Honey Creek Trail -
Big South Fork National Recreational Area
Location: East of Allardt, TN
Hike Rating: 5.2 Mile Loop / Strenuous - short, but steep elevation gains; boulder passageways; stream crossings - impassable in high water; ladders
References:
100 Trails of the Big South Fork - Russ Manning
Trail Notes: April 18, 2004
This is a favorite hike of many regulars on our hiking trips. The trail, while technically challenging, is very rewarding in terms of the scenery. Spring is a particularly good time to hike the trail to see a diverse collection of wildflowers not found in the middle Tennessee area.
This particular trip became "boys day out" as the potential for rain scared away all but a few brave men. Our gamble paid off as we had beautiful weather for the hike. We took a clockwise hike starting at the trailhead before the overlook. We bounded down the woods, passing through the damaged timber - compliments of the pine beetles. But we soon cleared the damaged area and found ourselves walking the easy trail among the rhododendrons and laurel.
We made our first switchback down along a shallow rock house. We could hear the water dripping through the rocky outcroppings into the pools and creek below. We did find a little mud slopping along this portion of the trail. We took the side trail to the rock grotto that embraces Honey Creek Falls. There was plenty of water from the spring rains to make the falls roar.
We hopped out of the grotto and back onto the trail, which took us above the falls and onto our first "climb". After crossing a new bridge, we scurried up a short rock face. Hundreds of hikers have etched divots into the stone, which helped us up the rock. Not long afterwards, we found ourselves on a mossy, rocky dome with overlooks into the river valley. We avoided a common navigational error by locating the painted arrows on the rock. (Of course the arrows pointed the opposite direction of our travel.) Below the dome we entered another rock house with a high, narrow waterfall. At this point we began our descent along the creek and into the boulder crossings.
Along Honey Creek, the footing gets a little precarious. The trail narrows and often makes short, steep climbs or descents. On a couple of occasions, you climb/slide your way through boulder passageways. The first of these opens into a flat area of the stream with the "Boulder House Falls" - a flume of water shooting between the boulders onto a rock base. The arrangement of boulders magnifies the sound of the rushing water; and the shade created makes the streambed slippery with moss.
We stopped for our lunch break at Indian Rock House, climbing up the covered ladder to sit within the archway. We took the time to squeeze through the gap into the neighboring rock house to check out the view. We took the time to enjoy the sounds of the rushing water below us while resting for the more arduous stream crossings ahead.
Fortunately, the previous rainwater had subsided enough for us to make the creek crossings without much trouble. Trekking poles helped to keep us stable on the slippery rocks. One of our group did get wet feet as he stepped in deep water. I managed to make the same navigational error I always make, scampering us 50 yards into nothing. (What can I say, hiking with me is always an adventure.) We located a trail blaze nailed to a tree fallen across the creek and continued our stream trekking.
It wasn't long before we were at the base of a high rock wall with the Cumberland River below us. The wildflowers were most prolific along this portion of the trail. We walked high above the river for several hundred yards before turning up a steep set of switchbacks. When the trail levelled out, we were below the Honey Creek Overlook. We took the side trail to our right, leading us to the ladders that climbed to the overlook. Atop the overlook we could view the headwaters of the Cumberland River, complete with brave kayakers shooting the rapids.
From the overlook, you can walk the service road back to the trailhead with our cars. We opted to take the trail route, descending the ladders back to the top of the switchbacks. This route afforded us more creek and wildflower viewing, and a path below more rock walls and waterfalls. The climb here is moderate, but not nearly as steep as the switchbacks were traversed earlier. As we reached the highpoint of the trail, we found ourselves again in the pine woods devastated by the pine beetle. And yet, among the fallen timber grew the promise of a new forest, as seedlings now catching the full sun now grew strong from the ground. It was just beyond this new growth that we made our rendezvous with our vehicles.
