Looking for a place to hike and camp, suggestions?

[Guest Cogent Design]

I hope this is the right place for this and it may be a stupid thread... I am looking for a place here in middle Tennessee where I can spend the day outdoors hiking through terrain(maybe see some scenery), set up camp for the night, then head back in the morning. I'm not overly interested in a place that provides electricity or plumbing, I would love to be "off the grid" so to speak for a couple days. Being able to fish and/or carry a .22 on my back to hunt squirrel would be awesome, but not a necessity.

Where do you all go? I live in the Spring Hill area.

[Guest bkelm18]

Not sure how far you are from Big South Fork, but it fits the bill as far as what you're looking for.

[Guest USMC 2013]

Land Between the Lakes has what you're looking for. I love hiking and camping there, but to be honest, have not done both together yet. Might also try and see what is allowed on Cheatham WMA. HTH,

Joe

[DaveS]

LBL offers Squirrel hunting and Backwoods camping. It would fit your bill perfect. LBL permits required.

Dave

[Guest Patty]

Bear Hollow WMA over near Winchester, Catoosa WMA near Crossville, Cherokee WMA over on the East Side of the State would be a good choice too. And you might consider that WMA just down the road from where you are, not sure if overnight camping is allowed, but its got plenty of hiking area for you to hunt on.

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

Tremont/ Townsend area is absolutly stunning.. but has a lot of bears . Thats for hiking tho.. not sure on hunting there.

[TMF]

Second the suggestion on LBL. Shoreline on both sides with rolling terrain and streams in between. I have a list of campsites that are great for "backwoods" camping. I've always wanted to do a weekend trip and hike from one to the other, but I always take the family camping when I go up there. Backwoods permits were $5.00 for the weekend and $15.00 for the year last time I was up there. You could walk through there for days and never run into anyone so long as you avoid certain areas. I have lat/long coordinates to a bunch of nice out-of-the way campsites that are usually free from people and have great views of the water. It's about a 2 hour trip from Springfield give or take.

[D3vo]

Frozen Head state park offers backwoods camping and has a camp with a water source at Tub Spings.

State parks are carry friendly with HCP.

Edited July 29, 2012 by D3vo

[Clod Stomper]

Tremont/ Townsend area is absolutly stunning.. but has a lot of bears . Thats for hiking tho.. not sure on hunting there.

You do not want to be caught hunting in the Smokies, for sure.

Admiral Jedi, you may want to try to find someone with a large tract of private land. You can do what you want then, as long as you follow game laws.

Will

[Moped]

No hunting in State parks either. I think you need to stick to NRRAs, WMAs, State Forest areas, and National Forest areas for hunting.

[Guest BungieCord]

For wilderness-iness, you won't beat Savage Gulf/Beersheba Springs/Stone Door or Big South Fork in Mid Tn.

[whiskey]

Land between the Lakes offers what you are looking for. Big South Fork is WAY more off the grid. I hiked 20 miles on the 4th and 5th of July and never saw another person. The views are, IMHO, as good as the Smokies, without the crowds. Savage Gulf/South Cumberland is a beautiful back county area with great views too. You should try all 3 because they are all worth the drive.

[10-Ring]

I only mention these because no one else has and they are a lot closer to you than some of the other suggestions. I do admit that scenery wise these locations will be lacking when compared to your options on the East side of the state and, yes, I'm allowed to say that because the places that I suggest are where I stomped around growing up. My suggestions are Long Hunter State park and Cedar Forrest. Hunting will be a no no at Long Hunter but it is amazing how far away you can get from everything back there. I used to do overnighters backpacking and rarely saw other hikers. Cedar Forrest has tons of trails and you can hunt there. It is relatively flat as well.

[Garufa]

Check out Virgin Falls and/or Savage Gulf, two very under-appreciated areas near Fall Creek Falls.

[Slpeod]

Second the suggestion on LBL. Shoreline on both sides with rolling terrain and streams in between. I have a list of campsites that are great for "backwoods" camping. I've always wanted to do a weekend trip and hike from one to the other, but I always take the family camping when I go up there. Backwoods permits were $5.00 for the weekend and $15.00 for the year last time I was up there. You could walk through there for days and never run into anyone so long as you avoid certain areas. I have lat/long coordinates to a bunch of nice out-of-the way campsites that are usually free from people and have great views of the water. It's about a 2 hour trip from Springfield give or take.

PM sent

[Guest Cogent Design]

Thanks for the great recommendations guys! When it cools off some and I have a couple days off, I'll be out enjoying the outdoors with the wife! I'll be sure to post pictures and experiences as they come along.

[tnhawk]

Not sure how far you are from Big South Fork, but it fits the bill as far as what you're looking for.

From the information on TN.gov , this looks like an interesting area to visit during the fall.

[dats82]

Big South Fork is great. I spent a week there several years ago, and never saw anyone other than those in my group. Great place to get away. I will also second the Savage Gulf, Stone Door, and Franklin State Forrest area. Spent a fair amount of time in these places as a boy scout, then later spent a good bit of time in those areas four wheeling in Jeeps. They are certainly beautiful areas that are not visited much and very under appreciated.

[Guest Shep Stoner308]

This might help, shows most of the areas in the middle Tennessee area. It was pulled off of the TWRA site at

http://www.tn.gov/twra/gis/R2_WMA.html If you go to the site, the map is interactive when you click on a park and will direct you to a map of the park and the trails and other features.

Shep

Edited August 9, 2012 by Shep Stoner308

[DaveS]

Second the suggestion on LBL. Shoreline on both sides with rolling terrain and streams in between. I have a list of campsites that are great for "backwoods" camping. I've always wanted to do a weekend trip and hike from one to the other, but I always take the family camping when I go up there. Backwoods permits were $5.00 for the weekend and $15.00 for the year last time I was up there. You could walk through there for days and never run into anyone so long as you avoid certain areas. I have lat/long coordinates to a bunch of nice out-of-the way campsites that are usually free from people and have great views of the water. It's about a 2 hour trip from Springfield give or take.

$25.00 with hunting!

Dave S.

[Aussie_in_Tn]

Can you overnight camp in Cheatham WMA?

[n0rlf]

On 8/7/2012 at 5:13 PM, Garufa said:

Check out Virgin Falls and/or Savage Gulf, two very under-appreciated areas near Fall Creek Falls.

This. 5 miles away from my house and we still go there often. Love them. Always something new to see. 

[n0rlf]

We drove through here this morning on the way to Mom's house. Beautiful with all of the ice and icicles. Reminded again how Mother Earth is an amazing being. 

[tnhawk]

On ‎12‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 4:14 PM, Aussie_in_Tn said:

Can you overnight camp in Cheatham WMA?

It's been a few years ago but  I remember camping in a tent there.  Check the TWRA website for information.

[m16ty]

On 12/24/2017 at 4:14 PM, Aussie_in_Tn said:

Can you overnight camp in Cheatham WMA?

I'm pretty sure you can backwoods camp at Cheatham WMA, but I don't think they allow fires and I don't think they allow camping when a hunting season is open on the WMA.

I personally like Montgomery Bell Park, mainly because it joins my parent's land and I can be there in 5 minutes. You're not supposed to venture off the trails and only camp at the designated backwoods camping sites but when we were kids we hiked and camped all over the park.

Edited February 13, 2018 by m16ty