Lonesome Pine Trail — Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

Big South Fork doesn’t get the overland press it deserves, which is exactly why it’s worth the drive. The Lonesome Pine OHV trail system threads through the gorge country of the Cumberland Plateau, crossing the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River at river-level fords and climbing sandstone rimrock shelves above hundred-foot cliff lines. The terrain is technical in the Eastern sense — not altitude, but tight trees, slick wet rock, and creek crossings that run thigh-deep after rain. The John Litton Farm Loop and the surrounding trail network add up to 170+ miles of marked OHV routes, but the Lonesome Pine corridor through the gorge is the one worth doing first.

This is no place for a grocery-getter. High-clearance 4WD with good skid plates and a winch is appropriate — the wet sandstone is ruthless on all-season tires and there are recovery situations here most weekends. Permits are not required but registration at the trailhead is expected. Spring and fall offer the best conditions; summer is rideable but humid and the creek levels can spike fast with upstream rain. Closest real fuel and supplies are in Oneida, TN or Whitley City, KY. Camping is available at Bandy Creek Campground and dispersed sites throughout the area.