Sweet Peas and pokeweed berries along S. York Highway
Northrup Falls Hike
Kenny & Dana Koogler
Hike distance 1.3 miles round trip
Saturday Sept. 5, 2020
Pictures are here: Northrup Falls Pix
Directions provided at the end of the trip report
Counry Store Blog Series
I recently reached out to members of my Cumberland Plateau Facebook group seeking input on blogs they'd like to see me write. One lady named Lacy suggested Northrup Falls since that is one of her favorites. It was a good suggestion especially since I had not visited there in several years. It is a short day hike so we set off with several things we planned on doing today. I had a list of three other waterfalls to visit. I also wanted to swing by Cumberland Mountain General Store. I had that on my list of places to visit to include in the Country Store blog series. I figured I'd at least try to fit in a couple things today.
The day promised to be cooler, sunny, and just perfect for hiking.
The drive over was pretty. Signs of waning Summer and Fall creeping in could be seen all along the roadsides. We arrived in Allardt around 10:30 a.m.
We found quite a few other vehicles in the parking lot already, but not an overwhelming amount. The trail was familiar to us as we've hiked it three or four times at least.
Above: photo of the trail heading toward Northrup Falls hiked in a clockwise fashion. Notice the white blaze on the tree on the right?
The trail is a gentle, gradual level and slightly downhill through the trees of a deep hemlock forest. Many of the hemlocks here have the little blue dot at the base indicating they are being treated against the hemlock wooly adelgid to try to save them from this pest. Mushrooms of red and yellow and brown dotted the forest floor along with a few white asters. I also saw a lobelia or two. The forest here was quiet and a light breeze stirred.
Above: a better image of the dappled light marking the forest floor through the trees
Above: some sort of very pretty red mushrooms growing by the trail
Above: the trail has turned and started down off the bluff line
Above: We hiked along the base of the bluff now
above: Kenny surveys the pile of break down rock
Shady places under the bluff
above: a closer look at the pock marked rock face we passed
Above: The photo here makes this trail look very rough and difficult. It is really not though the terrain gets rougher.
Above: You can barely see Kenny's orange t shirt in the bottom left corner. The lady in the white shirt is just another hiker. I watched her climb over those rocks and sit down then slide out of sight with a gasp. I didn't hear anymore of her, but I did see her husband go check on her. She was ok!
Below is an image of a gnarly mess of tree roots you have to climb down to continue. It is a little slippery.
Below: more damp, slick uneven footing as you approach the falls
Above: Northrup Falls from directly in front of it. A great volume of water for this time of year which is usually very dry. Northrup Falls is 63 feet high and more of a true waterfall for the area. It actually drops and doesn't just cascade down a rock face most of the way.
Below is an isolation shot of the top portion of the falls and the layered rock around it.
Above: plunge pool of the falls with as much water as I think I've ever seen in it!
One of the fun things about this waterfall is that it can be viewed from so many different angles!
Above: Another glance at the plunge pool and the forest past it.
Above: This shot I included because it demonstrates how you can walk behind the falls to continue the hike as a loop. It also shows the scale or size of the falls by comparison.
Above: Northrup Falls sits within a stone amphitheater or carved out half bowl at the base of a bluff.
Below: a shot of the spray cliff community that exists because of the constant moisture from the spray of the falls
Above and below Starting to go behind the falls.
Above: view from behind the falls.. a diamond shower! and below you can see it even better
Above: Looking back at Northrup Falls from the far side
and below: an isolation shot of this same position. It sure is beautiful.
We enjoyed the falls and the misty spray off of it. We saw six other hikers down here when we arrived. They all left and for a time we had the place to ourselves! It was enough to get some nice photos and enjoy the solitude.
We did not want to hike the entire loop today. I've done it a couple times before and was not real impressed with the scenery past the falls. It is okay, but not that great. We headed back the way we'd come. It was a treat to see the waterfall running this great in September!
Below is a video of Northrup Falls seen from various positions
Directions to Northrup Falls
Driving Directions from Allardt
From the main four way intersection of Hwy 296 and Hwy 52 in Allardt
follow Hwy 52 East for a little over a mile and turn RIGHT onto Northrup Falls road. The road is signed as such and on the left just prior to the turn there is a sign for Colditz Cove Natural Area. Drive 1.25 miles on Northrup Falls road and turn RIGHT into the parking area and trailhead for Northrup Falls.
Hiking Directions
In the parking area there is a kiosk and a big sign indicating Trail starts Here~~> Follow the well marked trail through the forest on level or gradually downhill to the point you will come to an overlook of the falls in about 1/4 mile. Once here turn left and hike the trail out along the bluff rim. It is blazed with white horizontal bars on the trees. It will eventually bear right and drop down below the bluff line gradually until you are hiking along the base of the bluff. The trail will become rougher as you approach the falls. It is over rocks, roots and can be slippery so take your time and use care.
You will begin to hear the falls and in about 1/2 mile from the time you dropped off the bluff line to the base you will arrive within sight of the falls.
You can do the hike as an out and back or carefully continue round behind the falls and hike in a clockwise fashion following the trail until it will bring you back round to the first overlook of the falls you saw on your way down from the parking lot. Once here turn left and hike out on the original trail 0.20 miles to the parking lot.
There are no restroom facilities at the natural area. Whatever you bring in with you make sure to take it out as there are no trashcans either. Please do not become a social media vandal who leaves your mark through rock stacking, graffiti tagging, carving your initials in trees, or otherwise destroying a beautiful area.
Baseline Spring
Once back at the vehicle we noted how the number of hikers and vehicles had grown! We were glad to be leaving. The day was growing hot and we were growing hungry. We talked it over and decided to be realistic. Rather than try to go in search of waterfalls we may or may not find and get access to we'd do other things. I had wanted to visit the only spring I heard of on this side of Fentress County. I knew from Nelson Matthews there was one somewhere in Allardt. I had figured out where it was. We were only a few miles from it. I figured we'd go by and take a peek at that and head to the store and diner for lunch.
I am calling this spring of water Baseline Spring because it is along Baseline Road, but it may have another name. I am unaware of one so if I learn different I'll make the needed corrections. The spring is private property, but the owners appear to have generously allowed people to make use of it. It was easy to find.
There is even a pull off on the same side of the road as the spring. It is behind a fence and has a nice pipe fixed so you can fill containers. We met and talked to a nice young man there who was getting him some jugs of water. He said it was the best water he'd found. I had heard it was tested and found pure. He went on to say that it is tested on a monthly basis for contaminants. He also indicated a dye trace had been done on a cave system in the Smoky Mountains and traces of the dye from that trace were detected coming out of this spring! I hadn't heard that before. Not saying it isn't true, but it sounds rather fantastical. I'd welcome comment on that subject from people I trust such as Alan Cressler or Chuck Sutherland or the cave and hydrology experts in the state.
To visit the "Baseline Spring from the main four way intersection in Allardt of Hwy 296 and Hwy 52 go East on Hwy 52 for 1/2 mile Here Hwy 52 continues to the right while you need to stay STRAIGHT ahead onto Baseline Road. Drive about 1/2 mile further on Baseline Road watching for a pull off on the LEFT. There is a fence with an opening as shown above and room to park about four cars.
If you pass Car Road on the left you have missed it.
Cumberland Mountain General Store and the Rockabilly's Cafe
I am doing a series of blogs on country stores. One of them on the list was the Cumberland Mountain General Store. I determined that I'd take advantage of being in the area today to visit and prepare for that as well. Turned out perfect since Northrup Falls is a short hike and not enough to take up a day. I did not want to turn around and drive 114 miles and 2 hours west twice for either of those topics alone. It was good to be able to roll the two into one. I debated whether to do the store write up as a separate thing or combine the two. I don't think either topic will be terribly exciting without the other. I will just combine them so this counts as #2 in the country store blog series.
Above is a photo of the front of the store building. The cafe is inside all the way to the back.
Above: Once inside the store all the way to the back this is the entrance to Rockabilly's Cafe & Soda Fountain. It is a little slice of 1950's Heaven right here in Clarkrange, Tennessee.
We were getting hungry and were glad to arrive here at this diner. We'd eaten here before many years earlier. Another spot that was a long time between visits. I'd been back to the store a couple times, but not to eat. You just seat yourself at either an open table or the counter and they'll get round to you to take your order.
They serve burgers, shakes, malts, fries, onion rings, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, fish sandwiches, sundaes, and just good old scoops of icecream, and soft drinks.
The menus are on the tables and it says right on there :
If you want fast food its available fifteen miles in either direction.
They don't do fast food. It is all cooked to order, fresh, homemade, authentic.
They also serve beer. I don't drink beer or alcohol so I forget about that sort of thing. Kenny likes a beer now and then. He grew up a Presbyterian.
I read the owner uses an original old Borden recipe book he bought from an ebay auction! It was only for sale to restaurants and businesses that sold their ice cream. He keeps the ingredients true to the recipe so patrons get a true taste of the original. Things taste the way you expect them to especially for patrons who remember going to old time burger and ice cream joints. They were incredibly busy as they'd just gotten in a party of twenty people! We had no problem finding a seat or getting waited on. We did see at least two groups get up and leave not wanting to wait I suppose. It was worth the wait. They have ample seating inside, on the screen porch and outside on the covered porch.
Kenny had a burger and fries. I had a grilled cheese and onion rings with a diet coke. 1950s tunes played on the jukebox. I got up to put money in it to keep them going, but it is not necessary. It is set to play all the time! Below is a glance at the jukebox. 
Below are some images from inside the cafe
Above: wall decoration of American muscle cars.
Once we had our tummies full and were ready to move on.. we went out to the store to look around. They have lots of cool stuff. It is mainly antiques, souvenirs and old timey items. They still sell old brands of soaps, kerosene lanterns, the chimneys,wicks and such for them. They sell printed flour sack material like back in the old days. My great grandmothers used flour sacks for everything from kids clothes and dresses to quilt backing. I have a quilt made by my great granny that says on the back "Roanoke Feed and Mash" a chicken feed sack!
Above: Behind the counter in the store they sell different kinds of fudge and candy!
Below: A look down through the store.
Behind the candy counter is homemade fudge of several types! They sell other homemade candies and goodies.
Above: Checker board set up in the store
Some wall art above.. loved the Three Stooges sign. Love me some Elvis too.
Above: I liked this Make Mine Western art work. I love old cowboy movies and westerns. True Grit is one of my favorite movies. I still watch The Virginian, The Rifleman, Rawhide, and Gunsmoke.
Above: some printed flour sack material
Above: kerosene lamps and chimneys, they sell wicks too.
Above: Old timey wood cook stove. My granny Painter still cooked on one of these up til a few years before she passed away. She had a regular electric stove, but still used the wood stove too. She mainly used it when it was cold.
Looking down the front porch of the store outside.
I don't know a lot about this store, but I do know a little. It used to be located across the road from where it is now. It was opened in 1923 for business by Todd MacDonald. Sometime in the 1980s it was thought they'd close it and tear it down. It got a new boost of life when was taken over by Ron & Lana Jones. They still use the original register and have left as much of it original as possible.
I know from another interview they've run it twice, but I am not clear on those details. They sell antiques, reproduction antique items, and all sorts of goodies.
They do a brisk business. The Highway 127 longest yard sale is a boom for them.
They close for a week to clean and rest up after it each year!
I don't blame them! They are open despite the corona virus. They have made a few modifications to the way they run things, but it is still a pleasant experience.
If you are ever heading up York Highway in Clarkrange, Tennessee you should stop in to see it for yourself. It is a step back into the past and a welcome escape from 2020.
Above: One look back at this cool old place before we leave.
Directions to Cumberland Mountain General Store:
The store is on the RIGHT side of Highway 127 heading North.
It is about 14 1/2 miles north of I-40 in Crossville.
It is 15 miles south of Hwy 52 in Jamestown and of course on the LEFT heading South.
Be sure to check the website for their hours before planning a visit.
Home, Home on the Clarkrange-- Wandering the Flower Fields
I am admittedly not exactly the most feminine flower of a woman. I have the bad habit of sitting like a dude with my leg cocked up on my lap. It is not at all ladylike. I am also prone to wandering around in fields of weeds. Another not womanly activity, but hey... I've been doing it since I was a kid. Why change now?
All the way out to Northrup Falls today and along Hwy 127 I saw loads of beautiful wildflowers. I hadn't taken photos of any of them. I love this time of year when the fields of flowers are run riot. Before we headed home I talked Kenny into taking me back up the road where I'd seen a nice field of flowers.
It was in a location where no one was likely to be bothered by my presence.
Above: abandoned building in front of the cell tower. Good place to park to see flowers.
We pulled in next to this old car lot and a cell phone tower. Some kind of abandoned building was there also real close to the road. Kenny pulled the truck in there well off the road. He played games while I spent time wading around the fields collecting hitchhikers and chiggers and enjoying all the colors and textures of those flowers. One corner of the field was especially nice. It was even better up close than I'd expected. The lower plants were heal all, and Maryland Meadow beauty. The taller plants were deep purple giant New York Ironweed, beggars ticks of bright yellow, boneset in fuzzy white, pink Joe Pye Weed, Queen Anne's Lace, pale blue mist flower, and dots of bold red cardinal flower. I was in my seventh heaven. I was not worried about snakes, ticks or anything. I just enjoyed the beauty of the blue skies, the sunshine and the colorful flowers. Finally I began to work my way back toward the truck .
I saw quite a few butterflies including one fritillary.
Below: Sweet peas in hot pink and deep purple pokeberries near the old building.
Below: maryland meadow beauty down lower in the field closer to the ground!
above: yellow butterfly on some ironweed
Below: mist flower was plentiful
Above are three views of different clusters of flowers. Each one pretty in its own way.
Below is one final shot of the flowers
I'm a gypsy when it comes to colors. I like lots of them!
I promised to provide directions to see the wildflower meadow as well as the rest of the stuff so here goes:
Wildflower Field Directions
Along Hwy 127 heading north from the Cumberland Mountain General store
Drive less than a miles north on the highway from the store. Pass Mountain Barn Builders and watch for a cell tower and an abandoned white building on the LEFT heading north. Pull in here to park. The wildflower field is in bloom in late August thru September of the year. It is to the north end of the field beside the old building and tower. The address is 6521 S. York Highway Clarkrange, TN.
We wrapped up our day tired, full and happy. I was satisfied and ready to go home. Looking forward to the next adventure!
last of all... a music video from the times.......... back in the 1950s... The Everly Brothers and Bird Dog.
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