Cumberland Mountain Segment
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CUMBERLAND TRAIL
Cumberland Mountain Segment |
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This 47-mile segment, with 13.5 miles currently open, will traverse the ridges of Cumberland Mountain from Cumberland Gap to Cove Lake State Park. Currently, there are 2.5 miles open south from Cumberland Gap. Also, the Eagle Bluff section of the trail is open from the Tank Springs Trailhead to Cove Lake State Park. This section of trail is approximately 11 miles in length and takes the hiker to breathtaking views at Devil's Racetrack and then across Bruce's Creek southward to the new Cove Lake Trailhead. Here the Cumberland Mountain Segment comes to an end and the Smoky Mountain Segment begins.
Note to trail users: The old Bibbee Lane (Suck Air) trailhead is now closed. The Devil's Racetrack can now be accessed from the Tank Springs or Cove Lake Trailheads.
Length: 11 miles one-way
This segment of the Cumberland Trail offers spectacular views of the Powell River Valley to the south and the Cumberland Mountain range to the north.
The northern trailhead is on Tennessee Avenue in La Follette (going north through La Follette, turn left at traffic light #7. Trailhead parking is on your left). There is a developed spring at the La Follette trailhead parking lot, Tank Springs. Many local residents avail themselves of this delicious water for home use. The trail starts on a dirt road following the railroad grade along Big Creek, and makes a left turn to pass under the railroad bridge. It then follows Ollis Creek for a short distance before turning left and switchbacking up to the crest.
The first mile of the climb offers beautiful, fragrant rhododendron in mid
to late June. Once on the crest, the trail follows the ridgeline. At mile
2.5 is a rock outcropping where it appears that the trail comes to an end.
There is a magnificent scenic view at this point. The trail continues down
through a crevice in the rock outcropping. A trail shelter and camping area is
located at mile 2.78. At mile 2.86 the trail crosses a wet-weather stream and then continues to follow it with a vertical rock wall on the right. Be on
the lookout for Window Rock, an opening in this sheer rock wall on your right.
The trail continues on the crest for another 5.6 miles to an awesome overlook at Devil's Racetrack. Just before you reach the overlook, the trail makes its descent and continues on the northern side of the mountain through a series of switchbacks to Bruce's Creek. From there, the trail continues along the challenging I75 corridor to the new Cove Lake trailhead at Cove Lake State Park.
The southern trailhead, Cove Lake Trailhead, serves as the terminus for the Cumberland Mountain Segment and the beginning of the Smoky Mountain Segment as the trail continues north and west across Cove Creek to Cross Mountain.
Rating: difficult.
Beginning at the historic Iron Furnace Works in the quaint town of Cumberland
Gap, the trail ascends steeply 600' to the intersection with the Tri-State Marker
Trail (TSM). Turn left onto the TSM. A side trail will branch off to the right
that takes the hiker up to a Civil War lookout. The TSM pavilion marks the spot
where Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia meet. The CT begins at the TSM and is
blazed with 2" X 6" white blazes. The trail passes through another Civil War
earthworks site and rises and falls with the curves of the ridgeline for two
miles out to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park boundary. Scenic views
abound, split eastward into Tennessee and Virginia, and westward into Tennessee
and Kentucky.
Directions to the Tank Springs Trailhead in Lafollette (north trailhead):
Traveling from Cove Lake State Park to Lafollette, turn left at traffic light #7 onto Tennessee Avenue.
The Cumberland Trail Tank Springs Trailhead parking lot will be .5 miles on the left
before crossing the Big Creek bridge.
Directions to the CMS Southern Trailhead Access (south trailhead):
The Cumberland Mountain and Smoky Mtn. Segment Trailhead facility is
located on Bruce CreekRoad on the backside of Cove Lake State Park in
Caryville, TN. To reach the trailhead, take I-75 north to Caryville,
exit 134, turn left after exiting, and wrap around til you pass a
Shoney's. Continue .5 miles to the intersection of Bruce Gap Road
(Butter and Egg). Turn right, pass under I-75 and cross over the Cove
Creek Bridge to the parking lot. Pick up the trail at the backside of
the paved lot, and quickly face a delimma of going right onto the
Cumberland Mountain Segment or left onto the Smoky Mountain Segment.
Turn right.
We Thank You For Your Efforts:
The Eagle Bluff unit of the Cumberland Mountain Segment has been
adopted and is maintained by Eagle Scout Troop 622 of LaFollette, TN. since 1997.
Led by the efforts of Phil Carr and Jeffery Riggs, Eagle Scout Masters, the troop
is also exploring revitalization of an additional seven miles
from Woodson's Gap south to Big Creek Gap, a distance of 7 miles.
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