Trail Friends Initiative
The Friends of South Cumberland State Park, in conjunction with our park manager and rangers, have created an exciting new volunteer program, called Trail Friends, at five popular trailheads in the park.
Trail Friends are stationed at these trailheads during periods of high visitor traffic to welcome hikers, provide information and answer questions about that particular trail. The trailhead areas Trail Friends are now staffing include Stone Door in the Beersheba area (Savage Gulf north access); Greeter Falls, near Altamont (Savage Gulf west access); Savage Ranger Station, near Palmer (Savage Gulf east access); Grundy Forest in Tracy City (Fiery Gizzard north access); and Foster Falls, between Tracy City and Jasper (Fiery Gizzard south access). 
The Friends are looking for people who want to become knowledgeable about the most popular trails in the park. Trail Friends volunteers are expected to have a working knowledge of the trail to which they’re assigned, including park rules, trail features and current conditions, where to obtain trail maps, etc. In order to serve as a Trail Friend, each volunteer is expected to complete an online curriculum, meet with a Park Ranger, and shadow a fellow Trail Friend on a shift.
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Volunteers are generally needed from 8 am to 4 pm on weekends, during peak Park visitation periods (typically spring, summer, fall). You can request to be scheduled to work the trailhead of your choice, in two-to-four hour shifts, at times and on days of your choice. Trail Friends volunteers wear clearly-marked green and orange vests, and set out signage at the trailhead so volunteers know that the Trail Friends are there to help. Each trailhead needs at least one Trail Friend volunteer per shift; at our busiest trails, two are even better. Volunteers can either station themselves at the trailhead to help visitors as they come by, or choose to walk that trail and assist visitors they encounter along the way.
The Trail Friends are looking for volunteers to staff South Cumberland's most popular trailheads for Spring, 2019!
If you love spending time in the park and enjoy meeting people, this is a great opportunity to be a goodwill ambassador for the Friends, and for the Park!
To learn more or sign up for an upcoming training session, contact our Trail Friends coordinator by clicking the button below. We’re looking forward to having you as one of our Trail Friends! |
