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HERE'S WHERE YOU GET INTO THE GREAT OUTDOORS:
» Ranger-led Hikes & Programs » Trail Days & Volunteer Projects |
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PARDON OUR GOOF! The December issue of the TrailTracker eLetter had a story about the cleanup from the November 6th tornado in Savage Gulf. In the story, we incorrectly identified some of the awesome chain-saw crews who led the way as being from the TN Division of Forestry. We should have said, TN Division of Natural Areas. Our apologies to all the good folks from DNR, who, by the way, will also be out on the Collins Rim trail to finish clearing that area over the next few days, as well.
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Great as gifts or stocking-stuffers
2019 Park Calendars & Postcard Sets Have Arrived!
The Friends’ 2019 Wall Calendar, a limited-run but very popular gift item, will be available for sale, while supplies last, at the Park’s Visitor Center in Monteagle. It features the best photos by some very talented park visitors/photographers from this year’s “Picture the Park” photo contest. New this year is a set of classic postcards, also depicting some of the most beautiful and unique areas of the Park, which will also available at the Visitor Center’s gift shop. Call Carla or Marla at the Visitor Center, 931-924-2980 before you head their way, to be certain they haven't sold out! These make great gifts for anyone who loves the outdoors, and the Park! Proceeds from the sale of these items help provide funding for a number of Friends’ initiatives on behalf of the park, including educational, interpretive, trail construction and maintenance projects.
Most Storm-damaged trails in Savage Gulf now re-opened!
Thanks to everyone who helped with trail clearing and clean-up in the eastern half of the Savage Gulf area of the Park! As of November 26th, only the Collins Rim Trail and Savage Falls Campground remained closed. All other affected trails are open again and clear to hike.
South Cumberland State Park managers had designated Monday, November 19 and Tuesday, November 20 as the first of several work days needed to clean up damage to portions of the Park, resulting from the Nov 6th EF-2 tornado that crossed Grundy County in the early morning hours of November 6th. Friends volunteers joined Rangers from SCSP and other State Parks in the region, along with a crew from the Tennessee Department of Forestry, in cutting their way through toppled trees, some stacked 10-15 feet deep, in order to clear and re-open trails. Many large trees were down, and many more were partially down — hanging from, or leaning on other trees. A number of trails were impassable immediately after the storm. For the safety of all park guests, SCSP managers had closed a number of trails and campgrounds. Affected trails and campgrounds included the Savage Day Loop, North Rim Trail, North Plateau Trail, South Rim Trail, Savage Falls Campground, Dinky Line Campground, and Hobbs Cabin Campground. Here are some photos from the storm damage and clean-up. Click on any image to see an enlargement. |
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Now’s the time to enroll for the Spring Trail Friends team!
Trail Friends are volunteers who offer Park visitors a cheery welcome and much-needed information about the Park, the natural surroundings, and the specifics of the trails. Trail Friends staff five of the busiest trailheads in the Park, and also walk their assigned trails, answering questions and providing assistance as they go. Some also make detailed recordings of trail features and conditions using the Avenza mapping app. More than four thousand people have been helped by this enthusiastic team of volunteers. The group is accepting new members and on-line training is available now. The Spring Trail Friends season begins April 13 and runs on weekends through June 23. Trail Friends will hold a Kickoff "Meet and Greet" at 3 pm on Apr 13 at the South Cumberland State Park Visitor Center pavilion on US 41 in Monteagle. If you're interested in volunteering as a Trail Friend for the Spring of 2019, the time to enroll and be trained is NOW! Learn more on our Trail Friends page.
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Trail Friend volunteer Barbara Braswell (right) helping out fall hikers at Savage Gulf.
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Volunteer to help restore the site of the 1930s-era CCC Camp in Grundy Forest!
Upcoming Work Dates are being scheduled for early 2019.
Please check back again! |
South Cumberland State Park and the Friends of South Cumberland are looking for volunteers who would like to help restore an important part of local history. Thanks to the financial support of the South Cumberland Community Fund and other generous donors, SCSP Rangers and Friends Volunteers will be working this winter on the next phase of an ambitious plan to interpret portions of the village that housed nearly 200 members of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 1475 at Grundy Forest, near Tracy City. More Details »»
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Rob Moreland, left, with SCSP Manager George Shinn.
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Rob Moreland receives 2018 "Golden Shell" award
Congratulations to Friends Volunteer Rob Moreland, recipient of SCSP Manager George Shinn's 2018 "Golden Shell" Award, given annually to the Friends volunteer who exhibits exceptional dedication to the environmental, interpretive and recreational mission of South Cumberland State Park. Rob is currently heading up the Friends' effort to rehab and interpret the site of a 1930s-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) work camp in the Grundy Forest area of the Park. Congratulations to Rob for this well-deserved recognition! |
Ranger Aaron Reid Named Assistant Park Manager at Savage Gulf
Congratulations to Ranger Aaron Reid for being named the new Assistant Park Manager at Savage Gulf! He joins Assistant Park Manager Bill Knapp, who will now be able to focus on the central and southern areas of the Park (Fiery Gizzard and Sherwood Forest). Together, says SCSP Manager George Shinn, "Bill and Aaron are my “boots on the ground”, out on the front lines, leading and managing our talented staff, and carrying out our mission of having a beautiful, clean and safe park, so our park visitors can totally focus on having an amazing experience out in nature!" |
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Those smiling faces say it all ... volunteers with enthusiasm, spunk, stick-to-it-ness, dedication. Their gifts and skill made the 4th grade “Every Child in the Park” field trips a great success. Click below to view artwork submitted by students following their day in the Park!
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Fourth Graders Connect
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2018 Goldenrod Gala raises essential funds
for the Friends and the Park
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The second annual Goldenrod Gala — a “night out for Nature” and an important fundraiser for the Friends of South Cumberland State Park — went underground on Saturday evening, October 6, 2018. This year's Gala took place in the dramatic new performance hall at The Caverns, which is also the now home to the popular PBS television series Bluegrass Underground. This year’s Gala also featured a "silent" version of the very popular Adventure Auction, offering a dozen opportunities to experience unique places in and around South Cumberland State Park.
Still Time to Donate to the Gala Campaign
Even if you couldn't make it to the Gala, there is still time to donate to its purpose -- to generate essential funding for a wide range of Friends’ initiatives on behalf of South Cumberland State Park. |
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SPECIAL THANKS TO THIS YEAR'S GOLDENROD GALA PARTNERS:
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South Cumberland celebrates 40 years!
On July 1, 1978, South Cumberland State Park was dedicated with less than 10,000 acres. Forty years later, it is the largest State Park in Tennessee, at nearly 31,000 acres. Today, the South Cumberland State Park is visited by nearly 750,000 people each year, and thanks to your support of the Friends, is as wild and spectacular as ever, with new trails and new ways to enjoy the park now available through the hard work of our Friends volunteers!
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Shop Online and help the Park with every purchase!
When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates a portion of your purchase directly to the Friends of South Cumberland! Bookmark this page, and use it whenever you shop at Amazon! 
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Learn more about the newest areas of the Park |
South Cumberland State Park continues to grow at a remarkable pace; it is now officially Tennessee's largest state park, at 30,837 acres. Click on any of these links to learn more about recent land areas that have been protected and added to the park, and what work is underway to make these areas accessible to the public: |
Our Mission:
To aid and assist the South Cumberland State Park management and staff in meeting its objectives, and to inform, educate, engage, and inspire its members and the public to protect, conserve, and enjoy all the resources of the park.
Why Should You Be a Friends Member?
Now protecting more than 30,800 acres, South Cumberland is the largest State Park in Tennessee. Although this is great news, more land, and more visitors, creates new and urgent unmet needs for the park. New trails must be built, and existing trails must be maintained or upgraded. New and expanded parking areas, restrooms, camping and picnic facilities, and directional signage are needed. Invasive pests, like the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, and invasive plants must be controlled. Guided hikes, seminars and historical re-enactments, including programs for area school children, must be prepared and delivered. And, the work of conserving additional environmentally-significant lands is far from complete.
By becoming a member of the Friends, you can help insure that South Cumberland will always be a safe, well-maintained and amazing place to experience world-class natural beauty!
Your Friends membership directly supports the park.
The Friends of South Cumberland is a group of volunteer citizens dedicated to supporting the South Cumberland State Park, at 30,837 acres, Tennessee's largest state park. A 1993 law passed by the Tennessee General Assembly allows state parks to contract with and receive financial assistance from an organized friends group. As a result, private citizens can be involved with and support the park through both volunteer work and financial support.
Funding for the Friends of South Cumberland is derived from individual and corporate memberships and from private donations. Our tax deductible status was approved in July 1994. As a 501(c)3 non profit public benefit corporation, your membership and gifts may be Federally tax deductible. Please join us in supporting and protecting the South Cumberland State Park!
To aid and assist the South Cumberland State Park management and staff in meeting its objectives, and to inform, educate, engage, and inspire its members and the public to protect, conserve, and enjoy all the resources of the park.
Why Should You Be a Friends Member?
Now protecting more than 30,800 acres, South Cumberland is the largest State Park in Tennessee. Although this is great news, more land, and more visitors, creates new and urgent unmet needs for the park. New trails must be built, and existing trails must be maintained or upgraded. New and expanded parking areas, restrooms, camping and picnic facilities, and directional signage are needed. Invasive pests, like the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, and invasive plants must be controlled. Guided hikes, seminars and historical re-enactments, including programs for area school children, must be prepared and delivered. And, the work of conserving additional environmentally-significant lands is far from complete.
By becoming a member of the Friends, you can help insure that South Cumberland will always be a safe, well-maintained and amazing place to experience world-class natural beauty!
Your Friends membership directly supports the park.
- Your membership supports the good work of the Friends of South Cumberland. You will become part of a group working to save great spaces in the South Cumberland and supporting this magnificent park with both funding and volunteer initiatives.
- You will receive the quarterly FSC Newsletter and monthly Trail Tracker emails to keep you updated on Friends and Park issues, events and volunteer opportunities.
- You will be eligible for members-only programs and events, such as the Tennessee Naturalist Program.
The Friends of South Cumberland is a group of volunteer citizens dedicated to supporting the South Cumberland State Park, at 30,837 acres, Tennessee's largest state park. A 1993 law passed by the Tennessee General Assembly allows state parks to contract with and receive financial assistance from an organized friends group. As a result, private citizens can be involved with and support the park through both volunteer work and financial support.
Funding for the Friends of South Cumberland is derived from individual and corporate memberships and from private donations. Our tax deductible status was approved in July 1994. As a 501(c)3 non profit public benefit corporation, your membership and gifts may be Federally tax deductible. Please join us in supporting and protecting the South Cumberland State Park!
