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By Bob Butters at Nooga.com
Suter Falls. (Photo: Bob Butters)
Although Suter Falls might be one of South Cumberland State Park's less visited waterfalls, it can be reached with a relatively short hike. Suter Falls is located in the southern end of Collins Gulf, one of three gulfs, or gorges, that make up Savage Gulf State Natural Area, the largest unit of South Cumberland State Park. This hike starts at the Collins West Access trailhead. Read more.
By Bob Butters at Nooga.com
For the past several years, Friends of South Cumberland has presented a hiking challenge each year, designed to encourage visitors to explore South Cumberland State Park's over 25,000 acres scattered across four counties. This year's challenge, Hiking in Mack's Tracks, is dedicated to Tennessee's well-known and admired State Naturalist Emeritus Mack Prichard. It recognizes the extensive work he has done across Tennessee, but especially in the South Cumberland region, as an advocate for nature. Read more.
View a 10 minute video about Mack Prichard here.
By Bob Butters at Nooga.com
Kim hikes the High Voltage Trail as it nears the top of Raccoon Mountain. (Photo: Bob Butters)
If you're looking for a good winter workout, you might consider a hike up Raccoon Mountain via the high Voltage Trail. This approximately 8 mile round-trip hike begins near the boat ramp and takes you to the top of the mountain near Laurel Point and over 900 feet higher. Read more.
Text and photos by Bob Butters
In mid-January, Kim and I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to go birding by canoe at Jackson County, Alabama's Crow Creek Refuge. The 3,346 acre refuge surrounds Stevenson City Park, where we launched our canoe, and is largely shallow water.
We saw several large flocks of sandhill cranes, which I only discovered were wintering at Crow Creek a few years ago. While I'm not sure how long they've been doing so here, I understand they started wintering over in North Alabama and Tennessee in the 1990s.
While Crow Creek, here a backwater tributary of Lake Guntersville, is normally quite shallow, at this time it was even shallower. There were large areas we had to detour around because they were too shallow to canoe through.
Canada geese were among the variety of waterfowl present. I was surprised to see at least a dozen great egrets still around, as I thought they usually left for the winter.
There were thousands of ducks, representing a variety of species, including mallards, green-winged teals, northern pintails, northern shovelers, ruddy ducks, canvasbacks, lesser scaups, common mergansers, and coots. The long bay in the southwest corner of the refuge was a particular favorite of the ducks, with clouds of them taking to the air when we got uncomfortably close.
We also usually see one or more bald eagles anytime we visit the refuge during the winter.
The highlight of the outing was the sighting of a lone whooping crane hanging out among the sandhills. Winter before last, I spotted three staying at the refuge but didn't see any last winter. The rare whooping crane stands out due to its whiter coloration and black wingtips visible in flight. It's also a bit larger than the sandhill crane, one of the largest birds you'll see in this part of the country.
Many of the sandhills spend the day foraging in fields in and around the refuge, then come flying in just before sunset to spend the night along the shoreline across from the city park.
Kim recorded a couple of videos of the sandihills and the whooping crane which she posted on Facebook.
If you decide to try birding by canoe at Crow Creek during the winter, be aware that while waterfowl hunting is not allowed in the Crow Creek Refuge, the area west of the railroad track is Crow Creek Wildlife Management Area, which does allow waterfowl hunting.
You can simply search for "Stevenson City Park Boat Ramp" on Google Maps to find the launch site.
See a map of the refuge and the surrounding Jackson County WMA's here.
By Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association at Nooga.com
Dogs enjoy hiking, too. (Photo: Bob Butters)
Here are seven dog-friendly hiking areas in the local region that you and your pooch should partake of this winter - and every season. Read more.
By Bob Butters at Nooga.com
The South Cumberland region, showing projects OSI partnered with in 2016. (Map: Open Space Institute)
2016 saw a number of land conservation success stories in the South Cumberlands region of Tennessee. Among them are two properties totaling 4,372 acres in Franklin County, known as the Winchester Forest tracts and described as climate resilient and biologically rich. The Winchester Forest project was just one of six that the Open Space Institute partnered with in the South Cumberlands region of Tennessee during 2016. Read more.