Dates: APRIL 9-11
Estimated Drive Time One Way: 3 hours
Hike Distance: various
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Hike Leader: Christy O

If you wish to carpool, please meet at Kroger in Hermitage at 5:30 pm on Friday, April 9. Drive time is approximately three hours. People often arrange ride-sharing off-site, or just drive themselves, so we can't promise there will be many (or even any) people at the carpool meetup time.

BSF is technically in the Eastern time zone, but we're all going to stay on Central time for purposes of meeting for hikes and such.

The group hike on Sunday will be Honey Creek (a six-mile strenuous-but-wonderful hike). For both the Saturday and Sunday Pogue Creek hikes (see separate listings on April 10 and 11), no-shows from each hike will have their slots filled with people who are on the waiting lists and camped at Bandy Creek, so sign up for those so that you have a shot.

In addition to regular day-hiking gear (pack, water containers, good shoes or boots, etc), be sure to pack:

• Tent
  
• Air mattress or sleeping pad
  
• Sleeping bag or linens/blanket
  
• Towel & toiletries, including soap (there are showers at the campground)
  
• Headlamp or flashlight
  
• Sunscreen and bug spray - yes, it's that time of year already!
  
• Food and camp preparation equipment for breakfast & dinner; lunches which can be packed for the trails
  

Join us for a weekend of camping and hiking in Big South Fork. We will stay in a campground with showers (please make your own reservations, see below). The centerpiece of this weekend will be two special “exclusive to NHM” sneak peek hikes in Pogue Creek, one of Tennessee’s newest (and still undeveloped) State Natural Areas. You must sign up for these hikes separately, see the calendar to register! Even if you don’t make it onto one of the Pogue hikes, you are welcome to camp with us, as it will be a fun, hike-filled weekend! There are abundant hikes in the area, and at least one group hike will be led on Sunday (members are encouraged to organize small or large groups to hike on Saturday, when most of the organizers will be hiking Pogue).

CLICK HERE to reserve a campsite at Bandy Creek campground at Big South Fork

I recommend reserving a site on Loop A, so that we’ll all be close together. Sites are $19 per night. There is a maximum of 6 people and 2 cars per site. Please use the comment section below to discuss with each other carpool and site-sharing possibilities. Please also update your RSVP comments with your site number as soon as you’ve reserved a site.

I also recommend bringing all the food you'll need for the weekend, as this campground is not very convenient to restaurants or groceries.

Well-behaved, non-nocturnal dogs are permitted, but must be on a leash at all times (even in camp). Also keep in mind that Big South Fork does have black bears and so it is not recommended to leave a dog tied up at camp. Kids are welcome, as well.

More details will be sent to registrants as the event approaches. Please let me know if you have any questions!