
Camping
Hobbs Cabin
Bushwhacking
Emergencies
Have Fun and Resources

Hiking and Day Trips

South Cumberland is a hikers paradise with a selection of trails to suit almost any interest and physical capability.  All trails are marked with directional trail signs at trail junctions and painted blazes along the way.  Trails are easy to follow, the only exception being in the late fall and early winter when heavy fallen leaf cover can sometimes hide the way.

Detailed topographical maps are available at the Visitor Center, at Grundy Forest, the Stone Door Ranger Station and the Savage Gulf Ranger Station along with trip planning information.  Or, you can ask for advice here on the Friends web page.  You may also want to visit Hiking Forums a website for hikers. The Rangers and park staff will help you as well.  All you have to do is ask!

There are numerous trails suitable for day trips and loop trails that will bring you back to where you started.  Some of the more interesting park features are on out and back trails.  They are worth backtracking unless you have eyes in the back of your head.

Wear good, sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots, preferably well broken in. 

If you are not a frequent hiker or if you have new boots, include in your day pack or first aid kit some band aids or medical tape (even duct tape will work - fixes everything else) for treating blisters.  Almost all of the trails in the Park have a fair amount of up and down and hiking will do things to your feet that would never happen on a long stroll down the sidewalk.  Moisture wicking sock liners are a great help.

A walking stick is a great aid on steep trail sections, which can be rocky and slippery during wet weather.

Even if you are only planning a day trip it is wise to carry water and a snack.  I also carry in my day pack a small flashlight, a whistle and two means of starting a fire.  Boy Scouts (and Girl Scouts) know you should always be prepared.

Be prepared for changes in the weather.  During warm weather insect repellent is advisable and keep an eye out for rattlesnakes and copperheads.  The South Cumberland averages about 60 inches of rainfall a year and a slicker or poncho in your fanny or back pack is a good idea to help you stay dry and warm any time of year, even in the summer.  Hypothermia can be a threat almost any time of the year.  Keeping dry is the first step to keeping warm.

It is good backwoods manners to be quiet on the trail and to allow distance between other groups or hikers.  I have walked up on many deer and wild turkeys by being quiet.

If you approach backpackers from behind they may not be able to either see or hear you.  A "hello" and "may I pass on your right (or left)" will help to avoid a mishap.  If you are day hiking, give back packers the right of way by stepping off the trail to let them pass.  If they are as tired as I have been coming 9 miles back from Hobbs Cabin, or after climbing up the Connector Trail to Stone Door, they will greatly appreciate it.

Whenever I day hike I save a pocket for cigarette butts and candy wrappers and clean up the trails.  It's a good way to touch your toes, stretch your hamstrings and keep the trails looking clean and natural.  I usually carry a tee shirt bag in my fanny pack or back pack to collect trash left behind by less thoughtful park visitors.  "Sweeping the trails" is good exercise and is a great way to show your appreciation for the park.

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Handicapped Access

Wheel chair access to a wilderness park is challenging under any conditions and funds for improvements are scarce.  There is a paved trail from the Stone Door Ranger Station to the Laurel Falls Overlook at Savage Gulf.  It is a spectacular view of the gulf.  The trail is about 1 mile long with some moderate up and down hill grades.  I have personally seen a number of folks make the trip in wheel chairs, both powered and unpowered.  In June 2004 TVA completed a handicap accessible board walk and viewing platform at Foster Falls which is excellent.  There is more information and an online video here.

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Stream Crossings

Most stream and wetland area crossings in the park are aided by suspension or other bridges or boardwalks.  Those that are not can be forded by rock hopping during normal weather.  The gulf or canyon areas of the park are fed by a vast and steeply banked watershed.  Summer downpours or prolonged wet weather any time of year can cause streams to rise rapidly.  The Connector Trail in Savage Gulf can be closed by high water.  If you are on the wrong side of the Collins River, Savage Creek or Big Creek, the safe bet is to wait it out.  Even with ropes, high water crossing attempts can be dangerous, even fatal.  Waters can fall as rapidly as they rise.  If you are signed in on the back country register (which you always should do!) at any of the Ranger Stations chances are pretty good someone will be looking for you including our search and rescue dog.  I always carry a whistle and a flashlight along with a means of starting a fire.  This is especially important if you are traveling solo.  Be prepared.

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Bluffs and High Places

South Cumberland has spectacular bluff overviews in Savage Gulf, Collins Gulf, at Foster Falls, on the Fiery Gizzard Trail, at Greeter Falls and on the Buggytop Trail to Carter Cave.  I recommend that you follow the climbers rule:  6 feet from the edge you can stand, 3 feet from the edge you should be on your hands and knees, closer than that you should be on your belly. 

There have been tragic deaths in the park from visitors who have stepped up to the edge of the bluff, experienced vertigo and fallen to their deaths.  Falling 300 feet or more can ruin your whole day.  Educate your children before you hike and make sure youngsters are well within your reach and control when approaching high bluffs.  Teach them the climbers rule.  Be careful and enjoy the views.  Can you see the hikers in the photo, the small white speck in the center?  It's a long way down!

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Hiking at Night

This is a no-no and against park rules.  But, you need to be prepared.  I have been photographing in the park in the late evening or before sunrise, have stayed for that "special moment" when the light is just so and have stumbled out after dark.  Even on day trips, I always carry a good flashlight with fresh batteries and a spare bulb, like a AA cell Maglite or better yet one of the new LED flashlights.  You never know what can happen, like the late afternoon one winter when my boot went under a rock on a steep downhill and sheared my big toenail right off the toe.  OUCH wasn't exactly what I said, but it was slow going for the next four miles back to the Ranger Station at Savage.  I couldn't get there before it got dark.  Accidents can happen or you might take a wrong turn on the trail.  Be ready to walk out after dark if you have to, but watch out for those bluffs noted above.  If you don't have a flashlight the best bet is to start a small fire and sit it out until someone comes and finds you or the sun comes up.

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Camping

With the exception of the improved campground and facilities at Foster Falls, which are owned and managed by TVA, all of the campgrounds in the park are primitive. Primitive means sleeping on the ground or in a hammock.  Camping is permitted in designated campsites only and sites are assigned in Savage Gulf by making a reservation on site at either the Stone Door or Savage Gulf Ranger Stations.  If you are planning on camping during a prime weekend like Memorial Day, Fourth of July or Labor day, the best bet is to arrive as early as possible on the day preceding the holiday or holiday weekend.  If you are planning on camping on a summer or fall color weekend, early arrival is recommended.  During the week the campsites are usually wide open.  You may have the campsite all to yourself!

If you are bringing a large group, like a Scout troop or church group, and I hope you do, call ahead to the Visitor Center at 931 924-2980 and ask them for recommendations regarding when and where.  The Visitor Center can radio or phone the Ranger Stations and get up to the minute information for you.

There are privies at all of the campgrounds.  Bring your own toilet paper.  Leave the roll in the privy when you are ready to hike out.  That's what I do.  There are water sources near all of the campgrounds.  Water borne pathogens are prevalent in all of the water sources.  I recommend the use of a good ceramic filter along with activated carbon (I use a MSR and have never had any problems) unless you want to spend a lot of time in the privy using up all of your precious paper!  Don't drink unfiltered or untreated water in the park - period!

When you wash your camp dishes, your hair, your face or anything else be at least 300 feet from any stream or water source.  Use biodegradable camping soap.  Use a different spot every day if you are in a camp ground more than one night.  On the last morning, use your dish water to drown the embers in the fire ring.

Every camp site in every campground has a fire ring for your enjoyment.  Burn only deadfalls and dead wood found on the ground and plan on hiking as far as a quarter mile or more to find enough wood for the evening.  Don't use the crotches of live trees to break your wood.  It will kill the trees. Check the Ranger Station to make sure fires are permitted during dry weather - sometimes they are not.  Don't incinerate packaging, plastics or foil in the fire rings.  Do incinerate your food scraps to keep the scavengers out of your campsite.  Bring plastic bags to collect your trash and pack it out with you.  I use zipper type bags.  If you really want to be a good neighbor, do what I do.  Gather enough wood so that there is some left for the next campers at your site.  Leave them a note if you need a pat on the back.  They will love you for it.  If I am the next camper at your site, please write the note on a twenty dollar bill and I will send you a thank you note when I get back.

Don't leave open fires unattended and make sure your fire ring is spread out and watered before you leave.  We have not had any wild fires in the park in a long time and don't want any now!

I have already said this once but I will say it again: if you pack it in, pack it out.  Don't burn your trash and don't throw it in the privy.  The park, the Rangers and your fellow campers will love you for it.  Just remember what to do if you want a thank you note.

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Hobbs Cabin

My favorite place in the park is the one farthest from the trail head, at least 9 miles any way you go at it.  It is at the congruence of Savage Gulf and Coppinger Gulf on top of the plateau about a quarter mile from the bluff.  There is a spring about 75 yards behind the cabin and down the hill.

Inside the front door to your right you will find a mailbox.  In the mailbox there is a journal and a pen.  Spend a little time to read the thoughts of others and to share your own thoughts.  The journal is always a hoot.

I have been to Hobbs many times and each one is a special memory.  The last time I was there, in late October, we had the place all to ourselves for three days.  What a gift!

Leave it cleaner than you found it.  Put the broom in the cabin to good use.  Sweep the porch, too.  Leave some firewood in the corner next to the hearth - the next visitors may arrive when it is cold and raining.  Police the grounds around the cabin.  You will have memories from this place that will last a lifetime.  Take a light weight copy of Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" with you.  His cabin was probably little different from this one. 
               
                                                                                     Photos by Ranger Jason Reynolds

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Bushwhacking

Bushwhacking is hiking or camping off the designated trails or out of the designated campsites.  In a word, don't.  If you are caught you will be fined.  If you are not caught, you will be doing the wilderness character of the park a great disservice.  Enough of the park has been "improved" for you to see the best sights and features.  Leave the rest as it is so it will remain a wilderness forever.  The Rangers will find you if you are in trouble and on the trail or in a designated campsite.  They may never find you if you are not.

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Emergencies

Back country emergencies are rare in the park but they do happen.  A good first aid kit is an essential item for at least one member of every group.  Knowing how to administer basic first aid and CPR is even better.  An understanding of the issues of backcountry emergencies is even better yet.

The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) "Wilderness Guide" makes the following recommendations:

"Setting priorities is the first rule of emergency care.  Life-threatening problems must be dealt with immediately.  Problems that are not life-threatening do not need action within minutes.  Help will not be arriving shortly, so take your time if the problem allows it.

Evaluate your patient carefully.  Determine the extent of the problem.  Having a book on emergency medical care available is a real asset.  If you do, take some time to review it; it will give you a better understanding of your victim's problem and refresh your memory on the proper emergency treatment.

Your most crucial decision will be on the need for a rescue.  Is the problem serious enough to require evacuation, or can it be dealt with in the field with rest and recuperation?  Illnesses are often perplexing; a stomach ache could mean a case of indigestion or a case of appendicitis.  An outdoor leader, well versed in backcountry medicine, will be familiar with basic health problems, and with the aid of a reference book be able to determine if the problem requires evacuation or not.

In any accident or illness in the wilderness, stay calm and rely on your common sense."

The chapter goes on to discuss approaching the victim, immediate first aid, making a physical exam, shock, fractures and dislocations, head injuries, spinal injuries, sprains, strains, bruises and open wounds, acute abdominal pain, burns and procedures for evacuations.

Buy this or another good book on backcountry first aid, read it and be prepared.  See the link below regarding information on NOLS.

Our Park Rangers are all trained in first aid and emergency rescue procedures.  Local rescue squads are ready to respond.  Professional help is available if you need it.  I hope you don't.

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Have Fun

The backcountry is a wonderful place to be and is great fun if you are in shape and prepared.  My favorite past time is cooking gourmet meals in the wilderness, preferably for a small group.  So far, I have a Four Star rating!  Emeril and Wolfgang don't stand a chance.

Take your time.  South Cumberland is the heart of one of the most diverse bioregions in the world and there are many amazing things to see, both big and small, but you will miss many of them if you are in a rush.  One of the greatest challenges I have had to overcome in my many years on the trails is learning how to slow down to Nature's time.  There is no better place to do that than South Cumberland and there is no better time to learn than now.

The Rangers periodically teach backcountry skills courses and if you are new to hiking or backpacking you may want to attend one of their courses.  Check the Activity Schedule for the next available class.  If you are a beginner, Backpacker magazine is a good source of information or read "The Complete Walker" series by Colin Fletcher.  Also, check out www.thebackpacker.com, which has loads of information for beginning and experienced folks alike.  Also, read "Backcountry Ethics" by Laura and Guy Waterman or the National Outdoor Leadership Schools' "Wilderness Guide".

Or, invite me.  I am always ready to go and will cook if you will carry the food, the cooler and the gas grill.  Have fun, be safe, love the park.  I do.

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