The Nickajack Naturalist

Tennessee's Trail

  As many in the hiking community are aware, the Cumberland Trail has been under development for some time.  When completed, this ambitious project will result in a continuous trail running 300 miles from Signal Mountain at Chattanooga to the Cumberland Gap National Park in Kentucky.  Currently, 175 miles of the trail, designated as Tennessee's first linear state park in 1998, are in existence. 

  The non-profit Cumberland Trail Conference was organized to design, construct, and support the Cumberland Trail.  To learn more about the trail and the Cumberland Trail Conference, to view maps of the ten existing trail sections, or to find volunteer opportunities, visit the Cumberland Trail Conference's website at www.cumberlandtrail.org    

Natural and Historic Moccasin Bend

  If you're like me and originated somewhere other than the Chattanooga area, your first awareness of Chattanooga likely involved viewing a photo of downtown Chattanooga and Moccasin Bend as seen from Lookout Mountain.

  The land contained within this iconic bend of the Tennessee River is rich in human history going back thousands of years.  Today, 755 acres are designated as the Moccasin Bend National Archeological District, a unit of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.

  The 1.5 mile Blue Blazes Trail, in the heart of the Bend, is a great place to see wildlife such as deer, turtles, and more.  I once observed a beaver while hiking the trail, which is a rare event in my experience.

  To learn more about the Bend and the group, Friends of Moccasin Bend National Park, visit http://moccasinbendpark.org.

   The Nickajack Naturalist