Cumberland Trail Section: Soak Creek Section - (Stinging Fork Falls)

Cumberland Trail Section: Soak Creek Section - Stinging Fork Falls Trailhead Shut-in Gap Road

This location is about 1 hour 15 minutes south west of downtown Knoxville. May even be closer than the Smokies for some of us.

Distance: 5.8 miles few side trails so maybe 6 miles + Piney falls 2 miles = 8 miles
Difficulty: moderate difficult due to rocky terrain, loose and unstable rock, uneven footing
Elevation: 1,143ft up and 1,686ft down
Type of hike: Shuttle hike, we will need a few volunteers to help
Pace: Average speed 2 mph

We will meet in the large parking Shut-in Gap Road trail head and then shuttle in a few cars to the Stinging Fork Falls trailhead. The trail will take us along the Soak Creek gorge. This area is known for the large bus size boulders and sandbars that contain the rushing water of the creek through the gorge. As we drop into the gorge, we will pass a large rock house and evidence of past mining operations. Waterfalls, cascades, bluffs with several spur trails to even more features. There are several wet weather stream crossing and a well eroded road, leaving some cobble stone areas along the trail. I would recommend good footwear and some hiking poles.

If anyone is feeling up to it, we may add on the ~2 mile Piney Falls loop trail that is just down the road. Elevation gain/loss is 510 feet. It will add the upper and lower Piney falls.

WHAT TO BRING
We always suggest carrying the 10 essentials when going into the woods. You can download a pdf file here that discusses these essentials. https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html

Because it’s the Appalachian Mountains, be mindful of the weather and bring the necessary waterproof outer layers, insulation, water, and snacks to be safe.

NAVIGATION AIDS & maps

https://cumberlandtrail.org/trail-segments/the-falls-segment/stinging-fork-falls-section/

I know the elevation changes I gave above don't match the description in the Cumberland Trail Conference. I pulled the data from On-X Backcountry which is typically more accurate.

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