Cumberland Mountain State Park is a great place to stay in a historic CCC cabin while enjoying nature and getting away from the city.
Cumberland Mountain State Park is only an hour and a half away from Chattanooga making it perfect for a little weekend getaway. Here you can tent or RV camp, but they also have historic CCC cabins built in the 1930s. Keep reading to learn more about the CCC, what it’s like to stay in a cabin here, and all the attractions to enjoy during your stay.
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What is the CCC?
The CCC is the Civilian Conservation Corps. It was established in 1933 as part of the “New Deal” and provided employment for struggling families during the Great Depression. They focused on building and improving many parks across the country, including many Tennessee State Parks. This federal employment not only benefited the young men who worked in the CCC, but also helped in conserving the land of the nation for generations to come.
Cumberland Mountain State Park
The Cumberland Mountain State Park was built by the CCC. The arched bridge and dam that are the icon of the park was the largest masonry project completed by the CCC during the program’s nine year duration. Initially, the park was built to be a recreational oasis for the families on the homesteads. The Cumberland Homesteads Project was another program brought about by the “New Deal” which I’ll explain more further down in this post.
Today, the Cumberland State Park is home to 145 tent and RV campsites, 23 cabins, 4 miles of mountain biking trails, 14 miles of hiking trails, a 35 acre lake for fishing and paddling, a Bear Trace golf course, and the iconic bridge and dam that still stand decades later.
Cumberland Mountain State Park Cabins and Camping
Historic CCC Cabins
My parents got a rustic CCC cabin for the week and invited me to stay for a few days. These cabins are quaint with the king-sized bed in the main room that doubles as a living room before opening into the kitchen nook. The narrow kitchen space is hidden behind the central fireplace. A small bathroom and secondary bedroom each branch off the back of the main room. Despite the openness of the floorplan, there’s plenty of storage space for your things in the form of closets, shelves, and a dresser.
There’s also plenty of modern amenities such as kitchen appliances, including a hidden, drawer dishwasher. The shower in the bathroom is small and dark, so be mindful of this when considering your stay. Staying in this cabin is a lot like camping, but as an elevated experience.
Since there’s a fireplace inside, there’s no firepit outside. But there is a grill and picnic table. Firewood is supplied by the park just outside the cabins. These cabins comfortably sleep 3, and there’s parking for 1-2 vehicles at each cabin.
Other Cabin Options
If you have more people or want more space, there’s a few more cabin options for you. Such as the Timber Lodge Cabin which has 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and can sleep up to 10 people. These cabins also overlook Byrd Lake with a balcony in the back.
There’s the Deluxe Two-Bedroom Cabins a little further back in the park. They don’t sit as close to the creek, but they offer more space for families sleeping up to 6 people with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and more parking space.
And at the end of the road is the Coon Hollow Cabin which sleeps up to 6 people with its 3 bedrooms. Learn more about the cabin stays and how to reserve them on the Cabins Page of the Cumberland Mountain State Park website.
Campsites
As mentioned earlier, Cumberland Mountain State Park also has 145 tent and RV sites. I wanted to tent camp on this trip, but all the sites were booked up so I’ll have to try this again at a later date. If you’re a backpacker, there’s 1 backcountry campsite that you can hike to inside the park. This site will also require a reservation so be sure to do so if you plan to try this. You can book your campsites on the website.
The Cumberland Homesteads Project
Another program offered by the “New Deal” were the Subsistence Homesteads Communities. When the economic collapse hit rural areas in the U.S., the men struggled to find work and keep a roof over their family’s heads. The federal government decided to offer this new program and the Cumberland Homesteads Project was one of the first.
Essentially, 250 families were chosen to participate in this new community. The government leased plots of farmland to each family and instructed them on how to build their own barns, farmhouses, and what crops to plant for selling. In the end, the goal was for the families to establish themselves well enough to buy the property back from the government. So by the end of the program, these families would have a roof over their heads and a working farm.
This project was well received with thousands of families applying. However, only a fraction of these applicants could be chosen so the criteria to be picked was very stringent. The project had its ups and downs, like poorly performing crops being chosen by the government for the people to grow and try to sell. But in the end, the pay off was there for these families. And today their history continues to live on.
In fact, you can learn all about this history, the families involved, and more at the Cumberland Homesteads Museum. I highly recommend a visit here if you’re in the area. It’s located across the street from the park. There is a small admission fee to keep the museum up and running, but it’s worth the cost. Inside you’ll see artifacts and photographs donated by the families. There’s also a small gift shop and you can climb the 97 steps to the top of the observation deck that served as the fire lookout and housed the community’s fire water tower.
Hiking in Cumberland Mountain State Park
Staying in one of the CCC cabins means you have easy access to the Pioneer Trail in the park. We discovered a little shortcut trail connecting the Pioneer Trail to the area our cabin was in. The Pioneer Trail and Byrd Lake Loop Trail are probably the most scenic and easiest trails in the park.
As the name implies, the Byrd Lake Loop Trail goes around Byrd Lake. It’s a paved trail and is ADA compliant, making it accessible to many people.
The Pioneer Trail connects to the Byrd Lake Loop Trail, but it heads back following Byrd Creek instead of the lake. The trail goes along both sides of the creek, crossing once in the middle via a suspension bridge and once at the end via the Old Mail Road Bridge.
There are a few other hiking trails in the park that I have yet to explore. As far as I can tell the other trails are more wild and may not be as easy to hike, whereas the Pioneer Trail and Byrd Lake Loop Trail are more beginner friendly, even though they’re somewhat long.
The CCC Museum and Restaurant
Cumberland Mountain State Park has a CCC Museum and their own restaurant next door. However, I have not had a chance to visit either because they’ve been closed when I’ve visited due to holidays. If you want to plan for these spots, double check with the park to make sure they’ll be open during your visit.
Food and Coffee in Crossville, TN
While you’re staying at Cumberland Mountain State Park, it’s a short drive to downtown Crossville, TN. I can recommend eating at Christy’s Pub Grub and grabbing coffee at the Grinder House Coffee Shop. Further away from downtown is Bunker’s Grill and Bar and Highway 55 Burgers which also serve great food. I also like the drive-thru Bloom coffee trailers which there are 3 of all around Crossville. Apart from these spots, I haven’t tried anything else in the area.
Other Fun to Explore During Your Stay
On a previous day trip to Crossville, TN, Adam and I explored some other attractions that are also nearby. I recommend adding these to your list as well if you have time and the weather permits. Learn more about these ideas in my Crossville Day Trip blog post.
Conclusion
There’s a lot to do and explore for a weekend stay or longer in the Cumberland Mountain State Park. Stay in a historic CCC cabin to get the full experience or get closer with nature by tent camping. There’s plenty of options in this park, and the peaceful solitude it offers makes for the perfect getaway.
Be sure to watch the YouTube video to see all that we did during our stay. And let me know in the comments below, have you camped here before? Or have you visited this state park? What’s your favorite part? I’d love to know! Until next time, enjoy exploring Chatt!
More Camping Getaways Within Driving Distance from Chattanooga:
- Tent Camping at Fall Creek Falls State Park
- Camp on the Tallest Mountain East of the Mississippi River
- A Hiker’s Favorite Campground
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