Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area In Tennessee Has Some Of The Most Stunning Scenery In The State
By Meghan Kraft|Published May 31, 2021
×
Meghan Kraft
Author
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area is located in Fentress County, in the northern region of the Cumberland Plateau. It was designated as a state natural area in 2006 and has since become a favorite hiking, picnicking, and trail running spot for locals and tourists. You’ll find that the area is lushly populated with an expansive number of plants and wildlife, and the richly forested area hides a few stunning sandstone formations. Learn more about it below, and maybe choose to visit for yourself sometime soon. It’s a beautiful place to spend the afternoon or greet the early morning here in Tennessee.
Pogue Creek Canyon is named for Pogue Creek, a waterway in the area that helped create the stunning, deep gorge that sets the area apart from its neighbors. Pogue Creek itself actually empties into the Cumberland River, by way of Wolf River.
The area is known for its rich topography and bustling wild and plantlife communities. We'd definitely recommend keeping your eyes peeled for critters if you choose to hike the area. They're out there, and they're quite active!
One of the most stunning elements of the park is the sandstone formations found throughout the gorge. It's almost unbelievable how nature can create such stunning, beautiful structures simply by adapting over time.
You'll find as you explore the park that the area also has incredible bluffs and cliffs that expose the sandstone beneath. The structures are truly picturesque and they offer great opportunities for unforgettable pictures. You can see many of them just by hiking through the greater area.
Plant lovers are sure to love the hemlock, magnolia, rhododendron, and mountain laurel that cover the area. You'll also spot trees like the yellow buckeye and birch throughout the Cumberland Plateau's varied forest. There have been more than 300 plant species recorded on-site!
If you're a hiker, there are a series of short, accessible hikes coupled with more difficult trails with moderate elevation gains in the park. The best hiking is from March to October, and the trails are recommended for walking, hiking, bird watching, and easy nature trips.
Have you been to Pogue Creek Canyon? Will you be planning a trip for yourself? If you've been, make sure to leave your favorite memories as well as tips and tricks in the comments below.
What a stunning place! If you haven’t hiked the Cumberland Plateau, then a visit to Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area may just be the right place to go. You can learn more about the area and Tennessee’s stunning natural spaces right here.