Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area covers 125,000 acres along the Tennessee and Kentucky State Line. We started on the Sawmill Trail to Slave Falls, which was dry due to weeks of rainless weather.A bit further down the trail is Needle Arch. Big South Fork is situated on the Cumberland Plateau and was once covered by a shallow sea. There are arches of all sizes scattered about the area, but only eight are named and have hiking trails that lead to them.When the 300-million-years-old sea receded, Big South Fork was left with countless mind-blowing rock formations and a rugged landscape that defied any type of permanent settlement.We ate lunch at the Twin Arches Trailhead before starting our second hike.Screwed to the center of every picnic table was this plaque warning hikers and campers not to leave any type of food for the many bears that call this area home. Fifty yards into our hike we found this bear scat in the center of the trail. It’s recommended that you “holler every once in awhile” to let the bears know you’re coming. Karen likes to toot a whistle as we walk. A surprised bear is dangerous and they will usually flee from noisy hikers.We opted to tackle the high or top trail of the 1.5-mile loop first. There were still some nice fall colors on display at the highest lookout.Steep stairs were in place to get down from the sheer cliffs that ring the top of the Cumberland Plateau. Very few natural passes down exist. Karen is dwarfed by the South Arch which spans 135-feet, is 103-feet tall and has a clearance of 70 feet.Its trail sign claims, “Few natural bridges in the world equal Twin Arches in size.”Finding the perfect angle to show just how huge these arches are is difficult.The staggering view of arches this immense is enhanced when the trees have dropped their leaves.North Arch is 62-feet high, 93-feet wide, and has a clearance of 51 feet. Astonishing! The lower trail retuning to the parking lot also had handy steps to scale the cliff face. Having just scratched the surface of Big South Fork’s amazing sights, we’ve already found a place to stay for our next visit.The drive from our home in Chattanooga is only 2.5 hours, but a bonanza of natural wonders like this deserves a stay of several days.
