• Cumberland Trails Conference Overlook

The Cumberland Trails Conference

Trailbuilders for the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park

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What is the Cumberland Trails Conference?

The mission of the Cumberland Trails Conference is to provide paid and volunteer labor, equipment, supplies and vehicles to design and construct the Cumberland Trail under the auspices of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

The continued development and construction of the Cumberland Trail is accomplished through a working relationship between the Cumberland Trails Conference (CTC), the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Park, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.  The CTC, private corporations, foundations, individuals, and others assist TDEC in raising funds for land acquisition, providing maintenance, and further developing the Cumberland Trail.

The Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail State Park operates a professional trail crew mostly in the north sections.

The Cumberland Trails Conference also maintains a professional trail crew that works twelve months a year.  Additional labor comes from thousands of hours of volunteer service provided through the CTC, including through the CTC BreakAway, a college Alternative Spring Break program.

CTC is a non-profit 501-(c)(3) membership organization.

What is the Cumberland Trail?

The Cumberland Trail is an extensive foot trail constructed and maintained largely by volunteers from Tennessee and across the nation. The Trail is managed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

Building the Cumberland Trail is a grassroots effort, driven by communities along the trail, government agencies, and a broad network of volunteers. This successful private/public partnership is a model often cited to demonstrate the power of volunteerism and public/private partnerships.

When completed, the Cumberland Trail will extend more than 300 miles from its northern terminus in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Kentucky to its southern terminus at the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park located on Signal Mountain just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Cumberland Trail Segments

The scenic footpath follows a line of high ridges and deep gorges along or near the rugged, eastern edge of Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau. The trail offers a unique wilderness experience and many scenic views, waterfalls, landscapes, gorges, wildlife, and widely varying flora. As a remote, back-country trail, it meanders through eleven Tennessee counties, on lands managed by Tennessee’s Departments of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), and Tennessee Forestry.

There are more than 50 trail heads for the 12 Segments and 28 Sections of the 210 open miles on the Cumberland Trail.

Below the map are links to these 12 segments with their trail sections.  Click on the  links to get maps to sections of each segment.

Report Trail Conditions

Please report adverse trail conditions to the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail State Park
headquarters at: 423-566-2229 or send an email to cumberland.trail@tn.gov

Volunteers Needed

1868.5

Volunteer hours so far in 2023

https://www.cumberlandtrail.org/trail-segments/north-chickamauga-creek-segment/

North Chick Creek
Volunteer Event

June 16th & 17th @ 8:30 am – Noon EDT

Meet at: North Chick Creek Trailhead off Montlake Road.

Read more here
Contact savana@cumberlandtrail.org with questions.

News

Responsible Stewardship logo

Partnering with Responsible Stewardship

Cumberland Trails Conference is proud to partner with the non-profit Responsible Stewardship. They are an action-based 100% volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in East Tennessee. Responsible Stewardship is dedicated to making…
Building trail with CTC

February 2023 News

,
End-of-Year Giving -- Our trail crew is funded in part by donations from supporters like you. Donations no matter how big or small help fund this cause. Your donations go directly to new trail construction, purchasing necessary trail equipment, trail education, and our monthly volunteer events. All donations are tax-deductible.
Tennessee Trails Association
Savana Keeton

Cumberland Trails Conference names new executive director

The Cumberland Trails Conference has named Savana Keeton as its executive director. She will lead the CTC in its mission to complete the 300-mile-long Cumberland Trail, which when complete will have over 45 miles of hiking trail in Hamilton…
trail in winter

January 2023 News

,
End-of-Year Giving -- Our trail crew is funded in part by donations from supporters like you. Donations no matter how big or small help fund this cause. Your donations go directly to new trail construction, purchasing necessary trail equipment, trail education, and our monthly volunteer events. All donations are tax-deductible.
Cumberland Trails Flowers Art Auction

Wildflowers & Wonders Art Auction

,
Wildflowers & Wonders is an evening to celebrate CTC’s work building, maintaining, and educating folks up and down the Cumberland Trail corridor. Art will be available for auction which will benefit CTC and funding efforts in the construction of the Cumberland Trail. We are excited to see everyone at this inaugural event and look forward to growing it each year!
A view from the Cumberland Trail

December 2022 News

,
End-of-Year Giving -- Our trail crew is funded in part by donations from supporters like you. Donations no matter how big or small help fund this cause. Your donations go directly to new trail construction, purchasing necessary trail equipment, trail education, and our monthly volunteer events. All donations are tax-deductible.
Tennessee Trails Association

Tennessee Trails Association supports the Cumberland Trails Conference through Evan Means Grant.

Cumberland Trails Conference would like to thank the Tennessee Trails Association for its financial support through the Evan Means Grant. This grant was used to purchase tools for our volunteer events for 2022. Here is a link to the TTA…
Nov 22 newsletter

November 2022 News

,
End-of-Year Giving -- Our trail crew is funded in part by donations from supporters like you. Donations no matter how big or small help fund this cause. Your donations go directly to new trail construction, purchasing necessary trail equipment, trail education, and our monthly volunteer events. All donations are tax-deductible.
Bobs Trails Trees and Gardens

Big Fun at November Volunteer Trailbuilding Event

Our November Volunteer Event was a huge success! Over the course of two days 17 volunteers pulled 865 feet of duff. We are grateful for volunteers who come out and sacrifice their time all in the name of completing the Cumberland Trail. Thanks…
Rhea County trail

Rhea County awards CTC $10,000 for trailwork in Rhea County

On November 15th, the Rhea County Commission voted to allocate $10,000 to the Cumberland Trails Conference to help finish the Rhea County portion of the Cumberland Trail. We are so grateful to receive these funds and are excited about building…

Volunteer Spotlight – Dustin Davis

When Dustin isn’t volunteering with the CTC he works as a Registered Respiratory Therapist in the Crossville area. He is an avid meditator and ordained Buddhist minister which has resulted in lots of time on silent retreat in nature.
https://www.cumberlandtrail.org/trail-segments/north-chickamauga-creek-segment/

Volunteer Trail Building Day – June 16th & 17th

Come help build new trail on the Upper Piney River Segment!! This is guaranteed to be one of the most beautiful segments of the Cumberland Trail when completed. When: April 8th -9th @ 8:30am ET Where: Upper Piney River Segmen
May 12 -13 CTC 2023 Volunteer event

Volunteer Trail Building Day – May 12th & 13th

Come help build new trail on the Upper Piney River Segment!! This is guaranteed to be one of the most beautiful segments of the Cumberland Trail when completed. When: April 8th -9th @ 8:30am ET Where: Upper Piney River Segmen
April 2023 Trailbuilding

Volunteer Trail Building Day – April 14th & 15th

Come help build new trail on the Upper Piney River Segment!! This is guaranteed to be one of the most beautiful segments of the Cumberland Trail when completed. When: April 8th -9th @ 8:30am ET Where: Upper Piney River Segmen
Trailbuilding with the Cumberland Trails Conference

Volunteer Trail Building Day – March 17th & 18th

Come help build new trail on the Upper Piney River Segment!! This is guaranteed to be one of the most beautiful segments of the Cumberland Trail when completed. When: April 8th -9th @ 8:30am ET Where: Upper Piney River Segmen
Cumberland Trails Flowers Art Auction

Wildflowers & Wonders Art Auction

,
Wildflowers & Wonders is an evening to celebrate CTC’s work building, maintaining, and educating folks up and down the Cumberland Trail corridor. Art will be available for auction which will benefit CTC and funding efforts in the construction of the Cumberland Trail. We are excited to see everyone at this inaugural event and look forward to growing it each year!
Trailbuilding - February 2023

Volunteer Trail Building Day – February 17th & 18th

Come help build new trail on the Upper Piney River Segment!! This is guaranteed to be one of the most beautiful segments of the Cumberland Trail when completed. When: April 8th -9th @ 8:30am ET Where: Upper Piney River Segmen
volunteer trail building CTC Jan 2023

Volunteer Trail Building Day – January 20th & 21st

Come help build new trail on the Upper Piney River Segment!! This is guaranteed to be one of the most beautiful segments of the Cumberland Trail when completed. When: April 8th -9th @ 8:30am ET Where: Upper Piney River Segmen
Possum Creek Trail Maintenance Nov 2022

Possum Creek Trail Maintenance – Saturday November 5th

Come help build new trail on the Upper Piney River Segment!! This is guaranteed to be one of the most beautiful segments of the Cumberland Trail when completed. When: April 8th -9th @ 8:30am ET Where: Upper Piney River Segmen
Volunteer Trailbuilding Cumberland Trail Nov 2022

Volunteer Trail Building Day – November 18th & 19th

Come help build new trail on the Upper Piney River Segment!! This is guaranteed to be one of the most beautiful segments of the Cumberland Trail when completed. When: April 8th -9th @ 8:30am ET Where: Upper Piney River Segmen