About Fentress County, TN

Big South Fork Tennessee is renowned horse country, but it's so much more than just that. As visitors drive through Fentress County, they'll see bright quilt blocks hung on local barns. In fact, they may come here just to see the quilt blocks, following the Quilt Trail through 27 states and parts of Canada!

The concept of Quilt Barns started with a woman in Ohio who wanted to honor her mother's Appalachian heritage by having a painted quilt hung on her barn. The idea spread, not only brightening up barns but bringing tourists; now there are over 2,000 quilts participating in the Quilt Trail.

Under the auspices of the Sew Sweet Quilting Group in Jamestown, The Fentress County Quilt Trail took shape. After several local barn owners agreed to have a quilt block installed on their barns, art instructors at the Alvin C. York Institute, one of the area's high schools, volunteered to help with the designs and the Volunteer Electric Cooperative assisted in hanging the quilt blocks.

There are 17 barn quilts here in Fentress County now. These three are on Highway 52, between Allardt "four corners" and Jamestown. The Upper Cumberland Tourism Association is preparing brochures and maps for placement in local businesses and in rest stops along Tennessee's interstates.

The Quilt Trails have developed a large following as people plan their vacations to tour the country in order to see the quilts.

For information about Big South Fork real estate or horse properties in Jamestown, Tennessee, go to www.trailridersrealestate.com

There's also a lot of information about the are on Tennessee Recreational Properties' website.

Everyone who comes to ride in Big South Fork National Park ends up at Charit Creek Hostel, one way or another. It's a memorable experience and, for some, will be the highlight of their trip. Living here, it's a ride I love to take visitors on because I know how much they will enjoy it…and, truth be told, I NEVER tire of going and always look forward to it.

Charit Creek Hostel is, in fact, the only lodge within the boundaries of Big South Fork. Nestled in a scenic valley, the main structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was probably built around 1816 and added on to later. It is accessible only on foot or by horseback.

The original log cabin may have been built in the early 1800s by Jonathan Blevins, one of the area's original families. The house later became a hunting lodge known locally as "the hog farm" because then-owner, Joe Simpson, imported Russian boar for hunting in the early 1960s.

Charit Creek, the story goes, was named in memory of a young girl named Charity who drowned in the creek during a flash flood, in the 1920s.

The lodge has running water but no electricity, although staff do make use of a nearby generator. Each room is equipped with a kerosene lamp and a wood stove. Solar panels heat water, with screened windows and doors providing air conditioning in the summer.

Charit is known for its excellent meals, and groups delight in making a reservation for lunch. Horses are tied at the hitchin' rails, while riders are served pulled pork sandwiches at long tables in the cozy dining room. Along with that come bowls of brown beans, chips, rolls, lemonade and homemade chocolate-chip cookies. With tip, lunch runs around $11.

We ride the Station Camp Trail often, stopping at Charit Hostel with brown-bag lunches that we pull out of our saddlebags. It's a race to reserve a group of rockers on the long front porch because it's a well-known and popular stopping point for riders, hikers and mountain bikers.

To make a reservation for lunch or an overnight visit, call (865) 429-5704 or email reservations@charitcreek.com

For information about Big South Fork real estate or horse properties in Jamestown, Tennessee, go to www.trailridersrealestate.com

There's also a lot of information about the are on Tennessee Recreational Properties' website.

While there has been some controversy surrounding the re-population of black bears in the Big South Fork, there is none at all concerning the introduction of elk in Tennessee.

Loss of habitat and over-exploitation by man resulted in the disappearance of elk from the eastern United States and they have not been seen in Tennessee since 1865. At present Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina,Wisconsin, Arkansas and Kentucky have resident herds and several other eastern states are looking into the possibility of also reintroducing elk.

Elk have the potential to cause crop and property damage so the present elk restoration zone, some 670,000 acres on the Cumberland Plateau, was chosen since it contains a large amount of public land that has few agricultural crops and is composed of suitable habitat.

All elk released were ear tagged and fitted with radio collars so that their movements can be tracked. Elk that wander outside of the restoration zone are captured and moved back into it if possible, but an occasional elk has been known to wonder through Big South Fork National Park!

The initial elk released in Tennessee in December of 2000 came from Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Canada. The EINP elk herd is closely monitored for potential health problems and is considered one of the best sources of wild disease-free elk. For each release, approximately 75% of the elk were cows and 25% were bulls. For the safety of the animals, the bulls had their antlers removed prior to transporting them to Tennessee and mature bulls were transported apart from the rest of the animals.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has hired a full time elk biologist whose duties are primarily to increase the amount of habitat suitable for elk, which will help reduce conflicts with landowner interests.

With the Tennessee elk herd numbering a little over 300 head and having no known natural predators, the first elk hunt in almost 150 years took place in 2009. The 2010 statewide elk hunting season will be held October 18-22, with five permits issued for antlered bulls only.

It is hoped that the current population of elk will expand to a herd of 1400-2000, a figure that should be obtainable over the next 30 years.

The budget for the elk reintroduction project is approximately $300,000 per year with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) providing about half of the funding and the TWRA, the University of Tennessee and other groups chartered to provide the remainder.

For information about Big South Fork real estate or horse properties in Jamestown, Tennessee, go to www.trailridersrealestate.com

There's also a lot of information about the area on Tennessee Recreational Properties' website.

Visitors to the Big South Fork National Park in Jamestown, Tennessee, traveling up State Highway 127 north, will feel the tug as they approach the Cumberland Country Store in Clarkrange. Heads turn and the car slows…

Who can resist a "hole in the wall" country store, with its wagon wheels, milk crates, antique tools, old bottles and massive pieces of furniture?

There's something in there for everyone and browsers rarely leave empty handed. Some of the "repro" items are just amusing and make great souvenirs and mementos of a trip to Tennessee. I love the bag that reads "Ain't nothin' like a mint julep and a joint!" (and I've seen it made into curtains in more than one cabin.)

It gets better the farther into the store you go. There in the back is the 50's Café, with its black-and-white tiled floor, soda fountain chairs and Elvis Presley rock n' roll theme. If you're looking for a big ole' burger and fries, that's where you get great food at a great price; you won't go away hungry and you certainly won't have room for a banana split.

That's a favorite lunch spot for locals too who know a good thing when they see it!

For information about Big South Fork real estate or horse properties in Jamestown, Tennessee, go to www.trailridersrealestate.com

There's also a lot of information about the area on Tennessee Recreational Properties' website.