South Cumberland State Park is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in the middle and

southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

portions of

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

on the

Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms "Alle ...

. The park is one of Tennessee's newer state parks, established in 1978. It is a collection of nine discrete tracts scattered across Franklin, Marion, Grundy and Sequatchie counties, totaling approximately 30,899 acres (as of 2020). Twelve trailheads provide hiking access to most sections of the park, which protects a series of unique ecosystems on the escarpments and in the ravines of the Southern Cumberland Plateau. There are over a dozen large waterfalls in the park, the tallest of which is Foster Falls, in Marion County. The Grundy Lakes unit includes industrial archaeological remains of the coal mines and coke production facilities of the

Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company (1852–1952), also known as TCI and the Tennessee Company, was a major American steel manufacturer with interests in coal mining, coal and iron ore mining and railroad operations. Originally based en ...

, as well as a stockade prison it operated that provided convict labor for those facilities.

Areas

Savage Gulf State Natural Area (13280673355)

Distinct areas contained within the park include: * Savage Gulf State Natural Area * Fiery Gizzard Trail * Grundy Forest State Natural Area * Grundy Lakes * Denny Cove * Carter State Natural Area (Lost Cove Buggytop"Cave) * Foster Falls * Sewanee Natural Bridge State Natural Area * Hawkins Cove State Natural Area * Sherwood Forest Savage Gulf State Natural Area has been named as a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

. Crossing in and out of the park's various sections, the

Fiery Gizzard Trail The Fiery Gizzard Trail runs from Tracy City, Tennessee to Foster Falls in Marion County, Tennessee. It is renowned for its beauty and diversity, cited by ''Backpacker'' magazine as one of the top 25 hiking trails in the United States. The t ...

is renowned for its beauty and diversity.

Camping

Camping may be done at the park's Foster Falls Campground, which includes 26 tent/pop-up camper sites and 93 backcountry campsites throughout the park.

External links

South Cumberland State ParkTennessee Natural Areas - Savage GulfTennessee Natural Areas - Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lee Carter Natural AreaTennessee Natural Areas - Grundy ForestTennessee Natural Areas - Hawkins CoveFriends of South Cumberland State Park

References

State parks of Tennessee Protected areas of Grundy County, Tennessee Protected areas of Sequatchie County, Tennessee Protected areas of Franklin County, Tennessee National Natural Landmarks in Tennessee Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company {{Tennessee-protected-area-stub

Areas

Camping

See also

External links

References