Outings Committee Presentation “EXPLORE, ENJOY AND PROTECT THE PLANET”
Innings educational meetings… Newsletter… Take action… Conservation… Membership… ● Please stay muted throughout the Navigating Zoom presentation ● Keeping your camera on will help keep everyone engaged ● This session will be recorded but your picture will not appear ● We encourage your questions and your contributions! Please type them in the Chat box ● We do not recommend Full Screen View ● Interact by responding to polls Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
Regional Backpacking Destination Leave No Trace • Leave No Trace • Mindset, not rules • Pass through with out being noticed and without leaving signs • “Hiking is the new yoga” • More people enjoying, causing more damage • Impact from just one season of low to moderate use can take 10 – 30 years to recover About Big South Fork Encompassing 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area protects the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries. The area boasts miles of scenic gorges and sandstone bluffs, is rich with natural and historic features and has been developed to provide visitors with a wide range of outdoor recreational activities Poll # 1
What types of recreation is BSF known for? (check all that apply)
A. Hiking B. Family / car camping C. Whitewater paddling D. Backpacking E. Horseback riding F. Mountain biking G. Rock climbing H. Video Gaming Tournaments
Ground Turkey Taco Stew Courtesy Trail Recipes All of the Above! (Well, maybe not so much video gaming….) Some of the Basics…. • Located in southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee • Established campgrounds and back country camping available • Several visitors centers with exhibits, facilities and ranger programs • No entrance fee • Campsite fees and backcountry camping permits required (Golden Age Passports accepted) • Nearest towns Stearns KY and Oneida TN A Few of Our Favorite 4 Backpacking Trips
1. Sawmill Trailhead to Twin Arches Loop
2. Burnt Mills Bridge TH to Honey Creek Loop to Leatherwood Ford
3. Bandy Creek Campground to Grand Gap 1
Loop 3 4. Alum Ford Campground to Princess Falls and Yahoo Falls
2 Alternative Sawmill Trailhead to Twin Arches Loop (12.8 miles) • Great beginners trip • Start at Sawmill, or Start and end Middle Creek to Alternative lengthen hike • Basecamp at Jakes Place • Day hike the Twin Arches Loop (4.8 mi) • Highlights Slave Falls, Needle Arch, Twin Arches, Charet Creek Lodge Slave Falls and Needle Arch Jake’s Place Backcountry Camping Charit Creek Lodge Twin Arches Twin Arches – View from Top and Below End
Burnt Mills Bridge TH to Honey Creek Loop to Leatherwood Ford (17.6 miles)
• Point-to-point trip from Burnt Mills to Leatherwood Ford • Or “lollypop” hike from either end • A little more strenuous route, rough trails • Section connecting Honey Creek to northern section of John Muir new, may not be on your map Alternate • Nice large campsite on the river • Highlights include Honey Creek Loop, Devil’s Den, O&W Bridge
Start Rugged Honey Creek Loop Oneida and Western Bridge Campsite View
Big South Fork of the Cumberland River Bandy Creek Campground to Grand Gap Loop (16.5 miles) • Convenient start at Bandy Creek Campground if arriving late
• Or, hike in to nice sites Start and end along Fall Branch trail • Basecamp there or on top, day hike the Grand Gap Loop (6.8 miles) • Return via John Litton Farm • Highlights include John Litton Farm, Angle Falls Overlook John Litton Farm Grand Gap Loop Trail Angel Falls Overlook Alum Ford Campground to Princess Falls to Yahoo Falls (15.5 miles) Start and end
• Another great beginners hike • Alum Ford campground available if arriving late • Or hike in 3 miles to large Shelter campsite on Negro Creek • Basecamp and explore Princess and Lick Creek Falls • Return via Negro Creek Trail past Yahoo Arch and Yahoo Falls • Highlights Princess, Lick Creek, Yahoo Falls, and Yahoo Arch Princess Falls Yahoo Arch
Yahoo Falls End Paddling Leatherwood Ford to Blue Heron (27 miles)
• 2-3 day trip • Class I-II • Angel Falls portage river right • Devils Jump portage river left (or run Class III-IV) • Free-flowing, so river levels change… target 100-500 csf • Can be difficult to spot campsites, scouting from shore ahead helps • Beautiful views of bluffs
Start Devils Jump
Paddling Big South Fork Mountain Biking Bandy Creek Area (various mileage) • Gravel roads and singletrack trails • Several routes available from campground • Duncan Hollow Rd to John Muir trail 16.8 miles • Grand Gap Loop 6.8 miles singletrack • Collier Ridge Loop 5.8 miles singletrack • Highlights Blevin Farm, Litton Farm, John Muir Overlooks Biking Big South Fork Resources
• National Park Service Site – reservations, permits, etc https://www.nps.gov/biso/ind ex.htm
• NatGeo Trails Illustrated Map https://www.natgeomaps.com/ti- 241-big-south-fork-national-river-and- recreation-area
• 100 Trails at the South Fork Guidebook https://www.amazon.com/100- Trails-Big-South-Fork/dp/0898866383 HOW DID WE DO?
We hope this presentation got you interested in checking out Panthertown! Poll #2
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
Find all our Virtual School Topics here: https://miamigroup.org/virtual-backpack-training/ Explore…Enjoy… Protect
► Join us! ∙ Become a Sierra Club Member: Member ∙ Make a donation: https://miamigroup.org/donate / ∙ Join our MeetUp https://www.meetup.com/Sierr aOutings/ ∙ Become a volunteer: https://miamigroup.org/volunte er/ Become an Outings Leader
► Share your experience and passion ► Make great friends ► Enjoy the camaraderie ► Outdoor Activities: https://miamigroup.org/outdoor -activities/ Happily presented by….
Roads Rivers and Trails Summit Trek & Travel – For Adventure Travel Independently owned outdoor outfitter To be added to mailing list, email Nancy at: 108 Main St., Milford, Ohio [email protected] #DreamPlanLive www.roadsriversandtrails.com @summit.trek.travel
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Miami Group Sierra Club https://miamigroup.org/ https://www.meetup.com/SierraOutings/ miami group (cincinnati middletown dayton) sierra club QUESTIONS…
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