Summer of 21 - #5 - Cumberland Mountain State Park & Ozone Falls

April 26th, 2021

After spending the weekend at home we decided it was time for a day trip.

Our first stop was Cumberland Mountain State Park, Tennessee. Here is an excerpt from the website.

"Cumberland Mountain State Park is situated on the Cumberland Plateau, a segment of the great upland, which extends from western New York to central Alabama.  It is said to be the largest timbered plateau in America.  Cumberland Mountain State Park began as part of the greater Cumberland Homesteads Project, a New Deal-era initiative by the Resettlement Administration that helped relocate poverty-stricken families on the Cumberland Plateau to small farms centered on what is now the Cumberland Homestead community.  This 1,720-acre park was acquired in 1938 to provide a recreational area for some 250 families selected to homestead on the Cumberland Plateau."

One of the reasons we chose to visit here was I thought Bryan might be able to get some good photos and it looked pretty. It didn't disappoint and was helped by the sun shining.

Our welcoming committee

The colors were amazing.  The pictures don't do them justice.  Although Bryan's pictures are sharper than mine.

Red car going over the bridge.

There is a restaurant here but it has not reopened yet.

We walked across to the other side of the bridge and Bryan went down to the river bank to get some pictures.  I started to go with him but I was a little unsure of my footing when stepping down and decided against it. My legs are shorter than his, ha!!ha!!

There I am wishing I was down there with him.  I did find another way down, but he was already on his way back so I didn't go any further.

They have cabins and a campground here.

It was a relaxing place to be and we only saw a couple of other people.

Our next stop was Ozone Falls State Natural Area.  

It was a short walk to the top of the falls.

Getting closer, looking down!! I had read that there were no guardrails and to watch children very carefully. I would have been very nervous if I had children with me.  You  only had to get close to the edge to see the top of the waterfall, but of course that was what we wanted to see.  

There was a nice stream, which led to the waterfall.

There wasn't anywhere you could get a picture of the whole waterfall without going on a steep uneven trail down to the bottom. It's places like this that make us wish we were younger. I spoke to a lady who was there and asked her about the trail down.  She told me where it was and that it was very steep and uneven with lots of rocks/boulders. She also told me that there was a small amount of snow here only a couple of weeks prior, and the stream had frozen. That would have been amazing but dangerous.  Imagine slipping on the ice!!!

We started to walk to the start of the trail down, just to see if we thought it was possible for us.

On the way, Bryan did get quite close to the edge.

and got this picture.  

The waterfall is to the right of the tree trunk in the middle

You can't really tell from these pictures but you can walk behind it. We really wanted to do that but it wasn't to be.

I took a close up.  This was the best I could do.

This was the trail to the bottom.  It doesn't look to bad in this picture but it was quite steep and you had to clamber over the rocks.  We didn't want to risk breaking anything!!!  It was a little frustrating.

Across the road there was this old railroad trestle.  The track was no longer in use and had been taken up either side of the trestle.

What can you imagine this is??  A serpent?? A dinosaur??

Here's a map of our travels today.

Another great day even if we didn't get to walk behind the falls.