Sherwood Forest

We have hiked this enjoyable loop 2 times now. The first time was in September 2020, and the most recent was this last Saturday, October 28, 2023. I've included pictures from both April and October below. We enjoyed a very warm, fall day to marvel at the beautiful trees and rock formations along this loop. The trail leaves the very large parking area before coming to a split in the trail. We've chosen to go left here as to enjoy the natural bridge and overlook toward the end of the hike. The trail meanders through the forest before coming to the first of two overlooks. There are 2 large rocks for sitting and enjoying the beautiful view! 

Continue past the overlook on the easy, flat trail before coming to a fun boulder area that is a fun place to explore. The trail continues to be pretty flat and easy with pretty rock formations. Before long, you'll have made it to the natural bridge. The trail crosses right over the top. We enjoyed scrambling down and viewing it from the bottom.

Just past the natural bridge is the final viewpoint on the trail - a bench offers a nice place to relax and enjoy the view! From here, it is a short hike back to the parking area. We hiked a total of 3.06 miles with only 327 feet of elevation gain/loss. We definitely would recommend this hike. There are not restrooms at the trailhead, but Monteagle is only about a 15 minute drive away. Since the hike is so short, you could also sightsee around the college town of Sewanee and eat at one of the tasty restaurants in Sewanee or Monteagle!

South Cumberland State Park