Full Day Hike

Board Camp Creek, about 8 miles, moderate. Short shuttle. We’ll start this hike at the Soddy Gulf trailhead in Soddy-Daisy. A flat one-mile walk along Big Soddy Creek takes us to Board Camp Creek (what a weird name!), which we cross to get to the Cumberland Trail. This section of the CT roughly follows Board Camp Creek up to TN 111, which we will cross over to get to the Heiss Mountain Road Trailhead. Our hike takes us along entertaining creeks and through pleasant woods, with steps up and over various obstacles. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 8.30 am ET at the Durham Street parking lot (ball fields) off Dayton Pike in Soddy-Daisy. https://bit.ly/3Qjdc0S Please register with hike leader Betsy Darken, (423) 718-2060. Carpool cost $1.00.

Saturday, January 27 — Graysville Mountain,9 miles, moderate with rocky terrain, 900’ el. gain. Shuttle required. On this section of the Cumberland Trail, we will hike through the woods to the top of Graysville Mountain, then continue all the way to Hwy 30, with the last bit just recently completed. Highlights include an old mining area, a seasonal waterfall, and a spectacular view overlooking Roaring Creek, the town of Graysville, and Cranmore Valley. We will start at the Roaring Creek Trailhead and travel along the creek before heading up rocky switchbacks. At the top of the plateau the trail levels out into a pine forest. We will enjoy several overlooks and maybe a few waterfalls before reaching our destination on Hwy 30, Dayton Mountain Road. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 8.30 am ET at the Durham Street parking lot (ball fields) off Dayton Pike in Soddy-Daisy. https://bit.ly/3Qjdc0S  Please register with hike leader Betsy Darken, (423) 718-2060. Carpool cost $2.00.  

Saturday, January 20 —Collins Gulf in Savage Gulf State Natural Area, 12.3 miles, strenuous with rocks, el. gain 1700’. We will head to the Collins Gulf Trail, then down down down to the Collins River. We’ll follow along the river until we swing around to the east and make our way to the Stagecoach Road, then up up up to the top of the plateau. Switching to cruise control, we’ll follow the Collins Gulf rim for several miles. Then we plunge down into the gulf again, cross an impressive bridge, and putter slowly up the other side, with the parking lot not far off (but not as close as we may like). Then we may all pat ourselves on the back. Check the weather forecast and choose appropriate layers; wear hiking shoes or boots; bring lots of food and water; and gather up hiking poles, rain jacket, and sunscreen as needed. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at Food City on Signal Mountain Road, in the near back corner of the parking lot, at 8:30 am ET. https://bit.ly/3pk0suY  Please register with hike leader Betsy Darken, 423-718-2060. Carpool cost $4.00.  

Saturday, January 13 — South Rim Trail, Savage Gulf State Natural Area, About 10 miles, out and back, moderate, little elevation change. Highlights include Savage Creek, Savage Falls, six overlooks with outstanding gorge views, and old-growth forest. Check the weather forecast and choose appropriate layers; wear hiking shoes or boots; bring food and water; and gather up hiking poles, rain jacket, and sunscreen as needed. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 8.30 am ET at the Durham Street parking lot (ball fields) off Dayton Pike in Soddy-Daisy. https://bit.ly/3Qjdc0S  Please register with Joan Hartvigsen, 931-636-2914 or jhartvigs@comcast.net  Carpool cost $3.00.    

Saturday, January 6 — Hinch Mountain Section of the Cumberland Trail, 8 to 9 miles, out-and-back, moderately strenuous. Starting at Stinging Fork Falls trailhead, we will explore this new section of the Cumberland Trail that turns off Stinging Fork trail and heads north towards Hinch Mountain. We will cross Stinging Fork Creek and Little Soak Creek, descend a rock stairway, walk through a pine forest, and ascend the gorge. We will return by retracing our steps. Check the weather forecast and choose appropriate layers; wear hiking shoes or boots; bring food and water; and gather up hiking poles, rain jacket, and sunscreen as needed. We can probably get by without water shoes or micro spikes but keep an eye on the weather. Meet at Durham Street in Soddy-Daisy at 8:30 ET. Please register with Tammy Hendrick at 315-949-8187. Carpool cost $6.00.