Savage Gulf Beginners Backpacking Trip

March 20-21 HIKE STATS: Meeting Time: 7:00 AM Meeting Place: Target Hickory Hollow Estimated Drive Time One Way: 1.5 hours Hike Distance: 8-9 miles (per day) with pack Estimated Hike Time: 5-6 Hours/day Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous Trip Leader: David Patterson Pets: Dogs on leashes allowed Join the Nashville Hiking Meetup for an easy overnight backpacking trip at Savage Gulf State Natural Area. Bring your overnight gear, your camera, food for two days, snacks and plenty of water. The evening and morning will likely be chilly so make sure you bring warm layers! We will meet at the Target parking lot in Hickory Hollow on Old Hickory Blvd (off I-24 East) at 7 A.M. and will carpool 1.5 hours to the Savage Ranger Station in the Savage Gulf State Natural Area (please offer gas money to drivers). The first day we will backpack 8-9 miles on flat terrain on the North Rim Trail to the Hobbs Cabin campsite where we will drop those heavy packs and make camp. Sunday morning we will break camp and hike back out via the North Rim Trail or we can walk in the woods via the North Plateau Trail. Both are flat terrain. If anyone is interested we can go by Crust Pizza in Sewanee (NHM Sponsor) on the way home for dinner! To trailhead: I-24 East to TN 50 (exit 127). Take TN 50 to TN 56; turn right (south) on TN 56 to TN 108. At 108 turn left (east/south) through Gruetli Laager to TN 399. Turn left (north) on TN 399, Savage Ranger Station will be about 4 miles on left. Savage Gulf is 15,590-acre natural area located in Grundy and Sequatchie Counties. Carved like a giant crowfoot into the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau, it is one of Tennessee's most scenic wilderness areas. Its sheer sandstone cliffs and rugged canyons provide extraordinary views. We will hike in via the Savage Day loop along Savage Creek. Savage Creek enters its gorge over cascades and drops 30-foot at Savage Falls. We will hike to Hobbs Cabin on the North Rim Trail to the campsite. Hobbs Cabin is primitive camping with no facilities (only a privy). Savage Gulf State Natural Area: http://www.state.tn.us/environment/na/natareas/savage/