We went to South Cumberland for a couple of days recently and just wanted to let all the outdoors/hiking folks out there know we concur with the advice given here 2 years ago.

It is hard to find a central place to stay if not camping--the B&B listed here as well as the Best Western in Monteagle were booked and the other motels near I-24 didn't look too inviting. I think next time we'd look into McMinnville or choose two locations--a place down near Monteagle for one or two nights, then up toward Crossville or another town on the northeast side of the park. The recreation area consists of ten different areas located in four different counties.

We especially liked the Grundy Forest dayhike with extension down Fiery Gizzard (yes, that's really the name of the trail).

There was practically no one on any of the trails we chose. They were demanding more because of the rocks you must climb over and walk on rather than elevation changes. Some trails gave lovely views from the plateau of the trees just starting to change in the valleys and others took us down along streams for waterfalls that were interesting and probably more impressive in the spring.

It is relatively remote, with few tourists or support services, so bring your own food and either camp or plan to do alot of driving. It provides some nice hikes in the woods.

Next time we'll try Fall Creek Falls--more easily accessible, but probably with more people.