What not to miss at Frozen Head:
I recently heard someone say that Frozen Head is a lot of climbing with no payoff. I think they specifically meant no big views (which is not true - see “The Tower” section). But hours on end with no reward? I don’t think so. If you know where to look and have an appreciation for ultra-running lore, American history, classic Southeastern forests and creeks, or undiscovered mountain paradises, it’s the perfect place for you. And there’s nowhere else as close to Nashville (our home base) that you can get the kind of vert that Frozen Head has to offer. You can view it as suffering, or you can view it as self-discovery and adventure. Either way, it has a special place in my heart. There are infinite ways you could string together the web of trails at Frozen Head based on your training needs or exploration objectives. Here are some cool things to check out along the way!
—
The Tower and the top of “Rat Jaw”
If there is one thing not to miss at FHSP, it’s the tower. It once functioned as a fire tower after being built by the CCC in 1933, but was rebuilt in 2006 to function as a sturdy viewpoint from the namesake and highest point of the park (around 3300’), Frozen Head mountain, named for the historically often-icy summit which stood out in contrast to the surrounding area. That is not as often the case in recent years due to climate change, however… Regardless, the view from the top is stunning. On a clear day, you can see Watts Barr Lake to the southeast and as far as the Smoky Mountains over 60 miles to the east. The other cool thing about a journey to the tower for ultrarunners is that you must go right by the top of Barkley-famous Rat Jaw, the quad-busting, briared powerline climb which goes straight up the mountain from 2,000 feet below, starting at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, which we will get to later. (Note: Rat Jaw is off trail and off-limits to park visitors unless you are running the Barkley Marathons or the Barkley Fall Classic.) The most direct way to the Tower is via the South Old Mac trail, though there are a multitude of options.
The Yellow Gate
You can’t picture the Barkley Marathons without the yellow gate. They even sell bumper stickers at the park with a yellow gate on them, and something to the effect of “If you know, you know.” Then there is probably the most famous picture from the Barkley of all, one that transcended the sport of ultrarunning, the Barkley, and Laz himself, with Jasmine Paris slumped against the gate after an inhuman effort to be the first woman to finish the infamous race in its 40 year history. So, while the yellow gate at Big Cove Campground is in fact just a gate, without any sort of majestic placement or epic scene around it, it is a fixture of ultrarunning lore and something you don’t want to miss.
The prison and prison mines of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary
Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, established in 1896, was operated until 2009 by the Tennessee Department of Correction. Known for its unique and beautiful castle-like architecture, its setting is equally unique and breathtaking, located in a “holler” surrounded on three sides by the Cumberland Mountains that now make up Frozen Head. But don’t let its alluring appearance fool you: for much of its history, Brushy Mountain played host to many of the state’s hardest criminals as a maximum security prison. It was made famous by the escape of James Earl Ray (who assassinated MLK in Memphis) in June 1977. Like most escapees, he did not make it far - about 8 miles in 56 hours - and this was part of Laz’s inspiration for the Barkley Marathons.
Additionally, many of Brushy’s inmates were forced to mine coal from the surrounding hillsides, and some of the mines are still visible to visitors to Frozen Head today. The most notable one I have seen is along a spur off the dirt road / trail between the Armes Gap trailhead and the tower, not far from a portion of Rat Jaw. It’s a wide opening in the hillside with what looks like a cavernous horizontal shaft and wooden beams. It cannot be entered due to steel bars that have been put in place, making it resemble a prison cell - ironic, given that many prisoners died in the mines and some of their bodies were never recovered.
Today, the Prison has been converted into a tourist destination, complete with a restaurant, a distillery, gift shop, tours led by former inmates and guards, and a concert venue inside the walls. You can’t access it directly from the park, but it’s location along its borders, near Petros, TN, and close to FHSP’s Armes Gap trailhead.
The “pond,” the pine forest, and the Cumberland Trail
In one area of Frozen Head, high atop a ridgeline on the western side of the park, there is what appears to be a pond. It is probably only a couple of acres in size, but seems to hold water year-round. I’ve been told that this is a remnant of some sort of industrial operation - perhaps a mill tailings pond from a strip mining operation or a log pond - in this part of the park. Its waters are not clear, as it is probably polluted from the chemicals left from the operation. That said, it is not totally dead. A friend and I were once running this section and stopped for a break along the water. After a minute or so, we realized that what we had thought to be a nearby rock in the water was no stone at all, but rather a large snapping turtle the size of a car tire. We watched as it slowly drifted off into the depths of the pond, with the reflections of the trees across the water outlined on the surface. It felt pretty magical. There seems to be plenty of other life in the pond as well, and it might be good fishing, though I would never eat anything from that water. Luckily, most of Frozen Head was preserved from strip mining, and the mountains remain intact like they have been for millennia.
The “pond” is located between Ross Gap and Bird Mountain, along a section of Tennessee’s Cumberland Trail, which passes through Frozen Head. The Cumberland Trail is a yet-to-be-completed “long trail” that will be around 300 miles in length once completed as the Cumberland Trail State Park, stretching from Signal Point in Chattanooga up to Tri-State Peak at the TN/KY/VA border. So on this stretch of trail, maybe you’re in two state parks at once?
Other notable features in this part of the park include a pine forest, clearly planted by humans based on its neat rows and lack of biological diversity. I think this is a product of industrial operations as well, though not sure if it was logging or mining. Regardless, someone replanted the area with acres of pine trees, and it makes for a distinctly different vibe in this section of the park. There are also some really cool boulders that the Cumberland Trail crosses near this area, nicknamed the “Pillars of Doom” for their unique appearance and perhaps sketchy footing.
The Chimney Top Trail
This is a beast of a trail. If you start from behind the visitor center, you feel like you’re climbing forever up this trail - partly because you climb for a while, descend some, and then climb again, with sections well over 20% grade. One false summit along the way is aptly called “Rough Ridge.” I’ve felt rough there more than once. Chimney top by itself, about a 7-mile trail, could be the crown jewel of just about any other state park in TN. Besides massive climbs, it features sets of large boulders you can climb on, a rugged ridgeline with views in both directions in less-leafy months, and the remains of an old homestead (including an obvious stone chimney). It’s an adventure.
The cascades: Panther Branch trail, Emory Gap Falls, and Debord Falls
Do you like waterfalls and cascades? Frozen Head doesn’t have a single-drop waterfall that rivals the likes of Fall Creek Falls or Burgess Falls, but it is far from devoid of falling water features. These are probably most concentrated along the Panther Branch and Emory Gap trails, and they come in all different shapes and sizes. Some are small streams with a long series of 1-3 foot cascades parallel to a steep section of trail, while some are unnamed rounded cliff-like features right along the trail that have eroded the footing with their might during downpours. The two most notable, however, are Emory Gap Falls and Debord Falls, which can both be accessed from the Panther Branch trailhead via a ~3 mile out-and-back route with far less climbing per mile than you get in most of the park. Neither one is super impressive in stature by itself, but Debord is quite picturesque, and these falls and cascades taken altogether make for a memorable journey, especially after recent rainfall.
The Barkley Challenge Loop
This 20+ mile loop is the ultimate test of fitness on trails at the park, and one of only two existing FKTs here (the other is out and back on the S Old Mac trail from the valley to the lookout tower.) Traditionally run clockwise from the Visitor Center, it is also known as the Frozen Head “Perimeter Trail,” though it is in fact not one trail, as it consists of several long stretches of distinct trail (including Chimney Top). It is also not the perimeter of the park, as doing the climb to Ross Gap and taking the CT across to Bird Mountain rather than going straight up Bird from the Yellow Gate would actually encompass more of the park. That said, this loop supposedly resembles a loop of the Barkley Marathons at some point in the early days of the race, and its lore lives on in the trail and ultra community. Unless you’re an elite athlete, plan for at least 6 hours to complete this loop your first time - maybe more.
My favorite downhill
North Old Mac Trail: This descent is around 4 miles long and drops around 1600 feet. It’s not too steep (averaging somewhere in the ballpark of an 8% grade) and flows well if you’re comfortable on semi-technical terrain. I once ran a series of 8-ish minute miles down it after being warned that an angry park ranger awaited me at my car for being on the trails after they had officially closed (unbeknownst to me before starting my loop). That descent was magical in the crisp March air near twilight. I only stopped once, briefly, to take a photo of the walled-in valley laid out before my eyes, as the leaves had not yet fully come in.
The surrounding area
Here’s the other great thing about Frozen Head: it’s not “on an island.” It is surrounded by other cool things that many outdoorsy folks would enjoy. I won’t go into detail, but let me list a few. First, there’s a ton of other land nearby with recreation opportunities and most of it is public: Lone Mountain State Forest, the Obed Wild & Scenic River (TN’s only Wild & Scenic river), Big South Fork National Recreation Area, Catoosa WMA, North Cumberland WMA, and Windrock Park. You can run, hike, paddle whitewater, fish, swim, rock climb, hunt, ride ATVs, gravel bike, and basically anything else your heart desires. Not only that, but there are several good nano-breweries nearby. The two closest are MoCo Brewing Project (in charming downtown Wartburg) and The Beer Barn (set on a 5th-generation cattle farm). Another is the Lilly Pad Hopyard Brewery, about 25 minutes away near a section of beautiful Clear Creek. Don’t just day-trip it - stay a while!
—
While there is a lot to see in and around Frozen Head, it’s a place that can sometimes make the old adage seem accurate: the journey IS the destination. It’s not a place that will reward you in the same way as a lot of National Parks, where you can stop your car on the side of the road, walk 50 feet, snap a few pics, and get going again. You’ve got to work for it - and it can't all be seen in one day - and maybe that’s what makes it feel special.