Enjoying Nature in Kentucky and Tennessee

After the busy campground in Indiana, we wanted some peace and quiet in smaller campgrounds which is exactly what we found as we drove south through Kentucky and Tennessee. Our first stop was for two nights at Cave Country RV Campground in Cave City, KY. I chose this campground because it was close to the interstate and Mammoth Cave National Park. This park was quite a contrast to the last one with only having 50 sites compared to 800. Less than half the sites were occupied which was wonderful It is a very well maintained and quiet park located in town. .

This is a wonderful area to explore and while I would have loved to tour Mammoth Cave, we decided not to do that this trip, mainly to avoid being in crowds. They currently have a self guided tour available and said they were limiting the number of people in the cave but we still had concerns. We discovered that there are many hiking trails in the national park as well as a good bit of interesting history to be learned while staying on the surface. This was also a great way to save money as it was all free! The first day we were there, we took a loop hike to sunset point which was an easy hike and wonderful view.

Since there are a few state parks in the area as well as a civil war fort and battlefield in Glasgow, KY, we decided to check that out in the morning. Fort Williams only has the remnants of the fort’s outer walls remaining which overlooks a cemetery in town. There were a few cannon and some signs with the history of the battle that occurred there which was interesting to read. This was a Union Fort built in the spring of 1863 and the Confederates took it over during a battle in the fall of 1863.

After visiting the fort, we headed to Brigadoon State Nature Preserve for a hike. The preserve was pretty isolated and we were the only people there for almost the entire hike. Another couple was starting down the path when we were exiting. It was a loop trail with a gradual slope downward. When we got to the bottom of the ravine, the trail continued across a small creek and seemed to go up a very steep hill. We decided we didn’t want to do that hill so went back up the way we came down which was a more gradual climb. Even so, it was a pretty good work out and we were feeling it when we got back to the top. We didn’t see many animals on the hike but heard many birds as we hiked. There are over 120 different species of birds in the preserve but we didn’t take binoculars so couldn’t check them out. I just enjoyed a hike in a very peaceful setting. As you can see, we were definitely in the mood for relaxing in nature.

Later in the day, I decided to do a little more exploring in Mammoth Cave National Park as Tim stayed at the campground. As I drove through the park, I saw some deer near the parking lot by the lodge so I stopped to get a few pictures. That section of the park provided some landmarks, access to a few more trails as well as lots of information boards to read. One trail I took led down to the historic cave entrance which was a good place to be. The air coming up out of the cave was so cool and felt wonderful on such a hot day. On my way out of the park, I stopped and took the short trail to Sand Cave which told the story of cave explorer, Floyd Collins who became trapped in that cave and died while many spent days trying to rescue him. The rescue effort gain nationwide attention which eventually led to the establishment of the national park.

The deer didn’t mind me being nearby taking pictures.

Tourists used to be able to take a train to visit the park

Next we headed to Tennessee and spent the past week at a very small campground in the middle of nowhere, at least it seems that way. I found H&H Campground from the Allstays app and chose it because it was on our route and located only a mile from I-40. The area has beautiful landscapes, and has many lakes and rivers, so it is definitely a good place to enjoy nature. This is the smallest campground that we have ever stayed at; I think they only have about 15 sites and has been only about half full while we are here. Most of the people here seem to be staying because they are working in the area. The owner told us, we would probably be bored staying here for a week but we have found quite a few things to do although everything was at least a 30 minute drive. The campground is set along a little creek with a trail along the creek that I have hiked almost daily. It is a good place to get in daily walking although we have had pretty hot, humid and wet weather. Even so, we got out and about to explore the area quite a few days. I thought I would share some pictures so you can see what we found in the area.

Loretta Lynn’s ranch is nearby and while you can pay for tours of the house and museum, we just toured the grounds for free!

She had this replica of her childhood home built on the property

The grounds near the gift shops were very pretty.

The campground is in the Tennessee River valley and close to Tennessee’s Kentucky Lake.

We drove south to the Natchez Trace Parkway and drove a short stretch of the parkway. We will be able to do more of the parkway in a few weeks when we are in Tupelo, MS.

Baker Bluff Overload along the Natchez Trace Parkway.

We took the short and steep trail down to Jackson Falls.

Some kids were enjoying the upper part of the falls.

Paris winery was a good place to stop on a Sunday afternoon.

Enjoying some wine under the grape arbor which we had all to ourselves!

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Enjoying Nature in Kentucky and Tennessee

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