Planned summer activities for the Tennessee Trails Association Plateau Chapter

After a busy spring of weekly hiking, the organized 4-part Lecture Series, weekend hiking trips to Charit Creek Lodge and Natchez Trace State Park, the Plateau Chapter has transitioned to its summer program.

While the chapter will still conduct weekly local hikes on the Cumberland Plateau, the chapter will begin its summer tours to historic locations interleaved with Greenway Walks around portions of the Greenway being built by the Friend-of-the-trails around Crossville. The planned tour and Greenway Walks schedule:

History Tours

July 16 – Fort Loudoun State Historic Park – Vonore, Tennessee –Tour departs from the Central Baptist Church in Crossville at 8 a.m.

August 20 – Werner War Museum – Monteagle, Tennessee –Tour departs from the Central Baptist Church in Crossville at 8 a.m.

Greenway Walks

July 30 - Woodlawn Loop Trail (1.2-mile) and optional Obed River Trail (1.8-mile) in Crossville. 9 a.m. start at the trailhead. 3-mile groomed trails total. Directions – Woodlawn Road to Wyatt Court. Proceed to the end of the paved road then continue to the trailhead parking area.

August 13 – Obed River Park - 1.5-mile paved trail – 9 a.m. start from trail head parking. Directions: Head out of Crossville on Route 70N, West Avenue, after 1.5 miles from the Kroger’s Plaza, turn right into the Obed River Park. Proceed 0.25 miles to the gravel parking lot at the end of the road.

The final activity to close out the summer will the chapter’s planned trip to Washington State to hike in the Mount Rainer National Park and the Mount Saint Helens Volcanic National Monument. The chapter plans a weeklong trip to one or more of our National Parks each year. Last year we hiked in the Grand Canyon, Arches, and Canyon Land National Parks. This trip will be from August 20 through August 27 with 13-chapter members participating. The hiking itinerary will be flexible, generally dictated by weather and visibility, to take advantage of best views and hiking conditions. The mountains create their own weather, so weather is very unpredictable. We expect cloud coverage – but are hoping for clear blue skies with glorious views of Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens and the surrounding Cascade Mountain range. Most of the hiking will be in Mt. Rainier National Park due its closer proximity to the lodging, its views, and its better maintained trails. Trails in Mt. Rainier are generally well marked and easy to follow. Most trails can accommodate “choose your pace”, by choosing how far to go. Most hikes on this trip will be on the eastern side of the mountain, the “sunnier side”. Access to Mt. St. Helens for hiking will be from the Windy Ridge side East Entrance.

Like many hiking groups, the Plateau Chapter plans a busy summer schedule with a mixture of hiking and touring, whether locally or out of state. We look forward to reporting our adventures and always invite others to join us. To find out the schedule of our planned activities throughout the months, go to https://tennesseetrails.org/chapters/plateau-chapter/.