Sixth Annual Long Hunter Mega-Hike (26 miles) - Long Hunter State Park

Meeting Time: 7:00 AM
Meeting Place: Couchville Lake parking lot in Area 2
Hike Distance: Approx. 26 miles
Estimated Hike Time: 10 to 12 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous
Hike Leader: Patrick

UPDATED 10/03/2012: Trail Schedule (subject to change of course)

Couchville Lake ~2.0 miles (parking at Area 2)

Inland Loop ~1.0 mile (parking at Area 4)

Deer Trail ~1.0 mile (parking at the Visitor's Center lot)

Day Loop/Volunteer ~13 miles (parking at the Day Loop/Volunteer trail lot, half mile from main entrance)

Couchville Glade ~1.0 mile

Jones Mill ~3.5 miles

Bryant Grove ~4.5 miles (parking at Recreation Area lot)

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Description:

It's that time of year again:

Sixth Annual Long Hunter Mega-Hike:Saturday, October 13th at 7 AM

Join us once again as we attempt to hike all of Long Hunter's trails - 26 miles - in a single day. Whether you hike only a couple of miles or all 26 miles, the objective is to have fun, enjoy the fall foliage, and experience the wide variety of habitats Long Hunter has to offer. Please bring water, lunch, snacks, and good hiking shoes. Meet at the Couchville Lake parking lot in Area 2. For more details, call the park office at 615-885-2422.

Participants should meet at the Couchville Lake parking lot (in Area 2) and be prepared to hit the trails at 7 a.m. sharp. The plan is to complete the hike by sunset, but there's a decent chance we could still be out on the trails after dark. So participants might want to bring a flashlight or light source.

If you're unable to hike all 26 miles (or just aren't interested in hiking that many miles), no worries -- you can stop after any segment. The main objective is to have fun while enjoying the fall colors and variety of habitats that Long Hunter has to offer -- whether you hike just two miles with us or all 26 miles.

As always, those who feel up to it afterwards are invited to the after-hike dinner/celebration at Angelo's Pizza on Murfreesboro Road.

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Just remember to bring plenty of water and lunch and snacks -- and perhaps extra socks and clothes. Since Long Hunter's trails are spread out and many of them do not intersect, participants will return to their cars several times in order to drive to different areas of the park; in other words, you can leave your food or extra clothes in your vehicle and get them later if you wish. You'll also have access to park restrooms at a couple of different locations.

As for the weather, the hike will take place regardless of the temperature. However, if it's raining or if the weather looks threatening, the event might be postponed until a later date -- because attempting to hike 26 miles in the rain might prove to be difficult and probably not much fun.

The order of the hiking trails is : TBD
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No pets, please. Kids are welcome.

You can also keep up with all the latest news on the Long Hunter Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/longhunterstatepark

Directions to Couchville Lake parking lot:
Enter Long Hunter State Park at the main park entrance (2910 Hobson Pike) and then take the first left (which is Area 2) and proceed to the parking lot beside Couchville Lake.

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