Backpacking Report: Big Creek Gulf Trail

Our third backpacking trip of the fall had us back in Savage Gulf. We had planned to do a leisurely overnighter at Long Hunter State Park, but the Cub Scouts beat us to the punch. On the weekends, because the park office is closed, there is no way to know if the campsites are full unless you have the park ranger's cell phone number, which of course I didn't. We decided to chance it and drive out to Long Hunter. When we pulled up to the park office and saw Cub Scouts running all over the place, I knew we were in trouble. I called the ranger's number listed on the information kiosk outside the office, and he informed me that both campsites were taken. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I don't gamble. Scouts 1, KTF Blog 0.

We had a decision to make fast. Already mid-morning and more than an hour away from another overnight trail, my wife was calling the Stone Door Ranger Station from home while we sped down Hobson Pike towards I-24. The word came back that they had two sites open at Alum Gap and four at the Sawmill camp. That was good enough for me. Savage Gulf, here we come!

Pulling into the Stone Door overnight parking area, I noticed there were two trucks with trailers attached. The lady at the ranger station had told my wife they, too, had a scout group at Alum Gap, but that they seemed well-managed. We filled out our permit at the station, ate our lunch out of the back of the truck, and hit the Laurel Trail for a quick 2.9-mile hike to camp.

We strolled into the camp shortly after 2:30 p.m. only to discover all the sites were occupied. Because you are not required to post your permit at your site, there is no way of knowing which campers are unauthorized and simply squatting. Another group of backpackers who had pulled into camp minutes behind us were also searching for a site. We eventually got together and decided we would just walk over to the other side of the campground and share the large group camp. Sometime after 4:00 p.m. the ranger came around for his evening visit. After checking on all the campers, he told us the Boy Scouts were responsible for the mishap. They were supposed to occupy the group camp, and he had told them this much when they registered. Instead, they took up three sites in the main campground. So much for being a well-managed group. Scouts 2, KTF Blog 0.

Ten of us shared the group camp Saturday night. My daughter and I ate our noodles while the others had soup to go along with their dehydrated entrees. Most of us retired to our sleeping bags around 9:00 p.m. You can probably guess who didn't: the Boy Scouts from across the way. They were hootin' and hollerin' like it was New Year's Eve. At some point they quieted down, and I slept on and off as best as I could on the hard ground.

My daughter and I were up early and headed for Greeter Trail before breakfast. We would hike 9.0 miles on this day: 5.7 with our packs and 3.3 without. The three miles up and down Greeter Trail was the perfect start to a great day at Savage Gulf. The recent rains had the waterfalls flowing fairly impressively, a nice contrast to some of the trickles I witnessed the last time I passed through here.

Boardtree Falls

 

Lower Greeter Falls

 

Upper Greeter Falls

 

Back at camp, we were relieved to see the scouts heading back via the Big Creek Rim Trail. The group sharing the site with us headed out a few minutes before we did along this same rim trail. We followed the Big Creek Gulf Trail and its steep descent into the gulf. The creek was moving swiftly and so were we, as we had yet to run into anybody else on the trail. We were near the creek when it appeared as if there was some kind of a trail leading to it. There were no markings, but we walked down to the creek anyway. When we noticed the creek terminated abruptly, we realized we were standing at the sinks of Big Creek, the point where the water begins to flow underground. Adjacent to the sinks, was a wet-weather waterfall. The unmarked trail, the sinks, and the waterfall are all mentioned in the book I have on hiking in the South Cumberland, but I hadn't consulted it before our hike, as I thought we'd be hiking at Long Hunter. A stroke of good fortune, for sure. Our day was only getting better!

 

The sinks of Big Creek

 

Wet-weather fall adjacent to the sinks

 

We hadn't gone much further down the main trail when we came to the junction with the 0.4-mile spur to Ranger Falls. My daughter was getting hungry so we decided the falls would be a good spot to enjoy a snack. She ate her chicken salad with crackers, and I took the opportunity to strip off a layer of clothing and bask in the sunshine. The most vigorous section of the trail was quickly approaching.

 

Ranger Falls

 

The climb out of the gulf up to the Stone Door is not for the faint of heart. I've done this several times with a backpack, and it just does not get any easier. When you see the wooden staircase leading to the Stone Door, you know you're nearly home free. Climb the rock stairs leading up through the Stone Door, and it's a 1-mile cakewalk back to the parking lot. But don't be in too much of a hurry to get back; be sure to check out the magnificent views of the gulf from one or more of the overlooks.

 

About halfway up the Stone Door

 

View from one of the overlooks at Stone Door

 



We off-loaded our packs at the vehicle, grabbed our lunch, and claimed the nearest picnic table in the sun. Only one more hike to go: the 0.3-mile Laurel Falls Loop. Beginning and ending at the Ranger Station, this proved to be a nice cool-down trail with a splendid view of Laurel Falls.

 

By the end of our trip, we were glad to have been shut out of Long Hunter. And those problems at camp the night before? They were but a distant memory. That's the magic of Savage Gulf; there's simply nothing else like it in Tennessee.

 

Laurel Falls