Jean and I decided to celebrate the start of fall by taking a three-day trip over to the Pickett side of the Big South Fork. It had been almost a decade since we’d day hiked there, and we thought this a great chance to revisit some of our favorite hikes. We planned to stay two nights at the Jordan Motel in Jamestown, which had been our basecamp for exploring so much of the west side of the Big South Fork back when we were completing our map of all the trails in the BSF region (BSF Map).
We had minor driving issues on the way up. The TDOT Smartway map showed that construction (widening to four lanes) on US 127 had that road closed near Crossville. TDOT also showed that TN 154 was closed just north of the crossing of the John Muir Trail and Rock Creek north of the Pickett State Park Visitors Center. I called the park and they told me that TN 154 was open, but just not approved for semis because of a tight turn. They were unsure of any closure on US 127. We drove out via Oneida and discovered that TN 154 was open. We drove back home via US 127 without any closures. Don’t believe everything you see online!
9-29-25,
Buffalo Arch, Daniel Boone National Forest, 2 miles
Buffalo
Arch was our first pick for destinations on this trip. We had a fun, snowy hike
here at Thanksgiving in 2013, but more importantly we had gotten memorable photos
of the arch dusted with a light coat of snow.
Buffalo Arch in November 2013.
The
arch hasn’t become overused since then. We went chugging by the unmarked
trailhead for more than a mile, before turning back and spotting the small post
that marked the trailhead. Since our previous visit, the Parkers Mountain Trailhead
was moved back to the road, with only the small post and a gate to mark it. Old
DBNF Road 6305 was invisible in the brush. Though the start of Parkers Mountain
followed the old road the combination of neglect, a lack of blazes, and a full
summer’s growth made the path hard to find. Despite the lack of current blazes,
we did see some old yellow paint blazes. At the junction with the spur to
Buffalo Arch, Parkers Mountain goes left on single track while Buffalo Arch
turned right to stay on the old roadbed.
Can you spot the trail markers here?
Luckily,
it is only a mile to the arch, and the walk is well worth it. Buffalo Arch anchors
the end of a small ridge with a long sturdy leg looking like a giant buttress. It
is one of the largest arches in the area with dimensions well into the tens of feet.
We would have the harsh light of midday in midsummer for almost all of this
trip. But with some careful framing, and eyes for unshadowed features, we were
able to come away with some decent photos.
Jean at Buffalo Arch, KY.
The
sandy bottom of the arch is a wonderful spot for picnic lunches, as quiet and
isolated as it gets in the BSF region. This isolation likely keeps it special.
Despite all the Pickett and Big South Fork property around it, Buffalo Arch is
on the Daniel Boone National Forest, and occupies one of the remotest corners
of that forest.
Hiram at Buffalo Arch.
9-29-25,
Middle Creek Loop, Big South Fork NRRA, 3.5 miles
Rock house on Middle Creek Trail, Big South Fork NRRA.
After
finishing our Buffalo Arch hike, we still had most of the afternoon ahead of
us. We decided to walk the Middle Creek Loop at BSF, another worthy, but
shorter, high impact hike. This time we found other hikers out from the trailhead,
and even some e-bikers planning to ride the gravel of BSF’s roads.
Jean at Middle Creek rock house.
Middle
Creek hiked counterclockwise makes a short approach, then follows a bluff line
for most of its length. This treats hikers to a series of 4-5 huge rockhouses
and cliff faces that in a more advertised park would bear intriguing names. The
northern return leg was less interesting, but got us through another storm
damaged area.
Unnamed rock house Middle Creek.
9-29-25,
Hazzard Cave, Pickett State Park, 0.5 mile
We
made one final stop of the day at Pickett to check on conditions at Hidden
Passage for our next day’s hike. We were lucky to find Michael Hodge, formerly
of Frozen Head, to help us out. The park’s power was out, giving us an excuse
to hang out and get caught up on news and gossip. A few Pickett trails were
still closed by storm damage, and one due to beaver activity, but luckily Hidden
Passage was open.
Jean at Hazzard Cave, Pickett SP.
Next,
we took the short topside route into Hazzard Cave, which we shared with another
solo hiker. The Cave is another of the giant rockhouses that we’d seen so many
of at Middle Creek, this one perhaps a bit larger and more elegant than its
wild neighbors. 
Hiram at Hazzard Cave.
9-30-25,
Hidden Passage Loop, Pickett State Park & Pickett State Forest, 8 miles
Small arch on Hidden Passage Trail.
Hidden
Passage is a classic BSF loop, but we had not hiked it together since 1999, and
I had never GPS’d the whole route. Since that time the trailhead was moved to a
dedicated spot just north on TN 154. We started with another family, but did
not see them up the trail. First up there is an intersection on the right with
the old feeder trail for the loop. The start of the loop portion was well
signed, and the forest had been clear and open, so we expected good progress
along the loop.
The Hidden Passage.
We
soon reached the Hidden Passage, which was a circuitous route through some breakdown
at the back of a huge rock house. Beyond the passage, the cliff bands kept
coming and we hiked slowly to appreciate them and look for rare photo ops,
Crystal Falls and its modest flow was on a short side trip, but far too shadowy
for good pictures.
After
climbing out of the gorge, we crossed one old road spanning the rim, then the utility
line that follows Pickett Park/Pickett Forest boundary.
Jean at rock house on Hidden Passage Trail.
From
there the trail kept close to the rim, with some leafy vistas across the
canyon. The spur trail to Double Falls was well marked, but we felt the dry
days of early fall were not prime time for a 1.5 mile roundtrip detour. Besides,
just beyond is Thompson Overlook and its much cleaner views of the canyon, one
of the few places where the rock walls on the far side can be seen. We took
advantage of the small trees for a shady lunch stop. 
Thompson Overlook in 2016.
We’d
made several trips to other trails near the Overlook as we labored to finish
our BSF hiking map in 2016. We’d left one segment undone by confusion over the
removal of the “Drop Off Trail” from the park maps. The necessity of another
trip reinforced the lesson of “always follow the map”. The remains of the Drop
Off Trail appeared to be at the north end of relatively new dozer road. The
road turned south, and away from, a section I’d mapped in 2001 as part of the
Pickett Adventure Race. I’m not sure if the race map used an older version of
the HPT here, or if my race mapping was wrong.
But
the old road provided a clear path and easy walking. We spotted the remains of
what looked like an old stove, though why it would be miles from anywhere we
could not figure.
Old Stove along Hidden Passage Trail.
The
road ended at a poorly marked intersection with the utility line cut. We
guessed the trail went right and found it
on the far side of the cut. Next was the junction with the old dirt road
leading from Pickett Group Camp to Thompson Overlook. The group camp was close
by, we were surprised by how large it was (it holds up to 144 people!) and how
many buildings there were (six bunkhouses, two bathhouses, and a dining hall
with a completely equipped kitchen).
Mushrooms along Hidden Passage Trail.
At
the far end of the campground the trail returned to the woods, closed the loop
section, and returned to the trailhead.
The Jordan Motel in Jamestown, TN.
10-1-25,
Pouge Creek Canyon State Natural Area, 6.2 miles
For
our last day we visited Pouge Creek and the newest trails in the area. We did
an out and back hike from the trailhead on TN 154 on the Overlook and Upper
Canyon trails out to the Mesa Top Overlook. The trail starts by the park
astronomy field, and a huge solar powered electric vehicle charging station.
Turkey Roost rock house.
The
Overlook Trail starts you out with Turkey Roost Rockhouse, then winds through
the woods to the start of a short loop section. At 0.8 mile is the overlook and
the start of the Upper Canyon Trail. The overlook is a bit brushy, but you can
see some of the high sandstone walls in the upper end of Pouge Creek Canyon.
Pouge Creek Overlook.
The
main action is on the Upper Canyon Trail. A long wooden ladder drops you below
the bluff line and you wind around the base of cliffs below the overlook. Since
our last visit in 2016 there is a new 0.1-mile side trail to Circle Bar Arch,
which is a small double arch through a buttress located just above the main
trail. We had another bright blue sky morning, great for site seeing, but too
bright again for our cameras to handle the contrast between bright sunlight and
shadows. 
Circle Bar Arch.
Crossing
the main stem of the canyon, we could see the remains of numerous fallen trees
that we assumed were the result of damage from a May 26, 2024 storm. The canyon
bottom was brushy as weeds and underbrush raced to claim the light now reaching
the forest floor. But once out of the canyon bottom we left the overgrowth
behind us.
Shallow rock house, Pouge Creek.
As
we approached the cliff bands hosting Killdeer Arch, we saw signs for an access
trail entering on our right from Black House Mtn. Road. This trail is not on
the park map, but was also in place back in 2016.
Rock Wall, Pouge Creek.
Killdeer
Arch is spectacular. You approach it at the end of a long line of towering rock
houses. The floor below the arch area is dry, sandy, and shaded.
Killdeer Arch, Pouge Creek.
On
the cliff side there are also a pair of small “leg” type arches inside the main
arch.
Small arches at the base of Killdeer Arch.
Just
below the final climb to Mesa Top we could see a flagged route extending out
along the bluff line. This route had also been in place on our previous trip,
and hopefully someday will become the next new trail at Pouge Creek. From there
it was another ladder climb, then short walk out to Mesa Top Overlook. Here we could
see the numerous bare cliffs that show off the gorge so nicely. Two homes are
visible on the north rim, a reminder of how lucky we are that the rest of Pouge
Creek is available to the public.
The
3,000-acre Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area borders Pickett State Forest
and is adjacent to Pickett CCC Memorial State Park. The Tennessee Chapter of
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) acquired Pogue Creek Canyon in 2005 to protect it
from development, and then sold the tract to the State in 2006 as a state
natural area. Public access is limited to foot traffic during the daytime.
Pogue Creek is
botanically significant, home to more than 300 plant species. Because of its unusual
sandstone formations, the area also hosts rare plant varieties, such as
Cumberland sandwort and Lucy Braun's white snakeroot. In 2022, The Nature
Conservancy and partners gathered to celebrate the delisting of the Cumberland
Sandwort from the federal Endangered Species Act after many years of recovery
efforts.
At
the Overlook we met a pair of workers from Pickett State Park who were
installing a special pair of viewers. The viewers are designed to help those
with color blindness experience a full range of color, including the full
spectrum of fall colors.
Viewers at Mesa Top Overlook, Pouge Creek.
