Cumberland Trail Highlights

The trail follows ancient pathways used by Native American tribes for hunting and trade, and later by pioneers and settlers venturing westward. The region's rich natural resources fueled industries like mining and logging, leaving behind remnants of railways and settlements that whisper tales of a bygone era.  

The Cumberland Trail follows a line of pristine high ridges and deep gorges lying along Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, linking state park lands, state natural areas, wildlife management areas, and national parks. As it meanders, the trail travels through several natural areas: Laurel-Snow, Ozone Falls, and Stinging Fork. It also borders Piney Falls. Partnership with the Cumberland Trails Conference, Friends of the Cumberland Trail, and other 501c3 organizations and volunteer groups supports the acquisition of land and the construction and maintenance of the trail. The completed trail corridor will encompass the largest acreage within a Tennessee State Park unit, extending from the Cumberland Gap on the Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky borders to the Tennessee River Gorge near Chattanooga.  

Today, the park protects numerous historical and cultural sites, including Devilstep Hollow Cave, adorned with Mississippian-era glyphs, and Head of Sequatchie Spring, the source of the Sequatchie River. The farm at Head of Sequatchie was owned by Adam Sherill, a Revolutionary War veteran, and his sister Bonnie Kate Sherill, who married John Sevier, the state's first governor. The park is also tied to the Dayton Coal Mines and the Fratersville Mine, the site of a tragic mining accident.  

Cumberland Trail State Park is a living museum, where every step reveals a new chapter in the story of Tennessee.