Hiking The Gulf Of A Tennessee State Forest

Sometimes backpacks are to places with unbelievable views, like the Roan Highlands. Then there are places that don't stand out, but that doesn't mean you can't have an excellent backpack and that was the case at the Martha Sundquist State Forest last weekend. : This Tennessee State Forest is just over 2000 acres purchased from International Paper Company (formerly Champion International Corporation) in 2001. It is located about 10 miles from Hartford, TN surrounded on three sides by the Cherokee National Forest. There is one main trail in the park, the Tennessee (TN) Gulf Trail, which is the one we went up.  

After first parking a campsite (would have had to ford a creek otherwise) it was up the TN Gulf Trail. The trail crosses four footbridges, including WBIR's Bill Williams. One of the coolest things we passed was a large hornet's nest. There wasn't a campsite on the way up, so we set up near the fourth footbridge, close to the water. It was a great evening, and I again slept great in the "Coffin."

The trip back was a good one and once back I ran the drone. I had taken it up when I arrived in Hartford and at the campsite (I couldn't take it up high because of the tree canopy), but getting it over the state forest was the icing on the cake. I finished the day with an excellent hamburger and then a coffee.