Frozen Head Camping & Hiking

Friday-Sunday, March 21-23 – Frozen Head State Park  Camping and Hiking Trip.  Wartburg, TN. .Joint event with the Murfreesboro Chapter, Sara Polard. There are two  options for camping: Flat Fork Group Camp, front country near your vehicle or Judge Branch backcountry site which involves an  easy 0.6 mile backpacking trip.   Friday’s hike will be the CHS Loop in Wartburg. This 2.8 loop rated moderate starts behind the Morgan County Visitor’s Center (3804 Morgan Co. Highway) and is a section of the Cumberland Trail. Then we’ll head over to Frozen Head State Park and set up camp either at Flat Fork group camp or Judge Branch.   The Judge Branch backcountry campsite has a bear box available to store food and a water source from the creek. Saturday morning we’ll hike the Panther Branch Trail to the North Old Mac Trail on our way to the Lookout Tower. Along the way, we’ll see DeBord Falls and hike the Emory Gap Trail to a waterfall. This hike is to Frozen Head Mountain, the highest point on the Cumberland Plateau at 3,324 ft. From the tower, we will see the Smoky Mountains, Cumberland Plateau, and the Tennessee River Valley and Wind Farms. Then we will hike the E. Lookout Tower Trail to the Old Prison Mine Trail to an old mine. We will then return to our campsite on the South Old Mac Trail. Total miles for Saturday’s hike is 11.5 miles, rated moderate. On Sunday, after breaking up camp and on our way home, we will explore the Obed Wild and Scenic River north of Wartburg. We’ll hike the Lily Bluff Trails including the easy 0.3 mile one way Overlook Trail, the 3.8 mile round trip Point Trail rated moderate, and the 0.4 mile round trip Boulder Field Trail. We’ll see beautiful views of the confluence of the Obed River and Clear Creek. Hiking poles are recommended. Pack Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast and lunch. Please register with Sara Pollard, 615-714-3610 or sara.pollard@mtsu.edu to reserve a spot at Judge Branch backcountry site.  Contact Joan Hartvigsen to reserve a spot at Flat Fork Group Campsite, jhartvigs@comcast.net or 931-636-2914.