How to spend an epic week in the mountains of adventure
Tennessee’s South Cumberland deserves a fresh look when you’re planning your next vacation. There is easily a week’s worth of great adventures waiting for everyone, no matter your age, interests or ability!
“This ain’t no day trip.This ain’t no gas stop.This ain’t no foolin’ around…”
To paraphrase the Talking Heads’ immortal lyrics from the ’80s, Tennessee’s South Cumberland, long misunderstood as just a “hi, fill-up, g’bye” stop or day trip on I-24, there are days and days of adventures to be discovered an explored here, making it a destination vacation worthy of your "away time"!
Like a Rubic’s Cube (pardon yet another ’80s reference!), the adventures here can be put together in a million different ways, but let’s try to cover some of the most popular and rad things you could pack into a week in Tennessee’s South Cumberland…
DAY ONE
Getting here: Sure, you can come to the top of Monteagle Mountain on I-24, but why not consider hopping off that big ribbon of asphalt in a different place, and discover how people got here back in the day? Instead, take I-24 to exit 155 (Jasper) and follow the brown park signs up “the mountain” — as the locals call the top of the Cumberland Plateau — via US 41 to South Cumberland State Park and Foster Falls, one of Tennessee’s tallest waterfalls, with an awesome swimming hole at its base (so don’t forget your swimsuits!). Follow the trail at the base of the bridge downstream, to see rock climbers displaying their epic skills on the cliff-faces of the Little Gizzard Creek gorge. (If you’re into climbing, there’s another great climbing area at Denny Cove, just a couple of miles south of Foster Falls.)
After your first adventure, check out Rosie’s Farmhouse Kitchen on Route 56, just north of Tracy City, for some waterfall-worthy grub! (Rosie’s is closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays; other restaurants in downtown Tracy City — all profiled on this website — should be open.)
Staying here: After those eye-popping introductions to our Mountains of Adventure, check into one of our many short-term rentals, which range from tiny homes in beautiful communities to larger cabins and even great wedding or family reunion venues that are tucked into our beautifully-forested terrain, most of which is about 2,000 feet above sea level and noticeably cooler in the summers than adjoining cities like Atlanta, Chattanooga or Nashville.
Wow — and that’s just Day One! Get your Adventure Attitude on for the next six days!
DAY TWO
Breakfast is a must at the Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City. 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!
Farm Out! Well fed, you’re now on your way to your second Day Two adventure: The Cove Creek Farm in nearby Monteagle — an actual working farm, which not only has products for sale, but also has a keen interest in educating kids about how a farm works — so reserves a farm tour for the kids! Cove Creek knows kids need to burn energy, too — so they’ve built a huge pirate ship and indoor play-space, to help assure your little ones will sleep well tonight!
The Domain View: After your farm adventure, head west to the quintessential small college town of Sewanee. Visit Green’s View, one of several breathtaking overlooks of the Elk River Valley, from the campus of the University of the South. Then, tour the historic “domain” (what the Sewanee faithful call the school’s campus), taking in All Saints Chapel and the McClurg Dining Hall, just two of the beautiful and historic buildings that channel what Hogwarts might look like if Harry Potter went to school in America.
Lunch and the Mountain Goat: Enjoy today’s lunch, “small town Americana-style” at Shenanigans or Lunch, two of the trio of iconic restaurants in the cute-as-a-button Sewanee downtown area (breakfast is at the third, tomorrow!). After you eat, rent some bikes at Woody’s Bike Shop or ECO E-bikes and take an out-and-back ride, as far as you like, along the Mountain Goat Trail, a community-led rails-to-trails effort that traces the route of the 19th-century Mountain Goat Railroad, originally built to get coal from Palmer, Coalmont and Tracy City to market.
Airstream Nap: By mid-afternoon, you’re probably ready for some down-time. Check into The Grove Campground, just west of Sewanee, and catch some Zzs in on one of the three vintage Airstream trailers, now nicely outfitted with decks and nestled in a grove of mature forest.
Dinner at the Inn: Finish off Day Two with an elegant dinner at Shakerag at the Sewanee Inn at the University of the South.
DAY THREE
Up An’ At ’Em: Grab breakfast at the Blue Chair in the Sewanee downtown village, then lace up those hiking boots and hit the Lost Cove West trailhead to Buggytop Cave, the largest natural cave opening in Tennessee, and the only one which has a stream emanating from its mouth. “Buggytop” is just one part of Head of the Crow State Park, one of Tennessee’s newest state parks. On your way back, stop by its Lost Cove North trailhead and get a gander at the Sewanee Natural Bridge, a massive sandstone arch, carved by wind and water over the eons.
‘Papa’ Says: From the Natural Bridge, head east to Monteagle. Just past I-24, satisfy your lunchtime hunger at Papa Ron’s, a long-time local favorite featuring soups, salads, steaks and spaghetti dishes (and get a pizza-to-go for the kids, for tonight!). Then, stroll along the winding sidewalk of Monteagle (also part of the Mountain Goat Trail) and take in tons of Monteagle history, including the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly, and the Monteagle Eagle.
Go Underground! Take the short drive down the mountain for a tour of The Caverns, where you can also catch live music performances by top artists in a huge and spectacular cave. If you want to catch a live show, be sure to check TheCaverns.com website for the performance schedule, and reserve tickets ahead of time. Fun fact: This is where they shoot the PBS television series “The Caverns Sessions” each spring.
Tiny Home Tonight: Back up on the mountain, off US41 just east of Monteagle, check into your “tiny home” accommodations for this evening in the Retreat at Deer Lick Falls. These tiny homes average about 900 square feet and are nestled in a unique forest community. After check-in, conquer the awesome half-mile trail that descends to breathtaking Deer Lick Falls. (Afterward, the kids will conquer that pizza for dinner!)
Dinner with AL? For an upscale and not-to-be-missed fine dining experience, make an adults-only reservation for dinner at High Point, in the historic Mabee Homeplace, which was frequented by famed Chicago gangster Al Capone during the early 19th Century.
DAY FOUR
Ready to Wander? Pack a picnic lunch with grub from Piggly Wiggly in Monteagle, and grab a drive-thru breakfast for the kids. Find your morning jolt at WanderBrew, the renovated filling station in Monteagle, just down from High Point, and then take the short drive to the South Cumberland State Park Information & Welcome Center on US 41, where you can watch a video and get the “down low” on all there is to do here, naturally. The Welcome Center includes a 3-D model of the South Cumberland region and a hands-on museum that will delight the kids.
Next Stop, Fiery Gizzard: From here, it’s a five-minute drive to the Fiery Gizzard North Trailhead in South Cumberland State Park for a family-friendly walk around the Grundy Forest Day Loop. Be sure to take in the site of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp from the 1930s, and learn about area history in the process.
History Comes Alive: Next, it’s a short drive to downtown Tracy City to check out the Grundy County Heritage Center and Museum, which contains an amazing collection of area history, organized into eight “galleries”, each with a theme tied to an event or period in the area’s past.
Authentic Lunch: Grab today’s lunch in one of a number of authentic local dining establishments in Tracy City: The Annex Cafe, Potbellies, or the El Maguey Mexican Restaurant. Take an after-lunch stroll around the historic downtown area of what was once a coal mining “company town”. Visit Roundhouse Park, in front of the Museum, where the kids can burn off some energy.
Swim in a CCC Lake: Then, cruise over to the Grundy Lakes Historic Area, also part of South Cumberland State Park, to see the result of the “CCC Boys” work — a beautiful swimming lake with a beach and swim platform, in what used to be the Lone Rock coal mining and processing area. Here, you’ll also see remnants of the coke ovens that were used to prepare “Sewanee Coal” for market by converting raw coal into coal coke, an essential ingredient in making steel. Learn about the infamous stockade, where prison laborers were housed while being conscripted to do the unpleasant job of operating the coke ovens.
Get the Long View: Next, follow the brown park signs north on TN Highway 56 to Savage Gulf State Park’s North Trailhead, where, after a short walk, you’ll be able to see forever as you gaze down over 1,000 feet to the bottom of Big Creek Gorge. You can take a short hike down through the actual Great Stone Door formation and look back up at the magnificent sandstone cliffs.
Stop by the iconic Beersheba Springs Market for after-hike snacks and beverages, and enjoy your previously-made reservation at the Greeter Falls Lodge for an upscale evening in what used to be a lumber company and window factory! Grab dinner in Tracy City at Hank’s, and make note: Friday night is Steak Night at Hank’s — a legendary dining experience!
DAY FIVE
Meet the Greeters: Start your day with a hearty country breakfast at at Highway 56 Coffee in Altamont. Grab a picnic lunch-to-go while you’re there. Then come back into town and follow the brown park signs to the Savage Gulf West entrance, where a short trail (with a unique spiral staircase!) brings you to Greeter Falls, one of the region’s most popular waterfalls and swimming hole. Beware of slippery rocks! On the way, be sure to take the 500-foot side trail to see the foundations of the Greeter Homestead, and learn about the Greeter family’s role in area history. (If it’s not swimming weather, try the short alternate trail to Greeter’s upper falls, where you can learn about the lumber and grist mill that operated on this site for many decades, and about the Chickamauga Trace, an original Native American footpath that crossed the river near here.)
It’s a Big Creek! After your time at the Falls, follow the Greeter Trail up and east one mile to a 270º overlook of Big Creek Gulf, one of the most impressive overlooks in this part of the park. Retrace your steps to the parking area,
Get Some Shut-Eye: After all that activity, you’ll be ready to return to the Greeter Falls Lodge to rest and regroup. Most GFL suites have a refrigerator and microwave, but there’s also a family-style kitchen; this may be a night to “eat in”. The DG Market, just south of town, has a good selection of groceries. Be sure to stock up for an “on the trail” picnic lunch tomorrow! Or,
forget about eating in — head out to Highway 56 (the restaurant, on the road of the same name) for delicious dinner fare, and then get some shut-eye for a big day tomorrow!
DAY SIX
Don’t Miss the Swiss! Start Day Six, like you did Day Five, at Highway 56. Then head south from Altamont on Highway 56 and turn left at the Highway 108 traffic light (known locally as “The Junction”) to Gruetli-Laager, a community that began as a colony for Swiss immigrants looking for a better life in America. Your first adventure today is the Stoker-Stampfli Farm and Museum, where you can see original 18th-Century farm buildings, stocked with authentic items depicting farm life for the Swiss families who settled this area.
Meet the Suter Family’s falls: After leaving the Farm, return to Highway 108 and watch for brown park signs to the Savage Gulf South trailhead, a left turn and ten minute ride off the highway. A 30-minute hike will bring you to Suter Falls, named for one of the early Swiss families in this area, who originally owned these falls. The approach to Suter Falls takes you across a challenging boulder field, then through a dramatic, overhung rock amphitheater.
Something for later: A metal bridge at the base of Suter Falls beckons you to explore the Collins Gulf and Collins Rim Trails. From here, together, they form a challenging 11-mile round-robin hike — so unless you have an extra full day to devote to it (and the kids are old enough to handle it!), this hike is best saved for your next visit to the Mountains of Adventure!
Something for today: Return from Suter Falls the way you came, but turn left (downhill) at the junction with the Collins Rim trail and follow it about one mile, out to the cable-bridge crossing of the Collins River, a dramatic boulder field-in-a-river, and a great place for a picnic lunch. After exploring the boulder field, return uphill, the way you came, to the Savage Gulf South trailhead.
Sleep Out or Sleep In: If you have the camping gear (and have made a reservation!) you could consider sleeping tonight at the Collins Campground, which is at the top of the bluff, on the trail you used to reach Suter Falls. If you don’t feel like sleeping out, a third night at the Greeter Falls Lodge might be your best alternative.
DAY SEVEN
Wow, That Was Fast! A week has flown by, and for all you’ve seen and done, you’ve really only scratched the surface of all there is to discover in the Mountains of Adventure! But there’s still one more adventure before you hit the road for home…
After breakfast (and perhaps picking up picnic lunch) at your now-familiar food stops in Altamont [or after breaking camp, if you slept out!], return to Highway 108, go east to the coal town of Palmer, then left on Highway 399 to the East Trailhead of Savage Gulf State Park. Take the Savage Day Loop and Savage Falls trails about one-and-a-half miles out to beautiful Savage Falls, passing the site of an old moonshine still along the way. Just upstream from the Falls, be sure to check out the huge Savage Creek cascade! Return the way you came, to the Savage East trailhead.
What’s So Savage About Savage Gulf? As with your visit to Suter Falls the day before, there are several trails that beckon you to explore deeper into Savage Gulf State Park. The 19,000+ acres of this park protect some of the most wild and amazing places in the Eastern United States, but here, you can also see the cabins of early settlers like Joe Hobbs and Decatur Savage. It was the Savage family that gave its name to this area, although the ruggedness of this terrain is also deserving of the adjective!
But there’s so much you haven’t experienced! Savage Gulf, like South Cumberland’s Fiery Gizzard and Head of the Crow State Parks, are worthy and deserving of a return trip to the Mountains of Adventure. Come again and plan to hike or bike the more than 100 miles of trail in these magnificent places, or return for the authentic food, entertainment at the Caverns, summer programs at the University of the South and so much more! Or return again for all of it. Make it your annual family vacation! It’s all waiting for you here, in the Mountains of Adventure!