Explore Some Of Tennessee's Natural Wonders When You See The Stone Arches At Big South Fork National Recreation Area
By Meghan Kraft|Published October 28, 2020
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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.
Tennessee is rife with beautiful natural wonders, but there’s nothing quite like the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Located in northeastern Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky, it’s a shared natural space that boasts expansive views, stunning plantlife, and natural sandstone arches that are truly legendary. Learn more about this famed Tennessee park below, and perhaps plan a trip for yourself. There’s no better way to experience the expansive beauty of the Cumberland Plateau.
Known simply as "Big South Fork" by the locals, the recreation area is made up of 125,000 acres. It's best known for its river gorge views that cuts through the capstone of the Cumberland Plateau, and the park is marked by water-borne geological change throughout.
Marvel at the steep sandstone cliffs and the limestone and shale rock that girds the park. If you choose to wander one of the many hiking trails within the park, you'll find a myriad of dry ravines, gushing creeks, and marks of water long since dried and gone. The entire park has been exquisitely honed by the elements.
One of the most jaw-dropping aspects of the Big South Fork is perhaps the natural sandstone arches found throughout. There are actually hundreds of them throughout the park of varying size and scope.
The arches are named — this one is Twin Arches, one of the largest in the Eastern United States - so you can choose which one you'd like to experience for yourself. Twin Arches is accessible by the Twin Arches Trailhead and is roughly 0.7 miles from the beginning of your hike to its stunning culmination.
Delicate arches and grand arches are scattered throughout the Big South Fork. They remain a stunning nod to the power of the natural world and the quiet grandeur of the elements.
Have you seen the famed sandstone arches? Will you be visiting the park sometime soon? We'd highly recommend dragging those hiking boots out no matter the weather and experiencing all the beauty that Tennessee has to offer.
