Lone Mountain State Forest in Morgan County Tennessee

Lone Mountain is a detached ridge-like mountain rising to an elevation of 2,530 feet (770 m) in the southern half of Morgan County. Although the mountain's altitude isn't particularly notable, its isolation makes it one of the 25 most prominent mountains in the state of Tennessee

Geographical setting

Pictured left: Coyote Point, on the south slope of Lone Mountain

Lone Mountain is located on the western fringe of the Crab Orchard Mountains, which rise atop the Cumberland Plateau just west of the plateau's Walden Ridge escarpment. The mountain's western base is formed by the Emory River, which flows down from its source near the summit of Bird Mountain to the northeast and winds around the base of the range before descending the plateau and emptying into the Watts Bar Lake impoundment of the Tennessee River. Lone Mountain's northern base is formed by Crooked Fork, a tributary of the Emory. Bitter Creek, which flows roughly parallel to the Emory, slices a substantial valley along Lone Mountain's eastern base, splitting the mountain off from the rest of the Crab Orchard range.

Lone Mountain spans much of the stretch of U.S. Route 27 between Harriman and Wartburg and along the north western side of the Oakdale community along the Camp Austin road. The community of Mossy Grove is situated at the mountain's eastern base in the Bitter Creek valley. No camping is allowed in the forest however hunting during the appropriate seasons is permitted. Hunters are required to follow all TWRA safety regulations and maintain a safe distance from hiking trails and populated areas. No ATV's are permitted on any of the trails in the Lone Mountain State Forest.

Access: From Highway 61 west of Oliver Springs drive north on US 27 about 7 miles or approx 3.9 miles south of Wartburg on US 27 south. Turn west at the Lone Mountain State Forest signs (Clayton Howard Rd.) and go about 0.3 miles to the Forestry headquarters. Park across the road from the headquarters (parking area closes at 4:30 pm ?). Limited parking is also available on the west side of the Forest along gravel Ervia Armes Road. We have GPS waypoints (.gpx), maps, and driving directions for some of the trail heads at trail-head parking. Here is a route that you can download to your GPS for getting you from the Forestry parking area to the Longest Mile parking area. If coming from Oak Ridge take highway 61 into Oliver Springs and turn west on highway 62 at the 62 and 61 interchange. Follow 62 10.9 miles and turn left on Petit Lane, follow Petit Lane to US 27 and cross onto Clayton Howard road go about 0.3 miles to the forestry headquarters on the right, parking is available to the left across from the office.

Trail Descriptions: From the forestry office the main trail leaves the parking area (1360') toward the south and begins a gradual climb through the hardwood forest. At mile 1.4 the trail climbs very steeply through a series of switch backs. At mile 2.1 (1950') the Longest Mile section of the trail closes the trail loop. From this junction continue climbing to 2190' at mile 2.6. Pass Rankin Spring at mile 3.4 (2175'). At mile 3.8 take the spur to Coyote Point (2100') for good views south into the Tennessee Valley. The ranger has provided picnic tables and hitching posts for your steed. Return to the main trail and begin the 3 mile descent. At mile 5.8 the trail crosses Hall Branch Creek several times before intersecting a gravel road at mile 6.8. Before the tornado of 2002 you could continue down the road to where the trail heads up bumpy Carl Black Spur (1020') through what was once a beautiful hemlock forest. This area is beginning to regenerate and recover from damage and perhaps will be open again soon. The trail crosses the gravel road again at mile 8.8 (1500') and begins the fast Longest Mile section (2.7 miles) to the junction with the trail from the parking area at mile 11.5. Turn left and begin your free-fall back to the car.

Instead of bumping up Carl Black Spur which is currently impassable, you can cutover on Horseshoe Flats (1.3 miles) to Saw Mill, or climb the gravel road (1.5 miles), or go up the Saw Mill trail (2.1 miles). The Saw Mill trail is a nice down hill when starting from the junction of the Longest Mile and the gravel road. You can make a nice 4.1 mile loop with Carl Black Spur (500' cumulative climb).

An alternate starting point that avoids the steep climbs from the Forestry Office is to drive (3 mi.) around to the gravel road off of Bob Armes Circle (then Ervia Armes Road) and start at the Longest Mile. This reduces the ride to a 9.4 mile loop with 1000' cumulative climb, or an 8 mile loop with the Horseshoe Flats cutoff.

In 2004, a new trail, Twister Pass, was added off of Horseshoe Flats and east of Saw Mill, 1.1 miles.

There is a 1.9 mile hiking trail that climbs up to the peak of Lone Mountain (2530') from the horse/bicycle trail. The hiking trail intersects with the main trail on the south eastern side and with Longest Mile on the northern western side of the mountain

History

Pictured left: Rankin Spring, a watering hole on the east slope of Lone Mountain

Lone Mountain State Forest was created from a land donation by the Lone Mountain Land Company in 1938 and a large land purchase by the Morgan County Chancery Court the following year. Lone Mountain was managed as part of Morgan State Forest until 1970, when it became an independent state forest. The State Forestry Division managed Lone Mountain with a "hands-off" approach to allow the forest to recover from damage caused by the Lone Mountain Land Company. Timber harvests within the forest are therefore relatively rare.

In 2002, a tornado swept across Morgan County, devastating the community of Mossy Grove and wiping out some 500 acres (2.0 km²) of trees in Lone Mountain State Forest and causing the closure of the Carl Black Spur trail which remains closed even today. Forestry officials hope to soon have the Carl Black Spur trail open for the public again soon. The tornado opened up the opportunity for a new trail aptly named Twister Pass which runs from the South West trail up to Todds Landing on Horse Shoe Flats. Southern pine beetle infestations in the 1970s and 1990s killed off a large number of the forest's pine trees, leaving mostly hardwoods.

Features

Lone Mountain has approximately 15 miles (24 km) of trails, the most popular of which leads to Coyote Point, an overlook just below the summit on the south slope of the mountain. The trails were developed in the late 1980s for horseback riding, and are well-equipped with watering holes and hitching posts. The trails are also open to hikers and mountain bikers. The trailhead is located just west of US-27 along Clayton Howard Road. More information on Lone Mountain can be obtained by calling the Tennessee Division of Forestry Wartburg office at (423)346-6655 Monday - Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

While you are visiting our forest follow the Boy Scout rule, carry in, carry out and help keep our forests beautiful.. At Coyote Point we have provided a trash can for your convenience. Please let the office staff know if it needs attention or if you find trees down across the trails.