A Nice, Easy Group Hike

 For a relatively flat, easy, 3-mile hike (round trip), check out the Sherwood Day Loop in the new Head of the Crow State Park, South of Sewanee on TN Route 56 ("Jumpoff Road"). There are two great overlooks, a beautiful sandstone natural bridge, with lots of very unique rock formations to check out along the way. It's a great place to take a picnic lunch for your group, to enjoy at one of the overlooks, too!

Rent Some Bikes and Zoom Down The "Goat"

At Woody's Bicycles in Sewanee, right behind the Shenanigans Restaurant on Highway 41A, you can rent bikes of all kinds and sizes, if you didn't bring your own. Right across the street from Woody's is the Mountain Goat Trail, a "rails-to-trails" community proiject to create a multimodal paved trail on the former right-of-way of the Mountain Goat Railroad, which was built in the 1850s to bring coal from the mines near Tracy City (and points north) to market. The trail is largely shaded, except for a couple of miles just west of Monteagle, and is an easy ride for those in your group who would enjoy a ride along a very historic trail.

The Caverns Cave Tour, and a Prowl in Pelham

Whether your group has plans to take in a concert at The Caverns or not, for the more adventurous, The Caverns offers a cave tour, focused on that part of the cave where your show will be (or was) taking place, which is pretty cool in and of itself -- kind of a "behind the scenes" tour. Afterward, take the group over to nearby Pelham, which stretches along US Highway 41 (part of the ledgendary "Dixie Highway". Here, you'll find a number of unique and tasty places to visit. If it's just a good cup of coffee your group seeks, check out the Pelham Valley Coffee Roasters. If your gang needs a few more groceries or maybe a good deli sandwich, check out the Northcutt Family Market on Highway 50, just west of US 41. But if it's a meal your mob is cravin', Try the Simply Southern Cafe or Tess's Kitchen Cafe, both on US 41. Both feature excellent Southern fare; Tess also offers pizza and Asian dishes. (An insider's tip: Tess's is open Tuesday thru Saturday for lunch and dinner; Simply Southern is open 10 am to 2 pm Monday thru Friday, and is closed Saturdays and Sundays.)

Kids of All Ages Can Have a Sweet Tooth!

It's OK to indulge once in awhile (we all have a little kid in us!) Make the pilgrimage to the Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City for some sweet times.  This 125-year-old South Cumberland institution serves up the sweetest breakfast, Monday thru Saturday, 9 to 11 am.  If you sleep in (shame on you, when there’s so much to see and do!), Dutch Maid also serves a tasty lunch from 11 am to 2 pm, also Monday thru Saturday.  Be sure to check out their old-time confectionary store — great place to pick up delicious gift items take-home treats!

Great Ways to Get More Fresh Air...and a bit of history on the side

All of these adventures just scratch the surface of what there is to see and do in Tennessee's South Cumberland! For those who want to get out and experience our Great Nature, plan hikes at the Fiery Gizzard North trailhead in South Cumberland State Park, where you can also tour the site of a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps camp; or check out the historic Coke Ovens at the Grundy Lakes Historic Area, just south of Tracy City on US 41. There's so much more to see and do here in Tennessee's South Cumberland -- so start checking out our Do, Eat, Stay, Places and Events tabs and create your own awesome exploration of the Mountains of Adventure!