September is here and fall is right around the corner. This is the time of year I get the urge to be outside in nature to enjoy the cooler temperatures and the fall colors. For me, this often means going hiking. My husband and I love to hike, so we have made it an activity that we do as a family. We have seven-year-old twins who love to hike and a three-year-old who loves to hike a little (and to ride in the hiking backpack).
We live in the perfect area for hiking here in East Tennessee.
The Smokies are an obvious choice, but when we want to avoid the crowds and the traffic, we like to visit some of Tennessee’s amazing state parks. One of our favorites is Frozen Head State Park in the Cumberland Mountains in Wartburg, Tennessee.
Frozen Head is about an hour drive from Knoxville, so it’s a convenient spot for hiking. There are over 50 miles of hiking trails that range from easy to difficult. Plus, there are picnic spots and two playgrounds. They also have fishing and camping spots available. Also, I am happy to report that the visitor’s center has nice, clean bathrooms.
My husband and I first started hiking here before we had kids. We had a lot of fun doing the more difficult hikes back then. One of our favorites is the hike to the lookout tower. The view from the top is amazing. It’s a great hike if you are looking for something a little more challenging.
Now that we have the kids with us when we hike, we have become a big fan of hiking to see the waterfalls. The whole hike is pretty easy and it’s a little under three miles out and back. We like to start at the Panther Branch Trailhead and hike to Debord Falls first. There is a staircase there that allows you to walk down and see the waterfall up close. Due to a lack of rain, the last time we went there wasn’t much water, but there are lots of rocks for the kids to climb around on even if the water isn’t flowing much.
From there, you can continue the trail to the Emory Gap trail that takes you to another waterfall. On the way, be sure to check out the foot bridge you will pass on your right. It leads to another harder trail, but it’s fun to stop and walk across along the way.
