Adventures in post-transplantation fitness: Backpacking Report: Cumberland Mountain State Park

My daughter and I headed to Crossville, TN this weekend for her very first overnight backpacking trip ever! I picked this park for its relatively short mileage and level terrain. Although mostly taking my daughter into consideration when making this decision, I, too, was appreciative for the easy hiking, as it has been nearly two years since I last donned a backpack.

As always, I had read everything I could about the trail from some of my favorite middle Tennessee hiking bloggers. So I wasn't surprised when, upon checking in at the park office, we were informed there were some trees down on the Overnight Trail and that we might have to go off trail to get around some of them. Upon leaving the nice lady at the desk, we sat down at a picnic table between the office and the RV dump station to eat our roast beef sandwiches before heading out on the Byrd Creek Trail.

Five minutes into the hike

Starting down the trail I heard things like, "This weight isn't that bad," and "This feels good." Although I was certain she could indeed handle this, I had to remind her that we had just begun; it wasn't time to proclaim victory just yet. Twenty-five minutes later, it was time for our first break.

Thirty minutes into the hike

Byrd Creek delivered us to the Overnight Trail, which is a six-mile loop trail touring the northern half of the park. There's nothing in this section of the park except the trail and the designated backcountry camp site. The park's signature dam, golf course, restaurant, cabins and developed campgrounds are all located on the south side. Perhaps this is why the trail we were presently navigating was in need of so much TLC. Though the trail was clearly marked and had mileages posted, there were more than a few trees blocking the path. And though it isn't a problem this time of year, warmer weather would have seen heavy brush crowding out the trail in places.

In researching the trail I learned of a wooden bridge that had been damaged and was a little tricky to cross. Because this information was a couple years old, I wondered if the bridge had been repaired. When we came upon it, I could see it to be in the same condition it was two years ago. Only later did I notice that it was the map which had been updated. The two year-old map shows a "Bridge" where the trail crosses Three Mile Creek closest to the campsite. The trail map I received at the park office earlier in the day labels it as "Collapsed Bridge." That should satisfy any curiosity as to the status of any forthcoming repairs.

Collapsed Bridge

Our pace quickened as the winds picked up and the clouds rolled in. It sprinkled lightly but never rained, and, as the temperature dropped, we found our way into camp. We were greeted with a sizeable amount of firewood that someone before us had gathered and neatly placed by the fire ring. When an owl loudly announced our arrival, I told my daughter he didn't appreciate her wearing her owl stocking cap on his turf.

After getting the tent up and the fire started, we gathered a little more wood. I don't believe the backcountry site sees many campers because there was ample wood available in the camp area. Oftentimes, one has to take several mini-hikes just to find enough firewood for the night. After eating our noodles, it wasn't long before my daughter was off to her sleeping bag. I leaned back in my camp chair and tried to stay warm. I had my feet up on the rocks comprising the fire ring when I saw smoke coming from my boots. I guess the treads had gotten a little too warm! I noticed my feet were nice and warm for several minutes thereafter, too.

Before going to bed, my daughter said she thought she heard coyotes. I told her I thought they were just dogs. She said, "Well, somebody has a lot of dogs." I thought, yeah, this is Tennessee, you know. Sometime later I heard the dogs barking up a storm. Later still, I heard them howling after police sirens went by. I could hear the hum of the highway in the distance and somebody opening up all four barrels on his big-block V8 over and over again. I likened the experience to camping out in my backyard. At one point I caught myself calling to my wife to bring me a beer.

Supper Time

Breakfast Time: sun's coming up, but no cakes on the griddle

We broke camp and followed the trail back south and east. This part of Overnight Trail closely tracks the park's perimeter. With the camp situated so close to the boundary, it was little surprise I had heard the noises of civilization throughout much of the evening. After closing out the Overnight Trail, we traversed the west side of Byrd Creek, crossing a very nice Boy Scout bridge built as an Eagle Scout project along the way, and onward to the juncture with the Cumberland Plateau Trail. This trail leads to the centerpiece of the park, the stone dam/bridge built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late '30s.

Boy Scout Bridge

On the Cumberland Plateau Trail, below the dam

Atop the dam, looking out on Byrd Lake

Now across the dam, we gladly offloaded our backpacks into the truck and enjoyed our lunch by the lake. A Canadian Goose wanted to enjoy some of our lunch, too, but was disappointed to find we weren't in a sharing mood.

There's no free lunch; go be wild or something

Lunch over, we headed off to day hike the trails on the park's south side. This was a scenic 5.2-mile trek around the shores of Byrd Lake, Byrd Creek, and some of the smaller creeks feeding Byrd Creek. After exploring on and around the Pioneer Loop Trails and the Lake Trail, we closed the books on our weekend at Cumberland Mountain. By my estimates we did 8.3 miles with our backpacks and 5.2 miles without for a two-day total of 13.5 miles. Without a great deal of elevation change, this state park offers beautiful scenery that can be enjoyed by the masses. We highly recommend the hike.