Suter & Horsepound Falls - The Ice Storm Edition

 Some of you may remember February 2021, we had a huge ice storm and everything had a thick coat of ice on it. Thankfully the roads were actually pretty clear and fairly safe to drive on in most places. We had a Jeep at the time, so of course, we decided to venture out to explore. Our game plan was to go somewhere we hadn't been before so Eddie came up with the Collins Gulf loop to Suter and Horsepound Falls. 

 

Now, I am the type of person who is always up for jumping in the car and ready for adventure at any moment but this time I may have wanted to look up distance, difficulty and just exactly what I was getting myself into. However, that was back in the day when "prepare" wasn't a word in my vocabulary. This trip is what added it to my dictionary..in Bold print! From the parking lot it's about a 4.5 mile out and back trail all the way to Horsepound falls.

To start off, this trail is found within South Cumberland State Park. For someone who hikes pretty regularly the trail to Suter Falls wasn't bad at all. We had to be extra careful because there was a lot of rock under our feet and that had a fresh layer of ice from the storm. We can never just have a normal hike, we apparently always have to add an element of danger to it as well, whether intentional or not!

At Suter Falls we were gifted with a beautiful sight! It was really incredible to see this waterfall up close and far away! 

Even though the ice was a bit of an obstacle we decided it was so easy getting to Suter Falls, why not go to Horsepound Falls?! I mean what could go wrong right?! After all, it was just another 2 miles! So we crossed the cutest little bridge and headed down a trail that led to a rock field (boulder field...scratch that...ICY boulder field!). Here's the bridge below:

So we continue walking and walking and walking...not realizing we are slowly headed downhill. That "hill" is why you always pack something to eat and drink and always remember the word "prepare". We finally hear Horsepound Falls and before we know it, we are enjoying another beautiful view! Now mind you, it's been freezing rain the whole time so while we have some waterproof clothes on, we are pretty wet and tired at this point!

After the hike down we definitely hung out for a while and recharged our batteries while enjoying the waterfall and exploring a little bit right around it. Finally it was time to head back and that is when we realized just how steep that hill was that we walked down. We both hike all the time and are pretty used to elevation changes while hiking. We met our match in this "hill". We stopped several times to take pictures (Actually it was to catch our breath because we are much older than we realize), and little by little we got back to our icy boulder field! That meant Suter Falls was right around the corner!

We enjoyed Suter Falls one more time then headed out. We only passed a few other, soaked to the bone, people who also decided this was a fantastic idea to do this hike in an ice storm but out of everyone we saw I still think we dressed the best. We got to the Jeep in one piece and headed for the nearest gas station to dine on pizza, candy, and drink some water....ok, ok I bought a Mt. Dew. 🤣 

Overall this was a great hike, we had lots of fun, and we learned a few things about spur of the moment trips! Be prepared for this hike and bring a backpack with lunch and water if you're going all the way to Horsepound Falls. Definitely take your time and enjoy your surroundings. It's a beautiful hike but the hike back up is pretty strenuous because you are going uphill for so long. This was well worth the adventure though!

**This is not an all-inclusive list of everything you need to know before you go. Just some highlights on some important things to know. Be sure to know the difficulty of your hike/kayak vs. your skill level, have proper directions and know the rules before you go for your best experience here in middle Tennessee. Research, Prepare, Adventure!***