Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Appalachian Trail Gave Rise to the Cumberland Trail

The news story in the 24 April 2007 Crossville (TN) Chronicle by Heather Mullinix titled "'Special places' donated to state for protection" mentions the genesis of Tennessee's Cumberland Trail.
"[Bob] Brown had been hiking with Mack Pritchard, a founder of the Tennessee Trails Association and state naturalist, and had complained of having to travel from Nashville to the Smoky Mountains to hike the Appalachian Trail. Pritchard reportedly told Brown to visit the Cumberland Plateau. Arthur Harrison showed Brown many of Cumberland County's natural treasures, including Peavine, Hebbertsburg, the Obed Canyon and Brady Mountain.

"When the idea of the Cumberland Trail was born, Harrison said he believed they envisioned a trail similar to the Appalachian Trail, and Arthur Harrison told the Tennessee Trails group he knew where the trail could go. Since 1968, hikers have been able to hike along Brady Mountain as part of the Cumberland Trail."
So, it would seem, sometimes not having the Trail near enough at hand can lead to new hiking opportunities.

The Cumberland Trail is over 300 miles long, from west of Chattanooga, past Knoxville, up to the Cumberland Gap.

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