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When completed, the Cumberland Trail will stretch more than 300 miles (secondary and spur trails will bring that total up to 370 miles), cutting through 11 Tennessee counties from the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park on the Tennessee-Virginia-Kentucky border, to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area just outside Chattanooga.

Roughly 170 miles of trail are now ready for hiking. It’s estimated that it will take another 8 to 10 years before the entire trail is complete.

                     The Cumberland Trail

The Cumberland Trail, a Tennessee State Scenic Hiking Trail, is a long distance trail that follows a line of ridges and gorges along the eastern escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee.

Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park in recognition of Wilson's (a former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment) dedication and leadership in catalyzing efforts to build the trail.

The trail provides hikers with access to numerous waterfalls, scenic overlooks and deep gorges, and will pass through four Tennessee Wildlife Management Areas, a National Park Wild and Scenic Area, two State Parks, two protected State Natural Areas, and two National Parks.

The Cumberland Trail is also a key link in a developing trail called the Great Eastern Trail, which when complete, will extend for 1800 miles from New York to Alabama, and will cross nine states. Due to its location in the more remote areas of the Appalachians, the Great Eastern Trail will provide hikers with a more primitive backcountry experience, as compared to the relatively crowded Appalachian Trail.

In addition to providing multiple recreational opportunities, the Cumberland Trail corridor will act as a buffer to protect water quality and provide natural habitat for animals.

Key Links:

The Cumberland Trail Conference

Cumberland Trail State Park

Cumberland Trail Mileage Chart

Cumberland Odyssey portrays in dramatic pictures and words the scenic beauty, history, and plants and animals of the Cumberland Trail