On June 22, 1998, TN State Parks announced the creation of the Cumberland Trail State Park, Tennessee’s 53rd State Park and the only state park of its kind. In September 2002, the park was renamed the park Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park in recognition of Wilson's dedication and leadership in catalyzing efforts to build the trail.
Over the next
eight to 10 years, the state will work in partnership with the
Cumberland Trail
Conference (the CTC) an associate
organization of the Tennessee Trails Association, and other volunteers to
solicit public and private support for acquisition of additional land along the
trail. The CTC is building the Cumberland Trail at the ground level.
Upon completion, the
Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park -- the state’s only linear park --
will be 300 miles, cutting through 11 Tennessee counties from the Cumberland Gap
National Historic Park on the Tennessee-Virginia-Kentucky border, to the Signal
Point near Chattanooga.
One hundred fifty miles of the Cumberland Trail are open and ready for
exploration. This includes the Cumberland Mountain Segments above LaFollette and
Jacksboro and in the Cumberland Gap National Military Park, the Grassy Cove
Segment on Black and Brady Mountain in Cumberland County, the Tennessee River
Gorge Segment in Prentice Cooper State Forest, and the Obed Wild and Scenic
River Segment in the Obed River Gorge and Catoosa WMA.
The Cumberland Trail wanders among the remnants of the Cumberland Mountains that
once rose as high as the Rockies. The trail represented a barrier to all who
dared push through storied gaps westward onto and over the Cumberland plateau.
It now provides a linkage north to south, forming natural connections and
opportunities for scenic vistas and curious geological formations.
Visit http://www.cumberlandtrail.org for activities and maps.
The Cumberland Trail can be accessed from the following state parks and state natural areas:
Back to Areas with Hiking Trails
This site was last updated 09/23/06