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HELP THE PARKS YOU LOVE!
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Thinking about becoming a member of the Friends? Know someone who might? Now's the time!
John Sanders has donated three beautifully hand-made walking sticks to the Friends, to be used for a drawing among new Friends members at the end of the year. Each has one of the park's medallions affixed (South Cumberland, Fiery Gizzard, and Buggy Top). They are made from Crepe Myrtle, Sassafras, and Bois d'Arc (Osage Orange), with a deer antler handle on one of them. So if you've been thinking about joining the Friends, or you're a current member encouraging your friends to become members -- join here! And a big thanks to John for his very kind and beautiful donations! |
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Staircase structure begins to rise on the Greeter Falls trail
FSC Treasurer and Trails Team volunteer Aaron H. pauses while working on setting guide strings for the new staircase. Volunteers are always welcome! Email Trails Chair John Collins if you're interested. See more construction progress photos on the Trails Team's Progress Report page.
L-R: FSC Trails Chair John Collins, volunteer Dave H. and Project Lead Rick Dreves at the lower half of the staircase, November 22nd, 2022.
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Friends of South Cumberland will continue to support both South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks
Friends of South Cumberland State Park, Inc., (“FSC”) has announced that it will continue to support both South Cumberland State Park and the newly-formed Savage Gulf State Park. Savage Gulf had been part of South Cumberland State Park prior to the recent announcement of its designation as a new and separate Tennessee State Park. The Fiery Gizzard and Lost Cove areas remain a part of South Cumberland State Park.
FSC has served for nearly 30 years as the official support organization for South Cumberland State Park. “We are proud to continue to serve as the official support organization for over 31,000 acres of breathtaking Tennessee wilderness,” said FSC President Trae Moore. “Our leadership and strong volunteer base have helped conserve land, build and maintain trails, and support our Park Rangers in the areas comprising both of these spectacular Tennessee State Parks. Going forward, we intend to continue that service to both parks.” “We have had a longstanding working relationship with our Park Managers and Rangers,” noted Moore. “We’re currently involved in major trail improvements in the Greeter Falls area of the new park.” He added that FSC's Trails & Trilliums wildflower festival will be held in nearby Beersheba Springs in April of 2023. 
At the announcement creating Savage Gulf State Park, clockwise from top left: SCSP Asst Mgr Bill Knapp; SGSP Asst Mgr Aaron Reid; Grundy Mayor Michael Brady; SCSP Mgr George Shinn; FSC President Trae Moore; TDEC Natural Areas Program Administrator Jason Miller; and TDEC Deputy Commissioner Greer Tidwell, Jr.
Moore noted that FSC also has projects underway in the original portion of South Cumberland State Park, which includes the Fiery Gizzard and Lost Cove areas of Grundy, Marion and Franklin Counties. In that area, Moore says FSC will also continue to work closely with South Cumberland State Park Manager George Shinn and his team on improving trail conditions, creating new backcountry campgrounds and offering educational programs to elementary school students from across the region. FSC will also continue to offer the annual Trails and Trilliums spring wildflower festival, with proceeds benefiting both State Parks.
“We feel it is important for everyone to know that the Friends of South Cumberland State Parks, Inc., will continue to operate as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in support of both parks,” Moore explained. “Now, more than ever, we value the financial and volunteer support of our stakeholders, in order to meet the urgent needs and priorities of both of these spectacular State Parks,” Moore said. Donations in support of FSC’s work for both Savage Gulf and South Cumberland State Parks can be made online at our Make A Gift page. To learn more about FSC and its work, and to volunteer, visit the “What We Do” page of the FSC website. |
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FALL IS TRAIL BUILDING TIME!
IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP BUILD & IMPROVE TRAILS & CAMPGROUNDS IN THE PARKS! |
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Project Brief, November 6 update:
Concrete work is complete; wood post installation has begun! Check our Photo & Video Progress Reports to see the latest. NEXT TRAIL DAY: Saturday, Nov. 12, 8:30 am. Please RSVP to Trails Chair John Collins. All dates weather-permitting.
Please check this page regularly for any schedule changes! |
Volunteers needed to build new Campground at Fiery Gizzard mid-point
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By popular demand, a new mid-point campground is being constructed along the Fiery Gizzard Trail. Ranger Ryan Harris is working in cooperation with Tennessee State Trail "guru," Michael Meister, utilizing Meister's trail making machine (shown at left) to cut new trail to, and clear new campsites at the mid-point campground location.
Volunteers are needed! Check the South Cumberland Volunteer Page for work dates and times. Meet Ranger Harris at Park Headquarters (Visitor Center) in Monteagle. Work usually runs until about 2 or 3 pm. This will be the first time in many years there has been a campground at the mid-point of the 12-mile Fiery Gizzard Trail. A previous campsite at Raven Point was on private land and had to be closed as a result. The new campground will be on Park property, and campground sites will be available for reservation on SCSP's website as soon as the site is ready for use. |
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New Highway Signs and Trailhead Names will help visitors find their way to SCSP & SGSP trailheads
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Over 70 new highway signs and a more logical naming system for SCSP trailheads are part of an effort to help visitors more easily find their way around the Parks. “This new naming system is more logical and geographically-based,” noted SCSP Manager George Shinn. “It will make it much easier for visitors to quickly grasp where our trailheads are, in relation to each other, and in which part of each park each trailhead is located.”
The Friends' website has been completely updated to reflect the new names. A free copy of the new map, which includes driving directions to each trailhead and other useful information, is also available for download from the Downloadable Maps page of this website. |
Join our Trails Team!
The FSC Trails Team assists Park Managers and staff with assessment, design, construction, maintenance and/or rerouting of nearly 100 miles of world-class trails and trail structures in South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks. The Trails Team also assists the parks with SCSP wayfinding (directional) signage and mile marking. The Trails Team welcomes all volunteers, and has opportunities for adults of any age and physical ability! Learn more by visiting the Trails Team page.
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In 2021, FSC's Trail Friends program had 21 active volunteers who donated their time at the parks' most popular trail heads, offering assistance to hikers. The Trail Friends offer park visitors a cheery welcome and useful information about the parks, the natural surroundings, and the specifics of the trails. Trail Friends staff five of the busiest trailheads in the parks, and also walk these trails, answering questions and providing assistance as they go. The Trail Friends team is always looking for enthusiastic new members! Learn more by visiting our Trail Friends Initiative page.
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See what our Trails Team has been up to:
Email FSC Trails Team Chair John Collins to find out how you can help!
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Here's a video about all the great trails, and things to see and do in South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks:
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Please join us in saying Thank You
to all of our Sponsoring Partners!
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TRAILS & TRILLIUMS SPONSORING PARTNER
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GOLDENROD GALA SPONSORING PARTNER
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FRIENDS OF SOUTH CUMBERLAND SPONSORING PARTNERS
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Mr. John Canale |
Mr. Doug Ferris
& Dot Neale
South Cumberland celebrates 44 years!
On July 1, 1978, South Cumberland State Park was dedicated with less than 10,000 acres; today, that has grown to more than 31,000 acres of protected wilderness. The park grew so large that it was divided into two parks, South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks, in 2022. Today, these two parks are visited by nearly 650,000 people each year, and thanks to your support of the Friends, are as wild and spectacular as ever, with new trails and new ways to enjoy the parks now available through the hard work of our Friends volunteers! Please take a moment to support the work of the Friends of South Cumberland State Parks!
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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 about the newest areas of the Parks
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South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks protect over 31,000 acres of pristine Tennessee wilderness. Click on any of these links to learn more about recent land areas that have been protected and added to the parks, and what work is underway to make these areas accessible to the public: |
Our Mission:
To aid and assist the managers and staffs of South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks in meeting their objectives, and to inform, educate, engage, and inspire our members and the public to protect, conserve, and enjoy all the resources of the parks.
Why Should You Be a Friends Member?
South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks now protect over 31,000 acres of pristine Tennessee wilderness . Although this is great news, more land, and more visitors, creates new and urgent unmet needs for these parks. Trails must be maintained or upgraded. Trail bridges require maintenance or replacement. Additional interpretive and wayfinding signage is needed. Guided hikes, seminars and workshops, including programs for area school children, must be prepared and delivered. And, the work of conserving additional environmentally-significant lands is far from complete. Your support makes possible the many initiatives of the Friends of South Cumberland State Parks, a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization, working to protect, maintain and enhance two of Tennessee's largest and most spectacular state parks!
By becoming a member of the Friends, you can help insure that South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks will always be safe, well-maintained and amazing places to experience world-class natural beauty!
Funding for the Friends of South Cumberland is derived from individual and corporate memberships and from private donations.
As a 501(c)3 non-profit public benefit corporation, your membership and gifts may be Federally tax deductible.
To aid and assist the managers and staffs of South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks in meeting their objectives, and to inform, educate, engage, and inspire our members and the public to protect, conserve, and enjoy all the resources of the parks.
Why Should You Be a Friends Member?
South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks now protect over 31,000 acres of pristine Tennessee wilderness . Although this is great news, more land, and more visitors, creates new and urgent unmet needs for these parks. Trails must be maintained or upgraded. Trail bridges require maintenance or replacement. Additional interpretive and wayfinding signage is needed. Guided hikes, seminars and workshops, including programs for area school children, must be prepared and delivered. And, the work of conserving additional environmentally-significant lands is far from complete. Your support makes possible the many initiatives of the Friends of South Cumberland State Parks, a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization, working to protect, maintain and enhance two of Tennessee's largest and most spectacular state parks!
By becoming a member of the Friends, you can help insure that South Cumberland and Savage Gulf State Parks will always be safe, well-maintained and amazing places to experience world-class natural beauty!
Funding for the Friends of South Cumberland is derived from individual and corporate memberships and from private donations.
As a 501(c)3 non-profit public benefit corporation, your membership and gifts may be Federally tax deductible.
