Cumberland Trail

[Quik]

Anyone here hiked any of the sections of the Cumberland Trail in TN? If so what section and what did you think?

I just started looking online at the CTC website for info, it seems the trail is rather chopped up with sections in the planning stage or under construction.

I'm mainly interested in the section between LaFollette south to Wartburg as of now this seems to be the longest complete section.

www.cumberlandtrail.org

[Time Zone]

I've been doing sections of the CT for years, and yes, it's not yet complete. There have been a few folks who have thru-hiked it by adding roadwalks, presumably. It's helpful to remember that the AT was once like this.

Overall, I love the fact that it's practically in my backyard. It's a white-blazed trail with occasionally fantastic vistas and great waterfalls, it's not overcrowded (sometimes you're the only one on a section), and so forth.

On the downside, it's not so easy to dayhike a section sometimes. First, there's the obvious need for shuttling most sections (hike with a partner and bring 2 cars); there are a couple loop sections at the southern end, but it's my understanding they're only temporarily part of the trail while they wait to acquire land and build out trail. Next, since the trail gets far less foot traffic than the AT, and maintenance isn't exactly richly funded (what is?), there are sections that get overgrown, sometimes to the point that the trail disappears. Blowdowns in some sections don't get cleared for awhile, and some of those trees may have been ones with blazes, making progress slow and uncertain.

Furthermore, the trail goes through some wildlife management areas (WMAs) where camping is not allowed, wearing blaze orange is required. One particularly tough stretch is Obed, where you have 12-14 miles of overgrowth, no discernible trail, too few blazes, many blowdowns, no camping allowed, few water sources, and no overnight parking at the southern end. You simply must get it done during daylight hours, and that's not easy at 1 mph. You can't afford, time-wise, to get lost there for long, yet it's hard to avoid.

Lastly, there are some long stretches where you simply cannot drink the water, filtered or not, because of mining run-off. So you may have to haul a lot of water at times. Even when there is filter-able water, you might want to haul much of your own, unless you really like metallic-tasting water.

All that said, I have enjoyed the challenge most of the time. Don't get me wrong - some sections do get a lot of foot traffic and are popular ... Signal Mtn to Edwards Point, or Laurel Snow, for example. I have 3 long sections left, and little bits here and there (Graysville Mtn is a bit tricky, right now it goes about 9 miles then dead ends, so that's a pretty long - and sometimes slow - in and out).

Since you're in GA, I'd recommend you come up and start with the two southern loops, Pot Point and Mullens Cove. They're the closest to you, about 10-12 mi each, and you don't need to shuttle them. Do not miss Ransom Hollow Overlook, a blue blaze off of Pot Point Loop. Outdoor Chattanooga leads some CT dayhikes too, so check them out.

https://outdoorchattanooga.com/programs/cumberland-trail-hiking-series/

[Quik]

Time Zone- thanks for the info, I should have mentioned that I'm no interested in day hikes.

I'm mainly interested in the section between LaFollette south to Wartburg as of now this seems to be the longest complete section. Shuttles won't be a problem.

[Time Zone]

I'm mainly interested in the section between LaFollette south to Wartburg as of now this seems to be the longest complete section. Shuttles won't be a problem.
That stretch includes at least one area where you should not even filter the water.

Eagle Bluff, which AFIAK is the northernmost completed AND mapped section, has near its northern terminus a spot where municipally-filtered water flows out of some water pipes. People from town come here all day long to fill up jerry cans full of the filtered water. That led me to infer certain things about the quality of well water in the area, and by extension, the quality of water flowing on the surface. And Eagle Bluff isn't even one of the sections where you're not supposed to even try to filter the water. In other words, supposedly the water is OK there, if you filter it. I suspect the municipal filters are a bit more involved than say a Sawyer Squeeze or mini.

I think you encounter the "don't even try to drink this water, even filtered" stretch at Anderson & Cross Mountains, the next section south. There may be more, I forget.

Of the part you describe, I've only done Lawson Mtn and Eagle Bluff. Eagle Bluff is amazing in so many ways ... for instance, there's a stretch of the trail follows a relatively narrow spine of rock, at one point well above the forest floor. You just can't believe the trail goes there, but it does. Lawson Mtn - what I recall of that is a pack of wild boar near the northern end. Luckily they scattered upon my approach. But there were a dozen or more.

One tip I'd advise, you may already know this trick, but when you are in an area with sparse blazing, and you're not sure you're still on the trail, look behind you periodically ... you often see a blaze going the other way, giving you assurance that you indeed are still on the trail.

[Rain Man]

Anyone here hiked any of the sections of the Cumberland Trail in TN? If so what section and what did you think?

I've backpacked and/or day hiked it all. Happy to answer questions if you want, but will have to pull out my maps and notes. Looks as if you've gotten good advice so far.

I will say this, I led a hike on the CT through a WMA and had read somewhere online "no camping," but called the rangers and they allowed us to camp after we spoke, on promise to follow LNT practices. I'm a big believer in "going straight to the horse's mouth" and also asking as "the worst that can happen is they'll say 'no'."

If I can help further, just give a shout via post or email.

[Time Zone]

I will say this, I led a hike on the CT through a WMA and had read somewhere online "no camping," but called the rangers and they allowed us to camp after we spoke, on promise to follow LNT practices. I'm a big believer in "going straight to the horse's mouth" and also asking as "the worst that can happen is they'll say 'no'."

I also heard one such horse's mouth acknowledge the reality of the situation in some of these areas, without explicitly condoning it. But I'd try to avoid doing so in hunting season, esp. if anything is hunted early in the AM (turkey?). You might be out for your morning constitutional after your coffee has done its work, perhaps forget your blaze orange, and, well, watch out for lead poisoning.