Historic Rugby Victorian England

Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area:

 Big South Fork is located atop the picturesque Cumberland Plateau. It offers more outdoor activities than most National Parks. Whether you are a hiker pursuing an easy morning stroll or a backpacker considering for a wilderness challenge, an opportunity awaits you in the Big South Fork. It offers a seemingly undisturbed wilderness where you can scale a bluff and look for miles across the river and plateau without another person in view. The Big South Fork is open year-round.

Activities in Big South Fork:

Hiking: Over 300 miles of trails. Hiking is one of the most popular activities in the Big South Fork. The trails range from less than a mile to as much as 40 miles in length offering easy, moderate or strenuous hikes. Trail maps are available through the Visitor Center.

Cross-country hiking: Explore areas where no one has set foot before, no designated trails, you must have a compass and topographical map

Camping: Bandy Creek Campground, 190 campsites open year-round, with electric and water hookups, RV and tent sites. Campground has playgrounds, a swimming pool, and volleyball court and restroom/shower houses. Reservations are recommended by calling 1-800-365 CAMP (2267). Station Camp Horse Camp and Bear Creek Horse Camp provide accommodations for horse and rider, sites with water, electricity, bathhouses, and tie-out stalls at each site for 4 horses. Reservations are recommended by calling 423-569-3321.

Horseback riding: Over 200 miles of developed trails. The Big South Fork is one of the best places in the Southeast for horseback riding. Trail maps are available through the Visitor Center. Horse stables and horse rentals are available at the Bandy Creek Campground 931-879-4013 and the Big South Fork Wilderness Resort 423-569-9847.

Backcountry lodging: Charit Creek Lodge accessible only by hiking and horse trails. Charit Creek rests in a hollow at the confluence of Charit and Station Camp Creeks. The lodge has two bunkrooms and two bunkhouse cabins that each sleeps 12 people. The Rooms and cabins are heated by woodstoves, no electricity is available, kerosene lanterns and solar-powered bathhouses, open year-round. Reservations are required by calling 423-429-5704. Stables with hay are available for lodge quests to board horses overnight.

Paddling: Big South Fork is one of the major whitewater rivers of the Southeast with 86 miles of river and its tributaries flowing through the Big South Fork. The river offers a fun experience ranging from sections for beginners to whitewater with class III and IV rapids. Paddling is seasonal as the Big South Fork is a free-flowing river. Local outfitter Sheltowee Trace Outfitters offers guided trips, canoe and raft rentals and shuttle services. 1-800-541-RAFT (7238)

Road bicycling: All of the highways and back roads open to passenger car traffic is open and applicable for bicycling. A ride through Highway 297 can be an experience; the paved road dips into the gorge, and offers good shoulders for easy biking. Easy riding can begin at the Bandy Creek Visitor Center, riding the Highway 154. Maps are available at the Visitor Center

Mountain biking: The Big South Fork offers some of the best option for biking in the Southeast along old roads, horse trails and routes precisely designed for mountain bikes.

Climbing and rappelling: Walls of sandstone in the Big South Fork offers exciting opportunities for rock climbing and rappelling. The O & W Overlook is a popular place for climbing and rappelling.

Caving: prevails in the Big South Fork with rock shelters where light pervades all the way to the back of the openings.

Swimming: at an Olympic size pool at Bandy Creek Campgrounds or several spots in the Big South Fork and its tributary creeks.

Snorkeling: at low water when the river runs clear looking for various fish and mollusk species that inhabit the river.

Picnic: at any of the 14 developed picnic areas with tables and grills. Restrooms are available at certain sites, other sites have chemical toilets. Undeveloped areas offer picturesque locations on the river and shaded streams ideal for picnicking. Hugh boulders at streamside make excellent spots for lunch.

Sightseeing: The Visitor Center offers orientation and information on leisurely walks in the Big South Fork.

Scenic: overlooks Several overlooks that give visitors an opportunity to get wide-ranging views of the river gorge.

Photography: Big South Fork exhibits a geologic landscape with dramatic scenes of the river gorge, waterfalls, arches, chimneys and rock shelters, old log cabins, and barns, weathered gravestones, and railroad bridges that span the river and streams.

Four-wheel drive, ATV, Trail bike: Many miles of dirt roads provide opportunities for four-wheel drive, all-terrain vehicles and trail bike riding.

Fishing: A popular activity in the Big South Fork, an abundance of bass, bluegill, catfish, walleye and other game species are found in the river and its tributary streams.

Hunting: is permitted in the Big South Fork with a valid state license and subject to state and federal regulations. It is rich in wildlife because of its diversity of habitat and numerous springs, ponds, and streams. The native wild turkey has been successfully reintroduced and is increasing in popularity. White tail deer bound around in abundance. The Big South Fork is excellent for birdwatchers.

Trapping: A license is required to trap typical furbearers found in the Big South Fork, min, muskrat, beaver, opossum, red fox, gray fox, raccoon, weasel, bobcat, and striped skunk.

Activities for the physically challenged Several overlooks are accessible by wheelchair, the boardwalks along the river at Leatherwood are universally accessible, and restrooms are handicap accessible, scenic drives and rider.

Hunting, Hiking, Camping, Fishing, Wildlife Viewing, Off Road Vehicle Use, Mountain Biking, Horseback Riding, Firing Range, Wildlife Food Plots

Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area located approximately 45 miles northwest of Knoxville, Tennessee and just north of Caryville, Tennessee, in parts of Campbell and Scott Counties, many old mine sites on the area, most sites have re-vegetated naturally, many high walls remain exposed, recent mines have been reclaimed and provide valuable habitats, strip and deep operations are currently ongoing within the area. The area offers all terrain vehicles (ATV's), motorcycles, 4 X 4s, and other types of off road vehicles.  Stable populations of many game and non-game species exist in the Royal Blue Area including deer, turkey, squirrel, grouse, beaver, rabbit, snipe, woodcock, and elk. Ponds contain bass and bluegill.

Fees:  fees for horseback riding, bicycling, and off highway use shall be as follows:

Residents:
Annual fee $50.00 or possession of an annual or permanent hunting and fishing license and any permit required to hunt on Royal Blue or any Sportsman License.  Daily Fee $10.00

Non-Residents:
Annual fee $160.00 or possession of a non-resident annual all game hunting license and any permit required to hunt on Royal Blue.  Daily Fee $25.00

Definition of Off Highway vehicle—any vehicle capable of traveling off highways within the state

For additional information call 423-566-8557

'Hole In the Ridge" a unique rock tunnel that runs the length of a ridge top within the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, also known as Needle's eye, a cave-like tunnel carved through a ridge top, it stands more than 100 feel long from entrance to exist and approximately 50 feet tall from floor to ceiling, accessible only by foot, horse, and ATV.

To get to Hole In The Ridge, take Mt. Helen Road off Highway 52 in Armathawaite, travel Mt. Helen Road unit its intersection with Old Mt. Helen Road, take a right, then the first left onto Hurricane Ridge Road, trael approximately ¼ mile, the county road will end and Hurricane Ridge Road will continue on a gravel oil well access road, approximately 2 miles beyond this point the road will become impassable for two-wheel drive vehicles near the boundary between Bowater Property and the Big South Fork, the Ridge is approximately 1 mile beyond this point, horseback or ATV ride and follow the signs marked "Needle's Eye, the final journey is very short but crude and rough foot trail around the side of the hill to the opening of  the passageway.

ATV Riders Hole In The Earth  Chitwood Mountain, except for the strip mines that dot the area and timber cutting operations along portions of the terrain, these mountains are as wild and untamed as they were in frontier times, this area has become popular among ATV riders , these hills take in thousands of acres of territory between the towns of Winfield, Williamsburg, Jellico and Caryville including t part of the Royal Blue Wildlife Management and includes some of highest peaks on the Cumberland Plateau.

On a clear day from the top of these peaks, a sight-seer can take in miles of rugged terrain of the Upper Cumberlands, at night the lights of 6 different cities can be seen from these peaks, on July 4, many ATV riders will travel to the tops of these hills where fireworks from Huntsville Firemen's Fourth are visible in skies ot the south and west

Access the Chitwood Area, Pine Hill in Oneida or Pine Grove Road in Winfield, TN.

Historic Rugby Victorian England

Newbury House B & B: Nuzzled in the 1880's English village of Rugby, authentically restored and Victorian-furnished, open year-round, ideal for small group retreats/meetings call us at 423-628-2441 or visit our web site at www.historicrugby.org

In Historic Stearns, KY
A National Park Concessionaire

Big South Fork Scenic Railway
800-462-5664
www.bsfsry.com

Welcome to the home page of the Big South Fork Scenic Railway!  Come spend a relaxing day or two with us in the beautiful hills of southern Kentucky.  Sit back and enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area while the train makes its way through deep gorges and hugs steep cliff lines to take you back into a bygone era of logging and coal mining.

The land that was once occupied by loggers and miners is now covered by lush vegetation and is abundant with wildlife. The train hugs cliff lines and follows roaring mountain streams, passes through a tunnel and over a bridge as it descends over 600 feet in five miles to the floor of the Big South Fork River valley.

Royal Blue Information provided by National Rifle Association of America Copyright Jun 1999

E-mail Us HERE