Date: Friday, March 24th
Time: Starting at 10:00am
Where: Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park
Distance: 8 miles
Difficulty: Moderate. Several steep inclines
Cost: FREE
Come join SAHC and folks from the Friends of Rocky Fork for a guided hike in this stunning Tennessee state park! This special hike will begin in the parking area, hike along crystal clear streams, traverse mountainsides, cross historic sites, and ultimately hit the Appalachian Trail before returning to our starting point. This unique route will use the Rocky Fork Trail, Flint Creek Trail, Appalachian Trail, Blockstand Creek Trail, and the Blockstand Access Trail. These trails are all beautifully designed and crafted by the Rocky Fork Gorillas and members of the Friends of Rocky Fork. These members have also volunteered to lead the way through this wild landscape and highlight historic events.
Rocky Fork State Park is named after the cool waters that run down its center and is located along the Appalachian Trail corridor and the Tennessee-North Carolina border, between Johnson City, TN and Asheville, NC. In January 2019, the park was renamed in honor of TN Senator Lamar Alexander. The property is adjacent to more than 22,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service-designated wilderness. Before Rocky Fork’s acquisition by The Conservation Fund and U.S. Forest Service, it was one of the largest unprotected tracts in the southern Appalachian Mountains. From 2006-2012, SAHC lobbied congress to secure funding to protect 10,000 acres of the Rocky Fork watershed that was previously slated for development. With help from Senator Lamar Alexander and many other partners, SAHC secured funding and the property was acquired from a timbering company. Come join us for this hike as we celebrate all that we’ve accomplished together!
If you have any questions, please reach out to travis@appalachian.org.
This hike is currently full. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please send your name, email, phone number, and emergency contact to travis@appalachian.org. Thank you for being interested in hiking with us!
