Trails around Pickett Lake, Pickett State Park, Pickett County, Tennessee

(Click to enlarge pictures)

 

     After a pleasant (more or less) night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast in our chalet at Pickett State Park, P. J. and I sought to explore the area around our chalet. It doesn’t take long to discover this sign not far away.


 

          Thompson Creek flows through the park and was dammed to create Pickett Lake. Peej views the dam from above, then a view down into the creek. The lake is a striking blue-green that must be seen in full sunlight to be appreciated.


 

          Peej toddles off down the trail. It’s about a two and a half mile loop with plenty of good views of the lake and a small “gazebo” at the very end, a nice place for a rest and perhaps some silent contemplation.


 

          The chalet on the end is ours. The trail leads pretty much right up to the patio. Turn around from that point, and the second picture is the view you get...! Wow!


 

          

And if you go just a little bit farther…hey, cool! Look what you find! This is called Pickett Lake Natural Bridge, and it’s quite spectacular. You can actually walk across it—it is a bridge, after all—on its lintel, which is nicely textured as you can see in the second picture, and a closer look at the sandstone along the walls reveals intricate banding.


 

          A look across the lintel before we crossed it, and then a view from the other side. Amazingly, it’s an even prettier view from there, and it’s not at all a tough walk from the chalets.


 

          “Dinosaur footprints”? Probably not. But they are interesting to look at, and to speculate on the nature of their origin. These are just on the other side of the bridge.


 

          Back to the chalet, then, for a brief rest in front of the fire, then we pack the car regretfully and head out, vowing to return. But we do make a stop before we leave!


 

          

Pickett is a terrific state park and quickly became my favorite. Apart from the caves and arches (and there are several of those!) there is the lake, which stretches well beyond the dam to this area, which has a nifty cable bridge to a nice sandstone aerie, and a picnic and swimming area. There’s an awful lot to do here!


 

          Of course, Peej had to go back and forth on the bridge…but then that’s what “swinging” bridges are all about! Mom prudently kept her distance!

 

 

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