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HELP THE PARK YOU LOVE!
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Registration is Open!
for Trails and Trilliums
Click link below to go to the Trails and Trilliums' website
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A great evening for a greater cause!
...when you attend this year's Wild Azalea Gala! Proceeds from the Gala help fund Friends' activities and initiatives in support of the Park. The Gala is now part of the Trails and Trilliums festival weekend, and will take place at the Sewanee Inn on Friday evening, April 17th.
The evening includes cocktails, a gourmet buffet dinner, and after-dinner drinks and dancing to a live performance by top-rated Nashville dance band, "Entice." Reserve your seats, or host a table, by registering online today. |
The 2020 Wild Azalea Gala is proudly presented by Tower Community Bank.
Thanks to all of our Supporting Partners!
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HERITAGE PARTNERS
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IRIS PARTNERS
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Mr. Doug Ferris & Dot Neale |
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SILVERBELL PARTNERS
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REDBUD PARTNER
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Mr. John Canale |
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— Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities --
Please Give Back to the Park You Love!
CCC Interpretive area - Storm Clean Up
Saturday, February 15, 9 am to 1 pm: meet at the Grundy Forest Trailhead
Sunday, February 16, 9 am to 1 pm: meet at the Grundy Forest Trailhead
Saturday, February 22, 9 am to 1 pm: meet at the Grundy Forest Trailhead
Strong storms in mid-January toppled trees and caused damage at the site of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the Grundy Forest area of South Cumberland State Park. The site will be closed until clean-up and trail repairs can be completed. High winds caused large pines to topple into each other, creating a cascade of downed logs through the center of the CCC Interpretive Area of the park. We'll meet in the Grundy Forest parking area in Monteagle 15 minutes prior to the start time listed above. Please be prepared with sturdy footwear and plenty of water/snacks. Those with a favorite pair of gloves, a stiff garden rake, and a 4-wheeled wagon or other garden cart suitable for hauling fireplace-length logs and branches are asked to bring them. Most of the work will involve moving logs and branches to a nearby brush pile, and restoring the interpretive trail through the site.
Savage Gulf Trail Day!
Monday, March 2, 8:15 am: meet at the Stone Door Ranger Station
Join SCSP Ranger Mark Greenwood for a day of trail repair and maintenance at the Savage Gulf State Natural Area. Bring work clothes, sturdy footwear, gloves, plenty of water, and food for the trail. Work implements (hand tools only) will be provided, but you may bring your own non-powered hand tools, if desired. Weather permitting.
Notes/Disclaimers: Please do not bring power tools (chainsaws, etc.). For this event, Volunteers will use hand tools only. Volunteers will be required to sign a Volunteer Form, which may include a liability waiver. Trail maintenance and the use of hand tools, etc., carries certain inherent risks. These include, but are not necessarily limited to: accidents involving the tools; potential exposure to the elements and wildlife; and all-around, general hard work.
Saturday, February 15, 9 am to 1 pm: meet at the Grundy Forest Trailhead
Sunday, February 16, 9 am to 1 pm: meet at the Grundy Forest Trailhead
Saturday, February 22, 9 am to 1 pm: meet at the Grundy Forest Trailhead
Strong storms in mid-January toppled trees and caused damage at the site of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the Grundy Forest area of South Cumberland State Park. The site will be closed until clean-up and trail repairs can be completed. High winds caused large pines to topple into each other, creating a cascade of downed logs through the center of the CCC Interpretive Area of the park. We'll meet in the Grundy Forest parking area in Monteagle 15 minutes prior to the start time listed above. Please be prepared with sturdy footwear and plenty of water/snacks. Those with a favorite pair of gloves, a stiff garden rake, and a 4-wheeled wagon or other garden cart suitable for hauling fireplace-length logs and branches are asked to bring them. Most of the work will involve moving logs and branches to a nearby brush pile, and restoring the interpretive trail through the site.
Savage Gulf Trail Day!
Monday, March 2, 8:15 am: meet at the Stone Door Ranger Station
Join SCSP Ranger Mark Greenwood for a day of trail repair and maintenance at the Savage Gulf State Natural Area. Bring work clothes, sturdy footwear, gloves, plenty of water, and food for the trail. Work implements (hand tools only) will be provided, but you may bring your own non-powered hand tools, if desired. Weather permitting.
Notes/Disclaimers: Please do not bring power tools (chainsaws, etc.). For this event, Volunteers will use hand tools only. Volunteers will be required to sign a Volunteer Form, which may include a liability waiver. Trail maintenance and the use of hand tools, etc., carries certain inherent risks. These include, but are not necessarily limited to: accidents involving the tools; potential exposure to the elements and wildlife; and all-around, general hard work.
Trail Friends assisted 3,000 visitors in 2019
In 2019, FSC's Trail Friends program had 27 active volunteers who donated their time at the park's most popular trail heads, offering assistance to hikers. Volunteers worked 86 shifts, contributed 242 hours and helped 2,960 visitors. The Trail Friends offer park visitors a cheery welcome and useful 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 these trails, answering questions and providing assistance as they go. Trail Friends also create trail guides, using the State Park-approved Avenza app, that include historic and nature information about popular trails. The Trail Friends team is always looking for enthusiastic new members! Learn more by visiting our Trail Friends Initiative page.
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South Cumberland celebrates 42 years!
On July 1, 1978, South Cumberland State Park was dedicated with less than 10,000 acres. Four decades 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! Please take a moment to join or renew your membership in the Friends of South Cumberland State Park!
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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 nearly 31,000 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 nearly 31,000 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. 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 Park, a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization, working to protect, maintain and enhance Tennessee's largest and most spectacular state park!
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!
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 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 nearly 31,000 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. 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 Park, a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization, working to protect, maintain and enhance Tennessee's largest and most spectacular state park!
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!
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.
