View Full Version : Planning an Overnighter in the Nashville/Hermitage, TN Area
I will be in the Nashville area for Christmas, more specifically, Hermitage and want to do an overnighter in the area. I searched and found the following TN State Parks:
· Radnor Lake SP – no camping stated and looks to be a day use type park. From what I have read, looks to have some good day hiking.
· Bledshoe Creek SP – looks to be car camping only with some day hiking trails.
· Long Hunter SP – Brochure states a six mile hike to two different primitive sites.
So, from what I have initially found, Long Hunter SP seems to be what I am looking for. Can anyone pass on any experiences they have had at Long Hunter’s trail and backcountry area?
Also, what else is within a 20-30 mile radius of Hermitage that is worth experiencing?
I’d love to be able to drive over to the Smokey’s since I’d already be just over half way there from the MS Gulf Coast. But, GSM is still a 3-3 ½ hour drive from Hermitage.
Any and all information and suggestions are welcomed!
SMSP
Tennessee Viking
12-03-2010, 20:55
You might want to check with Rain Man. He is a native of Nashville. But the best hiking trails I know of around Nashville are Big South Fork, Fall Creek Falls, Cumberland Trail, and Fiery Gizzard.
When I lived in Nashville, I only visited Cedars of Lebanon State Park.
I don't remember a lot of hiking trails in the state parks around Nashville.
Let me start with I'm from Nashville/Mt Juliet but haven't lived there in about 10 years. I have been to long hunter numerous times but the only trail I've done is the one around the lake. Nice easy walk, deer abound just feet off the trail. Frankly, I didn't even know about the longer trail there!
I second TN Viking with Fall Creek Falls and Big South Fork for less crowded hiking , especially if you're wanting to overnight.
Cabin Fever
12-03-2010, 22:47
From Hermitage, it's not all that far to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky if you are willing to drive a little. It would still be closer than Big South Fork or Fall Creek Falls.
Rain Man
12-03-2010, 23:15
Radnor Lake is often called a "state park," but it is not. It is a "State Natural Area" and is very restricted. You can't even picnic there or take dogs on the trails.
Long Hunter State Park is close to Nashville, and does have a couple of primitive campsites, but I've never been to them. It's on Percy Priest Lake. There's also Montgomery Bell State Park, which may be just inside your 30-mile limit, and some love it (I haven't been in a long time).
Others have mentioned Mammoth Cave NP, Big South Fork NRRA, and the Fiery Gizzard. I'd add the Savage Gulf, which has some fine backcountry trails and camping. Percy Cooper Wildlife Management Area has a very nice figure-8 pair of loops, close to Chattanooga. All are more than your 30-mile preference.
Shoot me an email with phone number if you'd like to discuss privately.
Rain Man
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Montgomery Bell State Park – 50 miles, @ 1 hour
Mammoth Cave in KY – 94 miles out, 1.5 hour drive
Fall Creek Falls – 115 miles, @ 2 hours
Big South Fork NRRA – 150 plus, 3 hour plus
Cumberland Trail – so close to GSM, I’d go just a bit further to GSM
Fiery Gizzard – 100 miles, @ 2 hours
Savage Gulf – 121 miles, 2.5 hours
Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area – 128 miles, 2 plus hours
GSM: Abrams Creek Campground - @200 miles, @ 3.5 hours
Lots of options I didn’t find, thanks for the responses.
Out of those that would be realistic with family time and the holidays would be Montgomery Bell State Park (MBSP) and Mammoth Cave (MC) in KY.
Both offer a loop option for a good overnighter. MC offers a lot more with lots of trails and the cave tours. I wouldn’t have time to backpack an overnighter and do a cave tour. MC’s trails are mostly shared with horses, correct? Does this make for unfavorable conditions for backpackers?
An overnight loop in MC consisting of Sal Hallow Trail to the Sal Hollow Backcountry Campsite (as in Campsite for a TENT?, or a SHELTER?), then back via Bluffs Trail and Buffalo Trail looks like a good option. And the bonus of adding another National Park to “visited” list.
MC is about 94 miles from where I will be visiting in the Nashville Area.
Doing the loop at MBSP has their Backcountry Shelters arranged nicely (as far as distance intervals) for the different adventurers level of skill. The added bonus here is that I have never visited a TN State Park. MBSP is about 50 miles from where I’ll be visiting in the Nashville Area.
Decisions, decisions. Also, this will likely be a solo trip. Anybody interested in a post-Christmas overnighter?
Long Hunter State Park is also an option as well, but not as appealing as the others.
SMSP
freemarie
12-05-2010, 00:57
Montgomery Bell and Fall Creek make great family trips.
Savage Gulf is beautiful and has great trails. Fiery Gizzard is similar to Savage Gulf. I may recommend Fall Creek overall.
You can't go wrong with Tennessee state parks!
Rain Man
12-05-2010, 12:36
Cumberland Trail – so close to GSM, I’d go just a bit further to GSM
Hmmmm.... I suppose if you drove to the most distant portions, that might be true, but there are portions MUCH closer than the GSMNP.
MC’s trails are mostly shared with horses, correct? Does this make for unfavorable conditions for backpackers?
Definitely true for those portions that horses are allowed on, but they are not allowed on all trails there. Hopefully, Bearpaw will speak up. He has done a lot of hiking at Mammoth Cave and all over middle Tennessee and files reports (with photos) here and on HammockForums.net.
If you choose Montgomery Bell, call ahead and check on the rules for backcountry camping. I know Neo told me they have special rules.
I'll be out of state visiting family for Christmas, but you might check into Nashville Backpackers Meetup group possibly to find someone for company.
Rain:sunMan
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Reagrding Mammoth Cave National Park (MCNP):
Looks like all or most of the non-horse trails are day hiking only with the exception of Sal Hollow TL. It appears that MCNP is a dominant horse user park. I’m gonna pass on MCNP for now. Will consider it when I can take my wife & daughter & then can enjoy a cave tour with some day hiking or something along those lines.
________________________________
I found the following while searching Whitblaze from Bearpaw:
Mammoth Cave Info.:
From Bearpaw on Whiteblaze: “Actually there are NO bike trails south of the Green River. There are a total of 11.9 miles of trail in the area, 10 of them starting from the main visitor center area. None of these trails allow for backcountry camping, horses or mountain bikes.
North of the river, horses are allowed everywhere except Sal Hollow Trail. Sal Hollow is bike trail and maintained exclusively by a mountain bike club out of Nashville. It is the best single track trail in the park. Bicycles are also allowed on Buffalo Trail and Turnhole Bend Trail south of Buffalo Trail. This is a total of 11.9 miles of trail. Of the 60+ miles of backcountry trail, horses are allowed on all but the 7.1 miles of Sal Hollow Trail. Now horses will have full access to all trails and bicycles none.
There is a new mountain bike trail planned east of Green River Ferry Road where only 2.5 miles of trail (White Oak Trail) currently exists. But that new trail is only planned not a reality. Put simply, unless you're a horsepacking outfitter, making a profit from rides in the park, the situation sucks.”
______________________________
TN Info:
1) Radnor Lake State Natural Area. (just off of I-65, exit 74 or 78) About 10 miles of good trails around the lake. Half low right around it, two that climb about 330 each.
2) The Warner Parks. (Southwest side of town in the Belle Meade are) About 10 1/2 miles with LOTS of PUDS, not a lot of great views, but GREAT prep for Georgia. Broken into Edwin and Percy Warner Parks, but can be connected with the 1-mile candy cane connector trail.
3) Long Hunter State Park. (Southeast side of town and part in Rutherford County, about 5 miles off of I-24 exit 62) LOTS of trails, maybe about 13 miles total, but none connectable. The best bet is the Volunteer Trail, 6 miles one way following the edge of Percy Priest Lake. Or the 4-mile Day Loop Trail, which swings off of it. VERY little elevation on any of Long Hunter's trails.
4) A bit further away in Cheatham County, but very nice is Montgomery Bell State Park. It offers 13 miles of trail in a large figure 8 with moderate elevation gain.
I called Long Hunter SP and got the following:
Is this a Shelter? NO. You will need a tent/shelter.
How far in advance can one reserve backcountry campsite? No reservations taken, 1st come/1st served Fee? None
Permit? Yes; P/U permit at ofc or after hours at kiosk.
No Shelters. No bears.
Max 8-10 people for both sites
Water – Filter from the Lake
Trail – In/Out. Part of the trail is on the day loop, then one turns onto the backcountry portion.
I called Montgomery Bell SP and got the following:
Fee? None.
Permit: Ofc or phone
Reservations: as far as u want. Must call in advance, no on the spot kiosk
A shelter hold around 7 people. Once a shelter is reserved, no on else can stay even if there is room. For ex., as soloing, I would have a shelter all to my self. That would kinda suck b/c part of the experience is meeting other folks and what not.
No bears, but raccoons & coyotes.
SMSP
Rain Man
12-06-2010, 21:10
Did you ever say the dates you're going to be in the area?
Rain Man
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Did you ever say the dates you're going to be in the area?
Rain Man
.
I'll be traveling in on the 23rd and likely heading home on the 29th.
I'm looking at backpacking either on 26th-27th (Sun/Mon), or 27th-28th (Mon/Tues).
After weighing out all the pros/cons, Long Hunter is actually looking pretty good.
SMSP
Rain Man
12-07-2010, 10:43
I'm looking at backpacking either on 26th-27th (Sun/Mon), or 27th-28th (Mon/Tues).
As things stand now, my family (wife and daughters) are making our holiday travel plans, so I can't say for sure when I'll be in town and when out of town. But I suspect I'll be unavailable for your Sun/Mon option, but might be available for your Mon/Tue option. Stay in touch if you like and if things work out, I might be able to join you if you'd like company. I've never done Long Hunter and would like to.
Rain:sunMan
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I'll be traveling in on the 23rd and likely heading home on the 29th.
I'm looking at backpacking either on 26th-27th (Sun/Mon), or 27th-28th (Mon/Tues).
After weighing out all the pros/cons, Long Hunter is actually looking pretty good.
SMSP
I have camped at Long Hunter before and the sites by the lake are ok. The water sucks though. No matter what you do it still taste/smells like lake water.
There are some nice views of the lake as you make the hike to the campsite.
Just curious if anyone has mentioned the Virgin Falls area.?
Virgin Falls http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/VirginFalls_0000.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott's_Gulf where the falls are located
There are other trails to hike there. This may help it is a PDF of the area
[PDF]
Bridgestone Firestone Centennial Wilderness Trail Map ... (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CB8QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sparta-chamber.net%2Fdownload_start.asp%3Fdownload_id%3D3&ei=20v-TLjTH4LGlQfUyOTLCA&usg=AFQjCNFTh7pLlta-cIyYwMVEm9RsQ913Gg&sig2=dL_8NUHi0uosD-uCyuAcXQ) linkscanner://safe.gif/ (javascript:void(0))
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:V1zrLMRNjp8J:www.sparta-chamber.net/download_start.asp%3Fdownload_id%3D3+polly's+branc h+falls+trail&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us)
Chestnut Mtn Ranch Trail. Yellow Bluff Trail. Rivers and Streams. County ...
www.sparta-chamber.net/download_start.asp?download_id=3
I have camped at Long Hunter before and the sites by the lake are ok. The water sucks though. No matter what you do it still taste/smells like lake water.
There are some nice views of the lake as you make the hike to the campsite.
Just curious if anyone has mentioned the Virgin Falls area.?
Interesting. Being that the campsites are designated and such, I wonder why the SP doesnt establish a hand pump well of sorts?
That would be nice.
Filtering water in South MS is also interesting. The water is so full of tannin that after filtering, the water still has a light brown haze to it. But it's safe. Is this the case witht he water in the Lake?
SMSP
As things stand now, my family (wife and daughters) are making our holiday travel plans, so I can't say for sure when I'll be in town and when out of town. But I suspect I'll be unavailable for your Sun/Mon option, but might be available for your Mon/Tue option. Stay in touch if you like and if things work out, I might be able to join you if you'd like company. I've never done Long Hunter and would like to.
Rain:sunMan
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Yeah, I am flexible with the days. Mon/Tue would be good. My wife would feel better if I wasnt soloing. But I'm going either way. I am not the fastest hiker, I tend to enjoy the experience by "stopping & smelling the roses" per say. It sounds like the terrain is comparable to South MS, maybe a little bit more rolling hills. Having a hiking partner for this trip is cool. I did a similar thing in GSM in 10/2009 with an individual from another discussion board and it worked out great. I'll continue to touch base with you as the time nears.
SMSP
Rain Man
12-07-2010, 18:55
Yeah, I am flexible with the days. Mon/Tue would be good. ... I'll continue to touch base with you as the time nears.
Sounds good.
Rain Man
.
Filtering water in South MS is also interesting. The water is so full of tannin that after filtering, the water still has a light brown haze to it. But it's safe. Is this the case witht he water in the Lake?
SMSP
pretty much the same. I have even used flavored drinks to try and mask the water taste...doesn't work :(
Trailbender
12-09-2010, 12:47
I will be in the Nashville area for Christmas, more specifically, Hermitage and want to do an overnighter in the area. I searched and found the following TN State Parks:
· Radnor Lake SP – no camping stated and looks to be a day use type park. From what I have read, looks to have some good day hiking.
· Bledshoe Creek SP – looks to be car camping only with some day hiking trails.
· Long Hunter SP – Brochure states a six mile hike to two different primitive sites.
So, from what I have initially found, Long Hunter SP seems to be what I am looking for. Can anyone pass on any experiences they have had at Long Hunter’s trail and backcountry area?
Also, what else is within a 20-30 mile radius of Hermitage that is worth experiencing?
I’d love to be able to drive over to the Smokey’s since I’d already be just over half way there from the MS Gulf Coast. But, GSM is still a 3-3 ½ hour drive from Hermitage.
Any and all information and suggestions are welcomed!
SMSP
I have done the Long Hunter trail a lot. It is called the volunteer trail, and the hiking isn't bad. Past the day loop section, the trail is a bit neglected. I haven't been out there in a while, but it is only a couple exits from where I live now.
The weather forecast for Mon/Tues not looking good at the moment, but that could change between now and then. The weather forecast will most definitely dictacte which 2 days I end up going. I want to enjoy the cold weather, but being cold and wet is not appealling.
My options are still Sun/Mon or Mon/Tues.
SMSP
Rain Man
12-16-2010, 16:04
The weather forecast for Mon/Tues not looking good at the moment.... My options are still Sun/Mon or Mon/Tues.
With my travel plans, I'm a doubtful to join you. But if you'll post final plans (or call me), I'll try to confirm at the time.
Rain:sunMan
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My options just expanded.
Sun/Mon, Mon/Tues, Tues Wed, weather dependent (ideally).
Gathered up what gear I am going to use for this overnighter and loaded up the pack. I may post a list for critique if I get the time.
SMSP
Ok I posted this once and it didn't show up. Let's try again.
I've hiked Long Hunter SP, the volunteer trail a few times and I was disgusted with it every time. The trail is littered with garbage. The lake rises and deposits its crap as it recedes. The campsites are rocky. I wouldn't recommend this flat trail to any serious hiker.
What I do recommend is taking the extra time and going to either Big South Fork, Virgin Falls or Savage Gulf.
I've overnighted a couple of times at BSF and enjoyed it every time. Nice campsites at 'Jake's Place'. Be sure to include the Twin Arches trail in your hike. Largest natural arches this side of the Mississippi. Nice views from atop the arches. This hike is my favorite, just beautiful!!
Virgin Falls is a 4 mile hike in. You'll pass a couple of other falls on the way. Virgin Falls comes out of a cave, over a cliff, and into a sinkhole. Nice campsites nearby.
Savage Gulf has the Stone Door Trail that goes along a gorge, passing a waterfall. You climb out of the gorge and follow the Rim trail back to your car. At the top of the climb out are nice campsites with an outhouse. Nice views along the Rim trail.
Hope this helps and posts.. LOL
Here's a pic of Rainman at the start of Stone Door trail
http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=87087
Rain Man
12-18-2010, 17:50
I've hiked Long Hunter SP, the volunteer trail a few times and I was disgusted with it every time. The trail is littered with garbage. The lake rises and deposits its crap as it recedes. The campsites are rocky. I wouldn't recommend this flat trail to any serious hiker.
Ahhhh... thanks for this info. If I lead my hike there in February as planned, maybe I'll add "trail cleanup" to the description! I'd still like to see the trail. Might ask "Friends of Long Hunter" about the need for clean up.
Here's a pic of Rain Man at the start of the Great Stone Door trail.
Ahhhh... what a handsome devil! LOL
Rain:sunMan
.
Ahhhh... thanks for this info. If I lead my hike there in February as planned, maybe I'll add "trail cleanup" to the description! I'd still like to see the trail. Might ask "Friends of Long Hunter" about the need for clean up.
I took some students there one year to clean up to earn points towards their honor society membership. We filled up many garbage bags. The ranger station gives you orange ones. You fill them up then leave them somewhere near the shore. They pick them up in boats.
What a shame about the trash.
Thanks for the information. I'm set for Long Hunter SP. I'll have additional visits to the Nashivlle area and will visit the other areas at some point.
I plan to write up a trip report and will make mention of the trash either way. If it turns out to be trashy, then I'll say I've been there, done that as well. Hiking along the shoreline is appealing.
SMSP
Let me know what day you go and I may be able to join you. I really wanted to plan a trip to the Roan Mountain area between Christmas and New Years but that fell thru. Send me a pm and I will give you my contact numbers.
Rain Man - PM sent with contact info. in case things work out for you to goi.
Karo - same. Also, as mentioned above....Possible days are:
Sun/Mon, Mon/Tues, Tues Wed, weather dependent (ideally).
SMSP
Rain Man
12-19-2010, 17:58
Rain Man - PM sent with contact info. in case things work out for you to go.
Sent you a reply and email.
Rain Man
.
Plans are still good to go!If the weather cooperates, Mon/Tues is the targeted days.Also, a possibility of a buddy of mine in Nashville going as well.SMSP
Trailbender
12-22-2010, 16:17
What are the dates? I live a couple exits down from Long Hunter, and have made some changes in my winter gear equipment. It would be nice to do an overnighter and get out with some hikers again.
Rain Man
12-22-2010, 17:00
What are the dates?
If you'd like to do other local (and some AT) hikes, you might like to check out Nashville Backpackers on Meetup.com. Here's the link:
Nashville Backpackers Meetup (http://www.meetup.com/backpackers-166/)
Just FYI.
Rain Man
.
What are the dates? I live a couple exits down from Long Hunter, and have made some changes in my winter gear equipment. It would be nice to do an overnighter and get out with some hikers again.
The possible 2-day dates are:
Sun-26/Mon-27
Mon-27/Tues-28
Tues-28/Wed-29
If the weather cooperates, Mon-27/Tues-28 are my target days.
Right now, Mon/Tues is looking good according to accuweather.com
I do not minid and want to backpack in the cold, but want to avoid cold & rain if possible. It would be awesome to have cold & snow!
I hope all, if not, then some get to join me.
SMSP
Looks like possible folks possibly going:
Me, plus a local buddy
Rain Man
Karo, plus a friend
Trailbender
I'll keep in touch,
SMSP
Rain Man
12-22-2010, 19:42
Looks like possible folks possibly going:
Me, plus a local buddy
Rain Man
Karo, plus a friend
Trailbender
I'm most likely out of the picture, due to it being the same day I'm driving home from South Carolina.
Rain Man
.
Trailbender
12-22-2010, 22:12
The possible 2-day dates are:
Sun-26/Mon-27
Mon-27/Tues-28
Tues-28/Wed-29
If the weather cooperates, Mon-27/Tues-28 are my target days.
Right now, Mon/Tues is looking good according to accuweather.com
I do not minid and want to backpack in the cold, but want to avoid cold & rain if possible. It would be awesome to have cold & snow!
I hope all, if not, then some get to join me.
SMSP
Monday and Tuesday sound good, what time Monday should we meet? You have to go to the office and fill out a form and leave a copy with them, we could meet at the office parking lot.
Alright, with next week fast approaching, the holidays upon us, making plans with family and with the awesome weather forecast.........
Mon-27/Tues-28 it will be.
Trailbender - PM sent with my contact info. Meeting at the park office makes sense as you stated.
Timeframe - sometime between 8a-10a. I'd like to be on the trail no later than 11a.
I'm flexible. This doesnt appear to be difficult hike, so making good time to the campsite shouldnt be difficult. Like I mentioned earlier, "I like to stop and smell the roses". I'm in no rush, but want to get to the campsite area with plenty of time to set-up camp, enjoy the surroundings and what not.
SMSP
I am out due to some kind of sinus bug. It sucks being sick at Christmas. I hope ya'll have a great trip and Merry Christmas.
I am out due to some kind of sinus bug. It sucks being sick at Christmas. I hope ya'll have a great trip and Merry Christmas.
Sorry to hear that, get well.
And, it's snowing good in Hermitage.
SMSP
Here's a sample for now, I'll post a post-trip report when I get time.
SMSP
Rain Man
12-29-2010, 11:55
Here's a sample for now, I'll post a post-trip report when I get time.
Great photos ... and helpful to see what it's like there. THANKS!
Rain:sunMan
.
This overnight backpack/hike was done in Long Hunter State Park (LHSP) in Hermitage, TN. The hike in was on Monday, 12/27/2010, and the hike out was on Tuesday, 12/28/2010. Out of the folks that indicated an interest in joining me on this overnighter, it ended up with me and Trailbender. It was cool to hike with someone that has thru-hiked the AT. The temperature on Monday morning was around 33’ and the ground was still covered with snow. The trail itself wasn’t covered in snow, so this made for cool effect of a line snaking through the woods. For someone from South MS, it was cold. A picturesque hike it was! The route for the hike IN included the longer portion of the Day Loop Trail and then on to the Volunteer Trail to Campsite #1, which made for about a 7 plus mile hike in. There are two campsites at the end of the Volunteer Trail, which included Campsite #1 and Campsite #2 (for group camping). The hike OUT included the Volunteer Trail and the shorter version of the Day Loop Trail, which made for a 5.8 mile hike out (although LHSP claims it’s a 5.5 mile hike). This was a nice combination which allowed the completion of two trails on one trip within LHSP. Overall, LHSP was and is a nice offering IMO. My home trails are relatively flat and these trails offered more rolling hills, rocks and limestone boulders. I knew I was no longer in Kansas per say when I saw the large limestone slabs and boulders. I can understand that folks that hike a lot in the mountains and such would consider these trails relatively flat. But for me, it was an experience that offered more than a local trail in South MS, but not quite as much as the trails in the Smokey’s. The views of the lake were great, especially around the boulder field. I did not get to mark as much points of interest on the GPS as I had wanted to. The only points of interest I marked were Campsite #1 and the intersection of the Day Loop Trail and the Volunteer Trail that has a nice resting area and information board.
Prior to this overnighter, a couple of things I was wanting to confirm and/or know was the amount if trash on the trail and how close was Campsite #1 to the edge of the lake. There was not a lot of trash on the Day Loop Trail. At the intersection of the Day Loop Trail and the Volunteer Trail at the resting area at the information board were a couple of boxes. These boxes appeared to be storage for trail maps, but were full of trash such soda, energy drink cans and a Pringles can. Obviously, someone was lazy and inconsiderate. Once we got on the Volunteer Trail, there was a little more trash along the trail, but not a show stealer. Along the lake at one point, there were several large orange bags full of trash. Likely, there was a clean-up project done recently. I can see how trash gets washed up along the shore of the lake. Speaking of the lake, the water level appeared to low as the lake bottom was exposed about a good 100 feet or so from the actual water edge to the ground edge (if that makes sense). So to filter water, one had to walk from regular ground across a field of limestone slabs and such to access the water edge. Campsite #1 was a 100 feet or so from the water’s edge. I believe this made for an actual colder night than the actual temperature was stated. I do not have a good thermometer. I have one of those cheap thingys with the little compass that is very difficult to read. I also used the Weather Channel Blackberry Application, which indicated the lowest temperature at 19’ on Tuesday morning around 5-6AM. I also have been getting weather updates via email from Accuweather.com, which forecasted on Monday afternoon of a low of 16’ that night. So, the temperature was likely around 12’-20’ going into Monday night and Tuesday morning. All I know, it was COLD! But, it was manageable. Campsite #1 was nice. It had a fire ring made from limestone rock. Some grateful person left a large aluminum pot hanging on the tree where the sign was mounted. This pot became useful for water filtering as the water level at the edge of the lake was very shallow. The water edge on Tuesday morning was actually frozen about 100 feet out towards the lake. I tossed a fist sized rock onto to the ice and it just skipped across. I then used a football size rock and it broke through the ice. I used my hiking pole and punched a small hole closer to the edge for filtering. Dealing with a frozen lake edge was a unique experience for me, but was manageable. Campsite #1 was not very flat being next to the lake’s edge and finding a suitable spot for my tent was a little time consuming. And then, even with minimal decline, I thought it would be okay. I positioned my tent in a way that my head would be on the higher end of the small slope. I discovered that a sleeping beg shell (inside & out) made of polyester and sleeping in polyester made clothing makes one slide down in their bag. I had to reposition myself several times throughout the night from this sliding effect.
What would make an even better day hike for the Day Loop Trail would be once one reaches the intersection of the Day Loop Trail and the Volunteer Trail, would be to continue on the Volunteer Trail to the boulders that have some elevation that offer a spectacular view of the lake. I’m thinking one could hike to this boulder overlook, have lunch and/or snack, then hike back on the Volunteer Trail and then continue on the other portion of the Day Loop Trail. This was would make for about a 5-6 mile hike versus just the 4 mile of the Day Loop Trail itself. Well, LHSP was beautiful and challenging for someone from South MS. I am glad I got to experience this offering. In fact, I would consider this quite a jewel for the Nashville area.
SMSP
Rain Man
12-29-2010, 22:00
Great report. I appreciate it and look forward to leading an over-nighter there planned for February.
My family and I got home from our Christmas trip around 6:30 on Monday night.
Rain:sunMan
.
The campsite area would be a great place to hammock. There are plenty of trees to choose from. If one is into fishing, then what a great place to throw a line. Camping here in the warm/hot months of the year, would make great for a dip in the lake. How about the boating/camping possibilities?
SMSP
only time I have been there to camp is in the summer. How did the filtered water taste? Sure hope it tasted good. I know the summer lake water sucks
only time I have been there to camp is in the summer. How did the filtered water taste? Sure hope it tasted good. I know the summer lake water sucks
The lake water tasted fine to me. Perhaps, the time of year and temps had something to do it? Dont know.
Does the park allow one to boat to this campsite and camp? I didnt see any rules that said otherwise. Of course, there's the island and/or islands one can boat to and camp from what I understand.
SMSP