A new season of spring hikes starts on March 24 with a 65-mile trip to the Big South Fork River and Recreation Area to hike
the 4-mile Oscar Blevins Farm Loop.
This hike is rated easy and includes such sites as its namesake, the Oscar Blevins Farm.
The farm is a historical representation of the region’s late 19th to mid-20th century farms. I
t is an interesting trail for its cultural and natural history.
Also seen on the hike are the Katie Blevins Cemetery and the Clara Sue Blevins homesite.
The hike starts at the Bandy Creek Campground Trailhead and proceeds through a previously damaged young forest. This area was farmed less than 50 years ago.
The trail descends into a headwater ravine above a small waterfall. Here hikers can see a sandstone caprock forming the top layer of the Cumberland Plateau.
With the waterfalls’ additional moisture, the conditions are favorable for spiderwort, liverworts, mosses and salamanders.
The Bandy Creek Visitors Center provides a restroom and a gift shop.
Hikers are advised to wear hiking boots, carry plenty of water and pack snacks and a lunch to eat after the hike. A hiking pole or two can also be helpful.
Anyone interested in hiking is invited. Participants will meet at the pavilion by the parking lot near the intersection of Peavine Rd. and Stonehenge Dr. between 7:30-7:45 a.m. Carpools will be formed, and information about the hike will be shared.
The group’s departure to the trailhead will be promptly at 8 a.m. Reimbursement for the carpool drivers is $6. The expected return time to Fairfield Glade is about 3 p.m.
Hiking has risks, and safety is a high priority on every outing. The hiking group assumes no collective or individual liability for any mishaps.
Hiking is at each individual’s own risk. Participants should be in good physical condition.
Walking on paved and level surfaces differs from hiking on uneven trails with elevation changes and natural obstructions.
Participants are asked to assess their fitness level for the hike’s difficulty so they can keep up with the group.
Call Bob Obohoski at 678-425-4339 for more information.