We took a trip over to Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park for a quick hike and to cross another Tennessee State Park off our list! This would be the 2nd Tennessee State Park and 51st State Park that we’ve visited. Cumberland Trail is a linear park covering the entire state of Tennessee with two Visitor Centers that are over 80 miles apart. The trail follows ancient pathways that were used by Native Americans for hunting and trade, then later by settlers and Pioneers. It follows high mountain ridges and gorges along the Cumberland Plateau, linking 11 counties. There is a great interactive map on the State Park website allowing you to look at each section of the trail (with information about closures, overlooks, and nearby stops along the path).
We stopped here because the hike we wanted to do was very close to Cumberland Mountain State Park (obviously these parks can be easily confused, so make sure you know which one you are going to!). We hiked the Black Mountain Crest Loop Trail which is an easy 1.8 mile loop with two overlooks (the North Overlook and South Overlook). The South Overlook is paternally obscured by trees, but the North Overlook opens up with gorgeous mountain views all around. There is plenty of space to sit and enjoy the view along the rocky plateau.
After we got back to our car we drove 45 minutes to the Head of Sequatchie Visitor Center, in Pikesville, to get our Passport Stamp. Because this park is so spread out, it takes a bit of effort to get to a Visitor Center for a passport stamp. Overall there isn’t much phone service throughout the park, so make sure you have your addresses handy. Driving both to the visitor center and trailhead, it felt like we were going the wrong way because we were on small back roads that didn’t even have lines painted on it (and at one point we came across some wild hogs in the road). But in the end, the addresses were all correct and got us there just fine!
Even though we only hiked one trail at this park, it’s a park we would stop at again because there is such an expansive network of trails across the whole state to choose from. Now that we have our passport stamp, we don’t have to pick trails near the Visitor Centers and can explore a little further. Enjoy!
Park Details:
ADDRESS: Head of Sequatchie Visitor Center: 270 Glyph Parkway, Pikesville, TN 37367
Cove Creek Visitor Center: 220 Park Road, Caryville, TN 37714
*Addresses for Trailheads can be found here*
HOURS: 7am-10pm Daily
ENTRANCE FEE: No Entrance Fee
TRAILS: Over 200 miles of trails!
ACTIVITIES: Hiking, Backcountry Camping & Rock Climbing
DOG RULES: Dogs must be kept on a leash and are not allowed in park buildings. Please pick up after your pet!
ADDITIONAL INFO: Cumberland County is just open the line where Central Standard Time begins. If you are coming from the East, just remember that you will lose an hour when arriving at this park!
Check out our videos about this Park on instagram @axel.theadventurepup and TikTok @axeltheadventurepup*
