1. Head of the Crow / University of the South
Just up Interstate 24 is Monteagle, the busiest town on the mountain, with plenty of dining and lodging options. A few miles down the road is Sewanee, home of the nation’s most beautiful college campus, one of Tennessee’s newest state parks and two Michelin Guide restaurants.
Judith
Fine dining restaurant with space available for private events.
Monteagle Inn & Retreat Center
A charming bed & breakfast with 13 rooms, a cottage, and a conference room located conveniently in downtown Monteagle.
University of the South
History Awaits at the University of the South
Terralodge
Luxury domes and treehouses in a wooded setting
LUNCH
Farm-to-table restaurant with a rotating breakfast & lunch menu featuring local farmers & provisioners and a market for frozen meals, local meats, cheeses, craft beer, crafts & other gifts.
Music on the Mountain at The Smoke House Patio Grill
Features some of the best artists and songwriters from Nashville every Friday night from 6:30 to 9:30 and every Saturday night from 4:30 to 9:30. Also serving hot food and cold beer, with indoor and outdoor seating options.
Mountain Top Restaurant & Catering
Bringing innovative techniques and recipes from across the globe to create an exceptional culinary experience. Open Mon-Fri for lunch, Saturday for brunch and Thur-Sat for dinner.
Sherwood Loop and Pack Hollow Trails
This is an easy 2.9 mile loop trail at Head of the Crow State Park that includes the Sherwood Natural Bridge and several outstanding overlooks. The new Pack Hollow trail is a spur off the Sherwood Loop Trail. Access both of these adventures from the Pack Hollow Trailhead.
Buggytop Cave
This is a moderately difficult 4-mile roundtrip hike at Head of the Crow State Park takes you to one of the largest cave openings in Tennessee, and the only one from which water normally flows. There are two steep ascent/descent areas; one at each end of this trail. Access this adventure from the Lost Cove West Trailhead.
High Point Restaurant
Built inside a 1929 mansion that presumably once was financed by Al Capone, High Point serves a menu of traditional gourmet dishes including Brie en Croute, Blackened Salmon Oscar and Black Thai Duck.
Come for the Music.
Stay for the Adventure!
My bucket-list vacation:
One of my favorite bands playing underground... in an actual cave!
Great hiking with waterfalls and incredible bluff overlooks
Cool place to stay and great food
Check, check and check!
The Caverns is a world-renowned destination for live music, home of the PBS television series The Caverns Sessions. Revel in the prehistoric natural acoustics and otherworldly beauty of "Big Mouth Cave," a bucket list experience that keeps fans coming back to The Caverns time and again for “The Greatest Show Under Earth.”
Tennessee's South Cumberland is an unspoiled part of southern Appalachia, full of dramatic 1,000-foot sandstone cliffs with dozens of majestic waterfalls surrounded by lush forests. With 150 miles of hiking trails, you can choose any level of experience, from a quick and easy stroll to a multi-day back country experience.
How do I get started?
First choose your music...
With a wide spectrum of musical genres, you're bound to find an upcoming show that you'll love at The Caverns. If you don't already have tickets to a show, check out their upcoming schedule, then return here to plan the rest of your trip!
Then choose your adventure...
The Caverns are located in Pelham TN at the base of the mountain, with convenient drives up the mountain in several directions. Choose the option that best fits your vibe, OR stay longer and experience more!
2. Fiery Gizzard
If you prefer a winding, scenic route up the mountain, take the 20 minute drive up Clouse Hill Road to Tracy City, where you can experience one of the top rated hikes in the southeast, the area’s tallest waterfall and learn about the coal mining history of the area. Tracy City is also just 10 minutes from all that Monteagle has to offer.
Bigfoot Adventure Zipline & Disc Golf
Ziplining, disc golf and clay shooting
Foster Falls
In Fiery Gizzard State Park, 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.
Dutch Maid Bakery
The oldest family-owned bakery in Tennessee
Grundy Forest Loop/CCC Camp
In Fiery Gizzard State Park, you'll discover a moderate 3-mile trek with swimming holes, history, geology, giant hemlocks and cascading streams with an optional 1/3-mile walk through the site of a 1930s CCC camp. Access this adventure from the Fiery Gizzard North Trailhead.
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 State Park's North or South trailheads to begin this adventure!
Grundy County Historical Society Museum
The Definitive Historical Resource for the South Cumberland Region
Grundy Lakes & Lone Rock Coke Ovens
In Fiery Gizzard State Park, 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.
Hank's Corner Grille
Steaks, burgers, wings & pizza with a full bar
Retreat Vacations by Oakstone
This new luxury, tiny home mountain community offers over 50 vacation homes. Includes 1/2/3 bedrooms, fire pits, hiking trails, playground, biking, canoe/kayak rentals, hot tubs & gathering areas.
Goat Pen Hostel
Bunk rooms and private rooms with shared living space kitchenette and bathrooms
3. Savage Gulf
Or take a walk on the “wild side” of the South Cumberland, with a loop around highways 50, 56 and 108 through one or more of the small towns surrounding Savage Gulf State Park: Altamont, Beersheba Springs, Coalmont, Gruetli-Laager & Palmer. There you’ll find the mountain’s most spectacular overlook, bring your OHV for some off-road action or explore the history of Swiss immigrants.
The Getaway on Ranger Creek
Glamping & cabins in 18 acres of forest with hiking trails and a creek
Stinger's
Casual dining with daily and weekly specials in Coalmont
Small Town Junction BBQ
Southern barbecue, burgers and sandwiches in the heart of the South Cumberland
Tree Lofts
Luxurious modern loft cabins overlooking the bluff in Beersheba Springs
Beersheba Springs Historic District
A Self-Guided Tour of the Beersheba Springs Historic District
Stone Door Overlook
This is a relatively easy 2 mile out-and-back hike at Savage Gulf State Park with a spectacular overlook and steps that descend through a 150-foot crevice at the crest of the plateau. Access this adventure from the Savage Gulf North Trailhead.
Hwy 56 Coffee, Ice Cream & Creative Eats
Coffee, ice cream & creative eats with a changing menu of specialty items
Stoker-Stampfli Farm & Museum
Leaving Switzerland for a Better Life
The Falls at Sewanee Creek
Unique cabins and glamping options with private waterfall, trails & outdoor movie theater
South Cumberland Getaways
SCG is the fastest growing vacation rental management company in the region.
Greeter Falls
A moderate-to-challenging one-mile out-and-back trail In Savage Gulf State Park featuring a spiral staircase, taking you to Greeter Falls. Also check out the (easier) spur trail to the Blue Hole swimming area, as well as some smaller waterfalls and historic sites. Access this adventure from the Savage Gulf West Trailhead.
Beersheba Springs Market
Authentic rural market and convenience store
Coalmont OHV Park
New off-road park in Coalmont, offering over 1,700 acres of trails with varied wooded terrain for all vehicle types and skill levels.