Trail Friends Initiative
The Friends of South Cumberland State Park, in conjunction with our park managers 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. 
In 2019, 27 Trail Friends assisted more than 2,900 park visitors with information about the special attractions in this park, the range and specifics of what is here, and about critical safe behaviors. These 27 individuals devoted more than 240 hours to this initiative during the Spring and Fall seasons. Fall Season 2019 marked the beginning of our third year of service to the park.
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 volunteers to help us out at
South Cumberland State Park's most popular trailheads! 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. Volunteers are generally needed from 8 am to 4 pm on weekends, during peak Park visitation periods (typically spring and fall). Volunteers can request to be scheduled to work the trailhead of their choice, in two-to-four hour shifts, at times and on days of their choosing. Trail Friends volunteers wear clearly-marked green and orange vests, and set out signage at the trailhead so park visitors know that the Trail Friends are there to help.
|
