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April 2020
Frozen Head Wildflower Walk
CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS 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 Trial). For those continuing the next 2 miles are steeper and rougher but still moderate (Judge Branch and S.…
Find out more »Rock Island State Park, Warren/White Counties
CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS. Rock Island State Park is located in the Eastern Highland Rim on the Caney Fork River in Middle Tennessee. The town of Rock Island was a thriving community in pioneer days and a major stop on the Kentucky to Alabama road. The Great Falls Cotton Mill operated there from 1892 to 1902 and the main building is still standing high above the river. The hike will begin at the overlook of Twin Falls. We will…
Find out more »Trails and Trilliums
CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS The Trails & Trilliums festival attracts hundreds of hikers, wildflower enthusiasts and families who come to the Cumberland Plateau during peak wildflower season. This 3-day festival raises funds to support the initiatives of the Friends of South Cumberland (FSC), working in support of South Cumberland State Park. https://www.trailsandtrilliums.org/ Where: Dubose Conference Center in Monteagle, Tennessee
Find out more »Stinging Fork Falls to Piney River
CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS 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 fall 2018. What spring flowers we will see is hard to predict. The route is definitely scenic. Alternatives: People are welcome to head back early to…
Find out more »Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage
CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage is an annual event in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park featuring professionally-guided walks to explore the region’s rich natural and cultural resources. Programs included fungi, ferns, wildflowers, trees and shrubs, medicinal plants, and more. Directions and details: www.wildflowerpilgrimage.org. Where: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN
Find out more »May 2020
Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival
CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Festival is an annual event held at Cedars of Lebanon State Park at the Cedar Forest Lodge (from the main entrance take the fork in the road to the right to the first building on the right). Lectures, hikes, roundtable discussions and more. Details and directions: www.mtsu.edu/glade-center. Where: Cedars of Lebanon State Park
Find out more »Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness, Sparta
We will explore the Chestnut Mountain and Polly Branch Trails where we hope to see large stands of pink lady’s slipper (Cypripedium acaule) and mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), and if we’re lucky, we might be able to catch the end of the bloom season for other spring ephemerals such as dwarf ginseng (Panax trifolium). A few woody perennials may be in bloom, too, including Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia macrophylla) and nine-bark (Physocarpus opulifolius). Difficulty: ~4 miles with some steep sections Contact/Leader:…
Find out more »June 2020
Couchville Coneflowers at Sunset
The Tennessee Coneflower was the first federally listed plant species in Tennessee to be removed from the Endangered Species List. The population at this State Natural Area is one of the reasons that goal was achieved. We will see a lot of them and other glade and barrens species as we watch the sun get lower in the sky on one of the longest days of the year. Some of the views along the trail can be spectacular so bring…
Find out more »July 2020
Thomas Divide to Kanati Fork
We will hike Thomas Divide trail and then go down the mountain on the Kanati Fork Trail. We will see a variety of plants and look for some rare plants. This will be about 5 miles with about 3 miles downhill. Leaders: Allen and Susan Sweetser Phone/email: ssretiree@yahoo.com 865-938-7627 Meet: Newfound Gap at 10am Eastern. Car shuttle is required. Bring: Lunch, water and bug spray. Facilities: at Newfound Gap.
Find out more »August 2020
A Morning in the Barrens at Flat Rock
Numerous composites will be flowering at this time of year and some of them are rare or uncommon. Grasses will also be putting on a show as we wind our way through the barrens before the worst of the heat arrives in the middle of the day. Globally rare plants can be found on this natural area and we will see a few and discuss the ongoing management that benefits them. Bring your insect repellent as we will occasionally leave…
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