BIG SOUTH FORK TENNESSEE: Lunch At The Lodge

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.