South Cumberland State Park
South Cumberland State Park is located within three different Tennessee counties: Grundy, Franklin, and Marion. The park is composed of approximately 12,166 acres and has some of the best hiking and backcountry camping in the region. There are lots of areas to explore including Fiery Gizzard, Denny Cove and Grundy Lakes.
The South Cumberland State Park Visitor’s Center, located at on US 41 in Monteagle, offers interpretative exhibits and provides information on each component of the Park. The Visitor Center is a great place to have a picnic before beginning your adventure.
Also located just outside the visitor’s center are various recreation fields, including basketball, beach volleyball, tennis, bocce ball, and a multi-use field. Equipment can be checked out at no charge from the front desk. South Cumberland State Park has three picnic pavilions for larger parties that can be reserved online. There are also four other small picnic areas with grills located throughout the park.
Primitive car-camping is available at the Foster Falls Campground and backcountry camping is also a popular activity at South Cumberland. The primitive campsites at Foster Falls are drive-up while Father Adamz, Small Wild, Little Cove and Grundy Forest Hemlock Grove require hiking to reach. Reservations are required for all campsites at the park and can be made online at https://reserve.tnstateparks.com/south-cumberland/campsites.
Please consult the Park's trail map, below, and note distances before embarking on any hike!
Moderate
Black Canyon Cascade
One of the most picturesque sites in the Fiery Gizzard, Black Canyon is technically a cascade, not a waterfall, but still an amazing sight, as two creeks come together and are squeezed through a narrow rock opening. Access this adventure from the Fiery Gizzard North trailhead.
Difficult
Fiery Gizzard Trail, a 2-day Adventure
Ranked as one of the top 25 backpacking trails in the United States by Backpacker magazine, "The Gizz" features cascading streams, numerous waterfalls, panoramic overlooks, extremely rocky gorges, gentle slopes and lush woodlands. Use either the Fiery Gizzard North or Fiery Gizzard South trailheads to begin this adventure!
Moderately Difficult
Foster Falls
At the southern end of the Fiery GizzardTrail is Foster Falls, a 60-foot waterfall, the tallest in the parks, with a swimming hole at its base. There is an easy quarter-mile hike to observe the falls from above; and a much more strenuous two-mile hike (round trip) to clamber to the bottom of the falls on a rocky trail. Access this adventure from the Fiery Gizzard South Trailhead.
Easy
Lone Rock Coke Ovens
There's a recreational lake with swimming and picnicking facilities at the site of the historic Lone Rock Coke Ovens, where locally-mined coal was converted to coal coke by convict labor. An easy 2.3-mile hike encircles the lakes; some of it using a low-traffic paved road. Access this adventure from the Grundy Lakes Trailhead, which is also the parking area for the swimming and picnicking facilities.
Easy
Meadow Trail
This is a 1-mile easy, round trip walk through a meadow with storyboards from a children's book and a forest playground made of logs and ropes -- a great way to introduce the little ones to the joys of hiking! Access this adventure from the South Cumberland State Park Headquarters on US 41 in Monteagle.