Cumberland – Ecofocus / Family travel through a wide angle lens Wed, 22 May 2013 20:40:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 208667478 Pickett State Park- gem of the Cumberlands /2013/05/pickett-state-park/ Wed, 08 May 2013 00:22:17 +0000 http://ecofocus.com/?p=227 Adjacent to the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in Tennessee’s upper Cumberland Plateau is this jewel of a state park. Developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps of Great Depression days, the park features camping, boating, picnicking, fishing, swimming and hiking. Viewpoints open to fabulous vistas showing nature at its most magnificent.

Hikers going to Indian Rock CaveHiking

Over 50 miles of trails lead to a variety of natural features, including caves, natural stone bridges and unusual rock formations.A short, level trail leads to the Indian Rockhouse, a huge sandstone overhang. Some of the rock has been carved by erosion into interesting convoluted shapes.

Another popular short trail, a loop of just over a mile, crosses over a natural bridge. This is one of the many places in the park where the forces of wind and water are evident.

CampingBat house

The park campground has 32 sites, all with water and electric hookups, grills and picnic tables. Rental cabins are classified according to size and luxury and are designated as rustic, deluxe, chalet or villa. An interesting feature in the center of the campground is a bat house, intended to offer protection to the mosquito-eating creatures. The bat house is built atop an old water tower.

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