The Big South Fork: Adventure awaits on Trails, Rails & Waterways

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Big South Fork: Adventure Awaits

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Big South Fork: Adventure Awaits

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Big South Fork: Adventure Awaits

Yahoo Falls is on the Kentucky side of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

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Big South Fork: Adventure Awaits

Chimney Rock, a sandstone formation standing some 20 feet tall.

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Big South Fork: Adventure Awaits

The Big South Fork Scenic Railway takes a 14 mile trip down to Blue Heron, the largest interpretive collection of historic coal mining in America.

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Straddling both Tennessee and Kentucky, the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area provides visitors access to 125,000 acres with natural arches, waterfalls and a host of outdoor activities like camping, horseback riding and paddling. 

And for those who truly want to get away from it all, it’s less crowded than some other national parks and offers a sense of solitude, says Christopher Derman, the park’s chief of interpretation and education. 

“There aren’t many parks in the National Park Service that can match what we have to offer,” he said.

Headquartered in Oneida, Tenn., the park has 200 miles of hiking trails, nearly 60 miles of mountain biking trails, more than 100 miles of horseback riding trails, along with fishing, rock climbing, hunting, kayaking, bird watching and camping.

“Really, the multitude of natural resources found here—coupled with the number of activities that one can engage in—that is part of the park’s magic, is that it is so varied,” Derman said. “There’s something for everybody.”

Notably, Big South Fork region is thought to have more natural arches than any other in the eastern United States. Some of these arches—Twin, Needle, Split Bow, Yahoo, Koger and Buffalo to name a few—have walking trails leading to them, while others like Wagon Arch are visible from roadways. 

Big South Fork is a destination for a number of kayaking groups as well as some night sky watching groups, and is popular not only with individuals, families and school groups but for weddings and family reunions, Derman said.

A number of historic cemeteries are found onsite and are visited by history enthusiasts and family members of those interred there.

The park’s resources are attractive to researchers conducting studies on a variety of topics, Derman said. Meanwhile, natural resources staff onsite also work to ensure park resources remain healthy and aren’t in danger of disease, studying fish, bats, birds, wild hogs and other wildlife and plant populations.

The park offers two types of camping, with several traditional campgrounds that can accommodate guests with or without horses, and backcountry camping is allowed for more adventurous sorts. 

Guests can also reserve rustic 1830s-era back country lodge, Charit Creek Lodge, (csl-bsf.com) which is accessible only by biking, hiking or on horseback and has dormitories or private cabins outfitted with beds, lanterns and wood-burning stoves. Meals here are served family style and modern showers and restrooms are available for overnight guests.

“If you can think it, for all intents and purposes you can do it,” Derman said of the park’s offerings.

Visitors to the Kentucky side of the park can climb aboard the Big South Fork Scenic Railway, which departs from Stearns, Kentucky. Spokesman Shane Gilreath said the train runs April through December, and excursions are three hours round trip, with 90 minutes spent riding on the train through Big South Fork and visiting the historic Blue Heron area. 

“You drop about 200 feet in elevation going to the park,” Gilreath said. “Down at the park you see Big South Fork at the Cumberland River, you go through several different coal communities … You see the old town of Camargo, which was completely washed away in one of the great floods of the 1920s.”

About 30,000 passengers ride the train each year, he said, with peak times in October for fall foliage viewing. In November and December, the railway has Polar Express-themed rides, and for the first time in 2018 the railway had an Easter-themed excursion the Saturday before Easter.

Gilreath said the engine can pull up to six train cars and carry about 300 people in both open and enclosed cars, some of which have restrooms. Tickets are $28 for adults.

Chambers of commerce in the communities bordering the park are staffed with people knowledgeable about the park who can assist tourists, Derman said.

Ben Garrett is immediate past president of the Scott County Chamber of Commerce and is involved with the chamber’s tourism committee. He’s led a 20-week hiking challenge in the Big South Fork to encourage more local residents to explore the park along with out-of-towners.

An avid hiker, Garrett said the diversity of natural features and activities in the park is hard to beat and he also underscored the fact that the park can be enjoyed without a feeling of being overcrowded.

“Here you can get on a trail and you may not see a soul,” he said. “You may hike all day and not see another person, so people come here if they’re into that adventure tourism aspect.”

In 2012, the International Mountain Biking Association named five trails within Big South Fork as “Epic Rides,” the first national park unit in the U.S. to receive this designation, Garrett said.

Compared to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its 11.3 million annual visitors, Big South Fork, with about 650,000 visitors each year, has plenty to do but fewer people to bump elbows with, Derman said.

“It’s a very special park in that we do have so much to offer,” he said. “On virtually any day you come here you’ll feel like you’re the only one here. … This park is a bit of a secret gem.”

Pro Tips:

• Aim for autumn One of the most popular times of year for visitors is in the fall when the leaves are changing colors, the weather is a bit cooler and mosquitoes and other bugs are less prevalent. Even so, “I think there’s something for everybody, regardless of time of year and that is one of the special things about this park, there’s always something to do,” said Big South Fork NRRA Chief of Interpretation and Education Christopher Derman.
• Avoid the crowds The least crowded time of year is in the late winter and early spring. “I love the feeling of having the park to myself and I will say this is an exceptional park for that,” Derman said.
• Activities all year The property was set aside as a recreation area for its diversity of activities including hunting, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing/paddling, rock climbing and bird watching. Some of these activities can be pursued year-round.
• See the sights A don’t miss attraction onsite is Yahoo Falls, if on the Kentucky side of the NRRA, Derman said. It’s the state’s tallest, at 113 feet, and the trail to view it is only a few picturesque miles long. On the Tennessee side, Derman recommends visiting the Twin Arches, considered the biggest in the BSF and possibly in the eastern U.S.
• Visit the neighbors If not camping in the park itself, the two nearest cities are on the Tennessee side, Oneida, and on the Kentucky side, Whitley City.
• Mind the rules Sometimes campfire restrictions are in place in the park during droughts. Updates are always posted on the park’s website and at visitor centers. Pets are allowed in the park on leashes.
• If in doubt, ask The main visitor center in the park is open daily (except Christmas) with knowledgeable staff ready to assist, Derman said. That information may include particular trails that are temporarily closed to the public for prescribed fires or other reasons. A full list of visitor and contact centers can be found at nps.gov/biso/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm. “We’re there to help you make the best of your trip, whether you’re there for a couple of hours or for a couple of days,” Derman said.

Also In the Area:

• Pickett CCC Memorial State Park Located within the 19,200 acre Pickett State Forest adjacent to the Big South Fork NRRA, this Tennessee state park in Jamestown, Tenn., celebrates the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which helped establish many parks and built trails, campsites and cabins across the U.S. It includes camping, hiking, a museum and more. tnstateparks.com/parks/about/pickett 
• Manhattan Project National Historic Park This site in Oak Ridge, Tenn., was once the administrative and military headquarters for the Manhattan Project. Bus tours are available March through November except on certain holidays. For more information about the national site, visit nps.gov/mapr/oakridge.htm. In addition, the visitor center for the park is located within the same building as another attraction, the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, at 461 W. Outer Dr., Oak Ridge, Tennessee. childrensmuseumofoakridge.org. Also in Oak Ridge you’ll find the American Museum of Science and Energy at 300 S. Tulane, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. amse.org
• Obed Wild and Scenic River Headquartered in Wartburg, Tenn., the Obed Wild and Scenic River has whitewater streams for paddlers, as well as rock climbing, camping, hiking, hunting and fishing opportunities. nps.gov/obed/index.htm 
• Big South Fork Scenic Railway is located in Stearns, KY, and offers 90-minute excursions into the gorge of the Big South Fork NRRA. Trips in April through October visit the Blue Heron Mining Camp national park interpretive site. bsfsry.com