This weekend’s state park adventure is brought to you by Davy Crockett- legendary folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, politician, defender of The Alamo, and purveyor of animal skin clothing- who was considered the ‘King of the Wild Frontier’. He gained a reputation for his larger than life adventures and as those stories were then put into books and movies, his status became one of America’s greatest folk heroes. David (or Davy) was born and raised here in Tennessee and is considered one of the state’s greatest sons. He was a homesteader and frontiersman who lived off the land, known for his hunting skills and his wonderful storytelling. Later he joined the military and was made a militia colonel. After that he got into politics and served as state legislator and then moved to serve in the U.S. Congress. After a disappointing political defeat however, he declared he was going to Texas where later he would die defending The Alamo. There are 8 of Tennessee’s state parks dedicated in part to Davy Crockett. We started out our day at the David Crockett Museum where we read more about his life and his love of Tennessee.

Then we made our way across the lovely covered bridge across the lake. Just past the bridge is a small waterfall. One of the best parts about Tennessee is how many beautiful rivers and waterfalls there are, all of which are surrounded by the lush green of the trees and the layered rocks on the sides. We continued the small path following the river until the path veered off and led up a created staircase through the trees. We had brought the pack, but Tessa with her walking stick in hand decided that she could handle the trail by herself. At the top of the climb the path connected to a larger paved path that went back down to the museum. The loop was 4 miles where we were rewarded with beautiful views of the river, a perfect springtime hike, and retellings of the stories of the wild frontier.

For more on this great state park, check out :: tnstateparks.com/parks/david-crockett