REGIONAL NEWS | Beersheba Springs — It’s a fall outdoor activity that doesn’t come around very often. South Cumberland State Park officials plan a guided full moon night hike to The Great Stone Door located inside Savage Gulf Natural Area on Saturday, November 20 to celebrate the November full moon.
The moon will rise in southern, middle Tennessee beginning at 3:59 a.m. Friday morning. Named the Beaver Moon by Native American folklore, the moon signifies that time of year when beavers begin to take shelter in their lodges for the long winter ahead. To early settlers of this area, it was also the best time to trap beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts.
The natural 10-foot-wide by 100-foot-deep crack in the sandstone bluff known as Stone Door looks like a giant door left ajar. It opens into the gorge below and local legend holds that Native Americans and even bison used it to travel the Cumberland Plateau well before European settlers arrived int his area.
Park Ranger Spencer Baxter will lead hikers on a two mile round trip hike to Stone Door. Lit by the full moon, participants will hike a mile to the Stone Door Overlook and a mile back while stopping at several additional overlooks along the way. Hikers should wear sturdy hiking boot, appropriate clothing, and their own headlamp. The full moon hike will be limited to only 10 hikers and pre-registration is required. The cost is $10 per person. To register, click here.
Hikers will meet at the Stone Door Station located at 1183 Stone Door Road in Beersheba Springs about 15 minutes before the hike’s start time. For more information, visit the South Cumberland State Park website or text Ranger Baxter at 931-924-2980. •
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