June 30- July 7, 2019

Bandy Creek CG

Oneida, TN

 

(Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area)

After the whirlwind week we had in Pigeon Forge we were looking forward to relaxing in more of a wilderness area.

The picnic area of our site was very generous and included a bear storage box. 

We mostly relaxed during our stay but did venture out a couple of days. 

 One excursion was to the Twin Arches.

The Twin Arches Trail is only a .7 mile walk it descends about 400 feet and it kicked our butts.

 

 

The North Arch has a clearance of 51 feet, a span of 93 feet and its deck is 62 feet high. 

 

 

South Arch has a clearance of 70 feet, a span of 135 feet and its deck is 103 feet high.

On the way back to the parking lot we stopped off at a bluff offering spectacular views.

The second outing was to the Blue Heron Outdoor Museum. 

 

Blue Heron was a coal mining camp and part of the Sterns Coal and Lumber Company’s past operation.

 

 

Today, Blue Heron is an outdoor museum managed by the National Park Service. 

 

 

From 1937 – 1962 hundreds of people lived and worked in the isolated community on the banks of the Big South Fork River. 

 

 

There are several structures along a trail that signify and offer through an audio recording a different aspect of live at the mining camp including the Company Store, Courtship, Marriage and Family, Church and a Woman’s Life.

 

After leaving the Mining Museum we rounded a bend in the road and came face to face with a bear.  I don’t know who was more surprised-the bear or us!

We also took a trail to an observation deck.