In eastern Tennessee, the Big South Fork River cuts a gorge though the Cumberland Plateau as it flows north into Kentucky before emptying into the Cumberland River. For centuries, Woodland Indians and Mississippian Indians lived here farming, hunting and building communities. The Shawnee and Cherokee lived on the land until settlers began moving in and the Cherokee ceded the land to the new U.S. government in 1805.
Big South Fork from Bear Creek Overlook
The nineteenth century saw Scots-Irish settlers creating subsistence farms in the area, but in the early twentieth century, logging, coal mining, gas and oil drilling began to exploit the land and the people. In a half century the resources were exhausted, and the companies pulled out.
Blue Heron mine
In 1974 Congress authorized the nation’s first joint national river and recreation area. Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area starts near the Victorian utopian community of Rugby, Tennessee and works its way along the river northwest into Kentucky before the river flows into the Cumberland. The river’s aquatic life was nearly destroyed by pollution from the unregulated mining and logging, and is recovering under the park service stewardship.
East Rim overlook into the Big South Fork
The area is known as one of the best wildflower areas in the eastern U.S. and some of the spring beauties showed off in early April.
Halberd-leaf violets
Trillium
Rue Anenome
Bloodroot
Dozens of natural arches are found near the gorge walls. All the flowers pictured above are from a trail that runs near Split Bow Arch just across the border in Kentucky.
Split Bow Arch
At the far north end of the park, is the tallest waterfall in Kentucky. Yahoo Falls drops 110 feet, and the view behind the falls is magical while the sound of the water echoes in the alcove behind as the land heals.
Yahoo Falls
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