Date: 2/9/13
Distance: ~13 miles
I spent some time in the Nashville area this weekend. Since I had some time, I drove over to Carthage and hiked the Bearwaller Gap Trail. This trail skirts the edge of Cordell Hull Lake. The distance is marked as 10km at the trailhead. Along the way, I took a short side trail up to an overlook, thus the 13 mile estimate. I started from the Defeated Creek Recreation Area at about 11:30.
About 1 mile into the hike, a sign indicated that an overlook trail was to the right. It was a steep climb up to the ridge and the blazes didn't seem to make much sense. The view was nice with the leaves off of the trees. I expect that in the summer there isn't much to see. There is a park bench at the overlook, so I sat and ate my lunch before making a phone call to home. I had cell service throughout the hike, so it seems relatively safe to hike alone.
After hiking back down the Overlook trail, I continued on the Bearwaller trail. It hugged the shoreline of the lake for the majority of the hike. There are about 4 rather steep climbs as the bluffs on the edge of the lake rise and fall. I saw on one website that the gain while climbing was 1200 ft one way. I felt it and was pretty tired at the end.
The trail ends at another parking lot of another overlook. There is a restroom and plenty of parking. The hike would be a good shuttle hike. I didn't have a shuttle, so I climbed up to the overlook, just to turn around after a look at the Dam. There were many places on the trail with nice views of the lake and the surrounding hills. I don't imagine that there are many views when the leaves are out.
There were about 6 or 7 dry stream beds that I crossed. They looked like they carried lots of water at times, so I don't think I'd try this one if there is rain in the forecast.
At about the middle of the hike, there was a very nice backcountry camp site. It had an outhouse, a picnic table with a trashcan and lots of space.
The day was bright and sunny. An excellent day in the woods.
Approximate Times:
11:30 Started
12:00 Finished lunch at the overlook and back on trail
1:20 Campsite
2:20 Half Done
4:35 Back at Car
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