Tennessee Celebrates National Trails Day June 5

 

NASHVILLE – Tennesseans are encouraged to participate in several activities at Tennessee State Parks and Natural Areas in celebration of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 5.

   

The Tennessee celebration coincides with the American Hiking Society’s annual National Trails Day, which began in 1993 and is the largest single-day trails and outdoor celebration in the country. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to get outside and participate in events at local, state and national parks, forests and other public lands from coast to coast. 

 

Governor Phil Bredesen has proclaimed June 5 as Tennessee Trails Day. In addition, the Department of Environment and Conservation’s Resource Management Division’s State Natural Areas and several Tennessee State Parks are offering special activities including interpretative hikes, trail repair and trailblazing. 

 

“Tennessee’s greenways and trails provide benefits enjoyed by Tennesseans and visitors to our state alike,” said Bredesen. “National Trails Day gives us an opportunity to honor the commitment of those who provide countless volunteer hours to create and maintain the trails we enjoy every day.”

 

 

Program descriptions and contact information for National Trails Day events in Tennessee involving Tennessee State Parks and Natural Areas include:

 

Frozen Head State Park – Join park staff for both an interpretative hike and trail work during Frozen Head’s Volunteer Trail Day. For more information, please contact the park at (423) 346-3318. 

 

Hampton Creek Cove Natural Area – Join leaders Judy Murray (Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy), Bob Hardin (Overmountain Victory Trail Association) and Lisa Huff (Tennessee Natural Areas) for a trail maintenance day at Hampton Creek Cove Natural Area. 

 

Groups will be divided in two efforts – one will finish some earlier maintenance on the Shell Hollow Trail, with some minor digging with fire rakes and mattocks along with some installation of water bars and permanent trail blazes. The other group will hike about two miles up to the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (Cove Ridge Segment), where trail tools will be cached for their use. They will pick up their tools and head down trail to dig out sloughed portions of the upslope side of the trail tread. When finished they will hike down with the tools. The level of difficulty is moderate, but the hike up the OVNHT is relatively steep and strenuous. 

 

The views from the highlands are spectacular, so this is a great outing opportunity. The birding is good throughout the cove and participants should expect to hear and see lots of birds, including the rare golden-winged warbler. This will be a casual hike through cedar glades and barrens, with a focus on clearing the invasive plants. As an extra treat, participants will be hiking during a prime flowering period, with much to see.

 

Participants are asked to meet in the Hampton Cove parking area promptly at 9:30 a.m. Reservations are required. Please contact Judy Murray at roanwoman@aol.com by June 1. For more information including description, directions and a map of Hampton Creek Cove, please visit www.tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/hampton/. 

Flat Rock Cedar Glade and Barrens State Natural Area –Tennessee Natural Areas Program’s Brian Bowen will lead a day hike through Flat Rock Cedar Glade and Barrens State Natural Area near Murfreesboro. Additional activities on this three-mile trail will include pulling invasive plants from the area, including Ox-Eyed Daisy and Queen Ann’s Lace – which are easy to pull and scattered along the trail. 

 

This will be a casual hike through the cedar glade and barrens, with a focus on clearing the invasive plants. As an extra treat, participants will be hiking during a prime flowering period, with much to see. For more information including description, directions and a map of Flat Rock Cedar Glade and Barrens go to: www.tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/flatrock/.

 

Participants are asked to meet in the Target parking lot off of Bell Road and I-24 (near Hickory Hollow) in Nashville at 9 a.m. Participants also can meet at the Flat Rock parking area on Factory Road east of Murfreesboro at 9:45 a.m. Reservations are required. Please contact Brian Bowen at (615) 532-0436 or Brian.Bowen@tn.gov by June 3. 

 

Short Springs State Natural Area – Join Stewardship Ecologist Forrest Evans for trail maintenance at Short Springs Natural Area. A small creek currently goes across the trail and participants will build a series of steppingstones to keep hikers out of the creek and wet area. Other trail work will be optional. The event is sponsored by the Tennessee Natural Areas program, Friends of Short Springs and the Tennessee Trails Association. 

 

Participants should meet at the Short Springs parking area at 10 a.m. Volunteers are welcome to leave at noon. All tools will be provided. In the event of heavy rain, the effort will be canceled. From Tullahoma take Short Springs Road to the water tower and park in the gravel parking lot. For more information, visit http://tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/shortsprings. 

 

Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park –Join park rangers and staff for a rewarding morning of trail work, along with a guided hike on Bunkum Cave Trail at Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park in Byrdstown. Participants are asked to meet at the trailhead at 9 a.m. and tools will be provided. For more information about the hike, please call (931) 864-3247.

 

Carroll Cabin Barrens State Natural Area –Join West Tennessee Stewardship Ecologist Allan J. Trently for trail rerouting at Carroll Cabin Barrens State Natural Area.  Currently, a small section of the trail currently goes through a seep in a barren. To keep hikers away from this wet area and deter damage to the barren due to foot traffic, participants will assist in building a short re-route around the seep and the barren. Since barrens are treeless, it will be important to wear a hat and sunscreen and bring plenty of water. Volunteers are welcome to leave at noon, but are encouraged to stay if the re-route is not finished by lunch. All tools will be provided. 

 

Participants are asked to meet in the Carroll Cabin Barrens parking area at 9:30 a.m. Reservations are required. Please contact Allan Trently at (731) 512-1369 or Allan.Trently@tn.gov by June 3. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be canceled. For more information including description, directions and a map of Carroll Cabin Barrens, please visit the Web site at www.tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/carrollcabin/.

 

 

Natchez Trace State Park – Join State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath for a work day and hike at Natchez Trace State Park’s Red Leaves Trail. The Red Leaves Trail is one of many lightly used trails that benefit from more traffic and better tread definition. Participants are asked to meet in the Visitor Center parking lot at 10 a.m. For more information call Randy at (615) 418-5787.

Tennessee's 53 state parks offer diverse natural, recreational and cultural experiences for individuals, families or business and professional groups. State park features range from pristine natural areas to 18-hole championship golf courses. For a free brochure about Tennessee State Parks, call toll free at 1-888-867-2757. For additional information, visit our Web site at www.tnstateparks.com.

 

Tennessee also has 80 designated State Natural Areas throughout the state, covering approximately 116,000 acres of ecologically significant lands. More information about Tennessee’s Natural Areas Program, including a complete list of all natural areas and scheduled field trips, can be found at www.tn.gov/environment/na/. 

 

Since 1993, the American Hiking Society has set aside the first Saturday in June as National Trails Day, bringing together outdoor enthusiasts to participate in educational exhibits, trail dedications, gear demonstrations, instructional workshops and trail projects. It also provides an opportunity to recognize the many volunteers, land managing agencies and outdoor-minded businesses for their support in developing and maintaining trails.

 

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