Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
Big South Fork - Angel Falls Overlook The "falls" is actually a dangerous set of rapids in the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. The falls are not visible in this picture. Hikers can hear the rushing water from this vantage point. This is not a good hike for small children, the high cliffs have no protective railings. Angel Falls Overlook is my husband's favorite destination in the area.
Many of the sandstone cliffs on the Cumberland Plateau have interesting weathering patterns! These look like petrified honeycombs. Look for many types of insects, spiders, and bird nests in these holes.
Many people arrive at Charit Creek Lodge by horseback. Big South Fork is a magnet for trail riders!
Homecooked meals are included in the price of a night at the Charit Creek Lodge. The tasty meals are served family-style in the dining hall.
Charlie crosses a couple of plank bridges on the trail.
A sign of Redneck Recreation! There are many old homesteads located down in the valley near No Business Creek. This old pink stove was used as a target.
Odd patterns in the sandstone below Maude's Crack.
Tootsie waits for Charlie and me on the bridge over No Business Creek.
Some moss-covered steps on the John Muir Trail. Be careful walking on damp, leaf covered rocks! They can be really slick!
Blueberries are a tasty summer treat along the trails at Big South Fork! These 2 blue ones were gone after I took this photo! Yum! Just be 100% sure what of you are eating if you nibble anything in the woods!
If you visit Big South Fork in June, you might be lucky enough to spot a beautiful Mountain Camillia. I found this one near the Leatherwood Ford parking area.
South Arch
Angel Falls Overlook as seen from the river below.
The Cumberland Plateau has many interesting cliffs and rockhouses like this one.
The bathhouse at Charit Creek lodge has lovely gardens.
This is one of the bunkrooms at Charit Creek Lodge. There's not a lot of privacy, so it's probably not the best choice for a honeymoon! ;)There is no electricity in the lodge, so kerosene lamps provide light at night. The heat source is the woodburning stove. There are also cabins available at the lodge.
There are bands of Conglomerate rock in the sandstone cliffs of Big South Fork. Millions of years ago this area was the beach of an ocean.
The steep 1.2 mile side trail hike was worth the spectacular view from the top of the John Muir Overlook. I would love to see this in the fall! The flat, light green area in the lower part of the valley is an old farm site. There is a cemetary in the woods behind it. We didn't have time to check it out though, it was getting late and we didn't want to hike out by flashlight. The problem with hiking in December is the short daylight time.
It is a short, paved walk to the lovely East Rim Overlook. It is a great introduction to the park, so be sure and make the short drive off the main road to enjoy this view.
I'm not sure how No Business Creek got its name but I would imagine that long ago strangers weren't very welcome in the valley. "If you ain't from here, you ain't got no business bein' here!" The trails at Big South Fork are fairly well marked.
These steep, narrow steps at Twin Arches are not for the faint of heart or legs! This was taken from the top of the North Arch and we are descending to go under the arches. There are lots of steps and ladders in this area of the park! Some of the ladders are so steep they even have wire cages over them.
The look back at Maude's Crack from the lower trail.
is located along a short, easy hiking trail on the western boundary of Big South Fork.
are one of the major landmarks of the park. These huge sandstone and conglomerate arches are next to each other in a large rock wall. This is not a good hike for families with small children. There are no barriers at the top of the arches which could result in a 100 foot fall! There are lots of very steep steps to climb too. So, unless you can carry a child on your back, it would be wise to skip this trail.
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
is located partially in Scott and Fentress counties in TN and partially in Kentucky. The southern part of the park is accessible through Oneida, TN by I-75. It is a great park for hiking, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. There are many wildflowers in the park. map... This bridge is on the 3-mile Angel Falls Overlook trail.
This cat enjoyed a nice nap on the porch of Charit Creek Lodge. This photo is available for sale on the Printroom.com link.
Charit Creek Lodge is a short walk from a beautiful creek which can be enjoyed from the back porch.
is the destination past the Twin Arches. Like the Mt. Leconte lodge in the Smokies, it is run by a concessionaire for the National Park Service. The only way to reach the lodge is to hike in or ride a horse.
My friend Debbie is getting ready to climb down from the top of one of the Twin Arches. Big South Fork is famous for the 2 spectacular, huge sandstone natural arches.
One of the John Muir signs along his namesake trail.
My friend, Charlie, called on an unseasonably warm day in mid-December 2006 asking if I wanted to hike to Maude's Crack and then to The John Muir Overlook. The crazy name Maude's Crack has interested me for a long time, so I had to check it out! That point at the left edge of the cliff on the opposite side of the ridge is the John Muir Overlook. That is our destination! map...
Unlike most national parks, Big South Fork is open to many different types of recreation. This trail sign indicates the area is open to off-road vehicles, horseback riding, horse or mule drawn wagons, and hiking. Many trails in the park are open to mountain biking too. One of the major types of recreation in the park is canoeing, kayaking and rafting on the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River.
Big South Fork has many rockhouses along the ridges. This would be a good place to ride out a summer thunderstorm.
Charlie negotiates Maude's Crack. It was not as difficult to walk through as I thought it would be!
at Big South Fork is one of the Twin Arches.
Some areas of the John Muir Trail are very muddy and damaged by horses. They aren't called "2000-pound cookie cutters" for nothing! Big South Fork is a popular area for trail riders.
This huge boulder on the edge of the Angel Falls Trail has unusual holes in it.
If you love animals, you'll really like Charit Creek Lodge! The dog belonged to the lodge caretaker.
The long, spacious front porch of the Charit Creek lodge is a nice place to prop up your feet after the hike in!
Fortunately the creek water level was very low, there is no bridge at this crossing!
Sometimes you have to look very closely for the trailblazes! This faded sign along the John Muir Trail was hard to see on the tree.
"Come on, Charlie, hurry up! I'm ready to go to the top!" Charlie's dog, Tootsie, took a detour around the side, she didn't climb the ladder!
You'll be out of breath after walking up these steps! This part of the trail takes you out of the area below the Twin Arches. See what I mean about not taking small children on this trail!?
2.5 miles more to go to our destination!
A moss-covered rockwall along No Business Creek.
We're going down that?!! This is the opening from the top to Maude's Crack, a large opening in the sandstone cliffside. I don't know who "Maude" was, but I'm not sure she would have appreciated having this as her legacy! :)
is located just 1/2-mile from Needle Arch.