- The Big South Fork NWR.
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park *
- The Cumberland Trail (smokey mountain segment)
- Appalacian Trail (south east Tennessee)
- Savage Gulf
- Cumberland Trail (ozone falls area)
- Fall Creek Falls State Park
- Norris Dam State Park
- Big Ridge State Park
- Frozen Head State Park. * I included the very crowded and commercial GSMNP even though I avoid it for the most part because of its legendary status.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
A top ten list for my 50th post
Top Ten Hiking destinations in Tennessee according to THE ENVIROCAPITALIST.
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I enjoy hiking, to bad none of those area's are near me.
ReplyDeletethanks for checking in Rick. This is a red herring post to see if any locals are reading. I put one on the list I think locals would disagree with and left one off. No bites yet.
ReplyDeleteRick, you've missed out on some great hiking if you've never been to East Tennessee/Western North Carolina.
ReplyDeleteGabe, that's a great list. I've been on about half of them at one point or another back when I lived in Huntsville, AL. Now, though, I'm a Memphian and miss the majesty that is East Tennessee pretty regularly. The only quibble that I might have is that you've rated Savage Gulf too low IMHO. It's an outstanding little park that's never crowded. Plus, Monteagle is a great little town, what with it's Sunday School Preserve section and wineries just down the road. Neat, neat, neat.
My wife and I almost had the pleasure of spending the night down next to the creek at Savage Gulf one cold October after she sprained her knee during a post-unpacking look around. We found the markers leading back to the parking lot about 10 minutes after legal sundown, and were it not for a full moon, we would have had a rough night of it (temps hit 30F that night). Learned my lesson, and I now always carry a flashlight when leaving camp.
It's pretty hard to beat any portion of the Appalachian Trail, and yes it can be crowded. I always had good luck by going around to the Nantahala starting from that side. It's not Tennessee, but it could play one on TV ;-)
Thanks for bringing back the memories. I only wish that I had some comparable hiking spots from the Western side of the state to add to your list, but it's not the same without mountains. Sigh.
Whoops, I got Fiery Gizard and Savage Gulf confused in my story above. We almost spent a cold, wet night stranded on the Gizard not the Gulf. Great little park, and right next door to the Savage Gulf park (IIRC, they're both part of the South Cumberland, aren't they?)
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