Secret and I headed out one more for our hiking adventure. Google Maps took me down Suck Creek and up and across the mountain into Whitwell, Tennessee. I loved the drive through small towns like Palmer, Gruetli Laager, and then Beersheba Springs. We weaved in and out of the country side and into reduced speed zones multiple times. At one point we were on a 2 lane road behind a very full dump truck going 20 miles an hour for far longer than I am normally patient with...but on this day, it was fine.
When I pulled up to the trailhead I immediately knew it was going to be a good day. A well maintained area with a ranger station and bathroom greeted us. After seeing our options I decided first I would take the short Laurel Falls Loop so we could get our need to see area waterfalls out of the way.
The trail was pretty steep but the stairs made the journey much easier and the sweet little observation deck to see the waterfall was a nice plus. The loop actually let you walk up above the falls itself once you had the great view. Secret of course needed to try the water in the area so she lapped up some from the slow flowing creek.
After the quick trip to the falls we headed to the "Stone Door Trail." Wow! The overlook views along the way plus walking the trail down the rock crevice doors were beautiful. I immediately noticed that it felt cooler there than at home. I'm guessing it was from being on the Mountaintop.
The trails were well maintained and it was a fairly easy and short hike but we spent some time wandering around a bit and hanging out on the overlook. It's quite amazing to realize you are looking for miles and miles at mountains and you see absolutely no sign of life anywhere (except the sound of some of the park crew using a chainsaw over my shoulder at times). How often do we get to experience solitude? I saw no houses, no cars, heard nothing but the beating of my heart and the panting of the dog for quite a while. I am naive enough to believe that there weren't houses and people milling around down there, but I couldn't see them in that moment. It felt like unspoiled nature and it was delightful. It was so delightful that we wandered around and did trails again, took some side trails and just spent time in this wonderful little spot off the beaten track. This trail was a little farther from home and a wee bit secluded in Grundy County so I took a lunch and Secret and I just relaxed and smiled a lot. It was a great day!
When I pulled up to the trailhead I immediately knew it was going to be a good day. A well maintained area with a ranger station and bathroom greeted us. After seeing our options I decided first I would take the short Laurel Falls Loop so we could get our need to see area waterfalls out of the way.
The trail was pretty steep but the stairs made the journey much easier and the sweet little observation deck to see the waterfall was a nice plus. The loop actually let you walk up above the falls itself once you had the great view. Secret of course needed to try the water in the area so she lapped up some from the slow flowing creek.
After the quick trip to the falls we headed to the "Stone Door Trail." Wow! The overlook views along the way plus walking the trail down the rock crevice doors were beautiful. I immediately noticed that it felt cooler there than at home. I'm guessing it was from being on the Mountaintop.
The trails were well maintained and it was a fairly easy and short hike but we spent some time wandering around a bit and hanging out on the overlook. It's quite amazing to realize you are looking for miles and miles at mountains and you see absolutely no sign of life anywhere (except the sound of some of the park crew using a chainsaw over my shoulder at times). How often do we get to experience solitude? I saw no houses, no cars, heard nothing but the beating of my heart and the panting of the dog for quite a while. I am naive enough to believe that there weren't houses and people milling around down there, but I couldn't see them in that moment. It felt like unspoiled nature and it was delightful. It was so delightful that we wandered around and did trails again, took some side trails and just spent time in this wonderful little spot off the beaten track. This trail was a little farther from home and a wee bit secluded in Grundy County so I took a lunch and Secret and I just relaxed and smiled a lot. It was a great day!
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