Description:  Leave the urban environment behind and explore the wooded ravines of this large state park for spring wildflowers. We will concentrate our time hiking along the horse trail where we should see all three varieties of Viola sororia: var. sororia (common blue violet), var. albiflorus (white wood violet), and var. priceana (Confederate violet) among other common spring ephemerals. If time allows, we may go to another paved walking/biking trail that has a large population of the uncommon ocean-blue phacelia…

Description: Bonnaroo is not the first party to be held in Manchester. Some 2000 years ago Native Americans held ceremonial events in the 50-acre enclosure inside what is now the State Park. The enclosure is bounded by the Duck River on one side and the Little Duck River on the other, as both rivers cut their way down through the Highland Rim to the Central Basin, forming waterfall steps along the way. The far end of the enclosure is bounded…

The Friends of South Cumberland is pleased to announce plans for our 17th Trails & Trilliums on April 9-11, which will be an outdoors-only event, with masks and social distancing. The event will again be held on the grounds of the DuBose Conference Center in Monteagle, using their ample outdoor spaces. HIKES In place of "guided hikes" we will offer a great slate of hike choices on all three days, with a Trail Host posted at each trailhead to welcome…

Description:  Taylor Hollow is one of the premier spring wildflower locations in Tennessee and is always a treat to visit.  At this time, we should expect to see the rare Least Trillium (Trillium pusillum) and other more common spring ephemerals.  The day will be split with a visit to the adjacent Larkspur Conservancy, a nature preserve and green burial cemetery. Meeting Place:  155 Bear Carr Road in Red Boiling Springs, parking area between Taylor Hollow and Larkspur Conservancy, 10:00 am…

Description:  Winding Stairs is a City of Lafayette park which preserves a scenic area of steep rock faces, waterfalls, and large patches of wildflowers.  Trails are well-marked with self-guided signage. Meeting Place:  Parking lot at the park, 655 Nature Trail Way.  For those who would like to meet as a group, 10:00 am Central Time.  Since it is a self-guided trail you can go at any time. Difficulty:  Easy to moderate.  Lots of stairs to negotiate. Facilities:  At the parking…

Description: This is a joint outing for the 53rd Frozen Head Wildflower Pilgrimage with TNPS and TCWP. We will have an excellent opportunity to see spring wildflowers. The first mile is ideal for those with rather limited hiking capabilities; the trail is wide and flat. It is a loop with quick return to the parking area (Interpretive Trail). For those continuing the next 2 miles are steeper and rougher but still moderate (Judge Branch and S. Old Mac Trails). Meeting…

Dr. Larry Pounds is an expert on Tennessee’s rare and endangered plants. Currently he works as a freelance environmental consultant, mostly surveying project sites for plants on state or federal lists for protection. He lead a botanical survey of the Cumberland Trail with the Tennessee Native Plant Society, making lists of all plants along some stretches of the trail. The Cumberland Trail is projected to be about 300 miles long passing through beautiful wild country, which provides access to remote…

Description: We will caravan from the Exxon to the Lower Piney River Trailhead to start a shuttle leaving some cars there. We will then carpool to the Stinging Fork Falls Trailhead. From there we hike back to the Piney River Trailhead. This section of the Cumberland Trail was completed in the fall 2018. What spring flowers we will see is hard to predict. The route is definitely scenic. Total walking distance will be about 6 miles. The trail is up…