Outdoor Recreation in the Upper Cumberland

Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain is an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Design golf course in Crossville - one of four championship courses that earned Crossville its reputation as the Golf Capital of Tennessee. Reasonably priced, beautifully routed through the Cumberland Plateau landscape, and consistently well-maintained.

The Calfkiller River runs through White County near Sparta, a clear-water limestone stream that locals have been floating and swimming in for generations. In summer, tubing and kayaking the Calfkiller is one of those Upper Cumberland traditions that doesn't show up in guidebooks but should.

Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville is one of Tennessee's most complete state parks - 1,720 acres with a restaurant, swimming pool, rustic CCC-built cabins, a 9-hole golf course, and 16 miles of hiking trails. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, the stonework and log construction are worth the visit alone.

Frozen Head State Park in Morgan County is home to some of the most challenging and rewarding hiking in the entire Upper Cumberland region - 24,000 acres of forested mountain terrain with trails to multiple summit views. It's also famous in endurance running circles as the course of the legendary Barkley Marathons.

The Obed Wild & Scenic River is a National Park Service unit in Morgan County protecting some of the Southeast's best rock climbing and one of its most rugged river gorge systems. Climbers, kayakers, and hikers who discover it tend to keep coming back for years.

Pickett State Park in Fentress County is one of Tennessee's most biologically diverse state parks - 19,000+ acres on the Cumberland Plateau with natural arches, rock shelters, hemlock canyons, and trails through some of the most botanically unique forest in the eastern US. Adjacent to the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

Standing Stone State Park near Livingston encompasses over 11,000 acres of forested highland in Overton County. A 69-acre fishing lake, camping, equestrian trails, and some of the least-visited hiking in the Upper Cumberland make it a genuine escape for those who know it.