Cumberland Trail
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TTA/CTC's Guide to the
Cumberland Trail |
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Experience Tennessee hiking and backpacking at its best! The Cumberland Trail (CT),
a Tennessee State Scenic Hiking Trail, became Tennessee's 53rd state park in 1998. The Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park will contain a core corridor of 300-plus miles of trail beginning in the Cumberland Gap National Park (Ky) and stretching south to Chickamauga Chattanooga National Military Park and Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area just outside Chattanooga. In addition to providing multiple recreational opportunities, this protected greenway will act as a buffer to protect water quality and provide natural habitat for animals.
Designed as a sustainable single file backcountry-hiking trail, part of the Great Eastern Trail, the CT's environmentally conscious footprint on the land provides the hiker with numerous picturesque waterfalls, scenic overlooks, and a wilderness experience rare in the eastern US. Due to its location in more remote areas of the Appalachians, the Great Eastern Trail will provide hikers with a more primitive backcountry experience, an alternative to the relatively crowded Appalachian Trail. The CT allows hikers access to areas preserved for their natural or scenic beauty that cannot be otherwise accessed. The very remote scenic trail follows follows numerous sparsely populated ridge lines where the trail designers have strategically routed the trail to spectacular overlooks and scarce drinking water sources. The very rugged and very scenic trail dips into remote and spectacular gorges where hikers enjoy scenic waterfalls and beautiful swimming holes.
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SITE NAVIGATION
Maps and Trail Descriptions:
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The long distance hiker will appreciate that the designers have designed the route with water supply and scenic landforms and vistas in mind. Backcountry campsites are strategically placed, and the trail is routed near and through several populated urban areas to accommodate the backpacker's resupply needs. For section hikers or day hikers, stragically located paved trailheads and road crossings make for an easy drive for a walk in the woods or an extended backpacking trip.
Still a work-in-progress, the Cumberland Trail will pass through 11 Tennessee counties and numerous communities on the eastern escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau. In addition to providing quality outdoor experiences and supporting tourism, the CT brings opportunities for conservation education and the protection of natural and cultural resources. Tennessee's hiking trails are a prime attraction to the most visited parks and provide numerous opportunities for environmental and cultural education. The CT brings watershed and viewshed protection, greenway corridors, and wildlife conservation to this rich ecological region. Located in an economically challenged region; the Cumberland Trail will provide both recreation and viable renewable economic opportunities to the communities of the Cumberland Plateau.
As a non-profit Associate Organization organized under
Tennessee Trails Association (TTA), the Cumberland Trail Conference (CTC) seeks to encourage the development of the Cumberland Trail to meet the recreational needs of park visitors and area residents. TTA/CTC assists in protecting, preserving and promoting the Cumberland Trail, and assists with organizing volunteers and supporters to help build, maintain, and provide activities on the Cumberland Trail. This includes trail maintenance and building outings, trail-building training sessions, providing environmental and cultural education, and organizing periodic hikes on the CT.
The TTA/CTC places a high priority on interlacing earth and conservation education within the trailbuilding program format, and in a learning format that provides an enjoyable and rewarding experience for the students and volunteers.All TTA/CTC programs, backpack and maintenance outings, hikes, and workdays are volunteer activities and are open to the public. TTA/CTC provides the required training, safety equipment, and tools. Except for a few special programs, there is no charge.
TTA/CTC is principally a volunteer organization, focusing on trail building and trail maintenance. Volunteers are the life-blood of the Cumberland Trail. We could not construct and maintain the trail without the help of these dedicated individuals. Trail-building volunteers enjoy the teamwork and social aspects of trail construction. They enjoy meeting new people who share the same enthusiam for healthy physical activity and the outdoors. They enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from hiking back to camp or the trailhead at the end of the day along trail that they have just constructed.
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TTA Benefits We have an arrangement with amazon.com where TTA receives a commission on all items purchased (such as books, magazines, music, electronics, even perfume.......anything purchased through the amazon.com website!!!!) when you enter their site through our website. It is very easy! Go to the Tennessee Trails Association (TTA) website, navigate to the "To Buy!" page, then follow the link to the "virtual bookstore." Commissions are earned solely on sales made through the TTA website, therefore always enter amazon.com from the TTA website, and do not sign up for their oneclick service. |
Volunteers with the TTA/CTC have given tens of thousands of hours and constructed over 50% of the trail to date. Current trailbuilding efforts are focusing in the remote ridges of the Smoky Mountain Segment in the Sundquist Wildlife Management Area. Please check the ACTIVITIES PAGE on this website to see how you can join us. Watch this website for current information on open and under-construction segments, future trail work days, and how you can help make the CT happen.
For the latest news and blogs on the status of Cumberland Trail rock mining, see TTA/CTC Rock Mining News.
Please follow this Rock Mining Alert and Action Plan Link to read about how unregulated rock mining coorporations are able to do this in Tennessee. Also read about how you can help by contacting your Tennessee State representative and senator. |
Tennessee Trails Association
P.O. Box 41446
Nashville, TN 37204-1446
1-888-HIKE-TTA (1-888-445-3882)
The Multipro Network of Cookeville, TN is providing this website to the TTA/CTC. After generosly providing our website to us for over three years, Multipro generously increased their contribution by hosting this site, our new domain name, at no charge in 2000. This website, donated by Multipro, is property of TTA/CTC. Since its inception, this website was created and is maintained at no cost or expense to TTA/CTC or the State of Tennessee by unpaid volunteers and donors.
Multipro's Cookeville personnel have been especially supportive and we appreciate their continued generosity and support. The efforts and contributions of community and private supporters are helping to bring the vision of the Cumberland Trail closer to completion.
