Distance: 10.2 Mile Loop
Trail Type: Rugged
Difficulty: Strenuous- Tight Trails and Technical Elevation Changes
Location: Cumberland Trail, Prentice Cooper State Forest
Directions:
From I24- Take US 27 N to the Signal Mountain Rd. Exit Ramp
Stay on Signal Mountain Rd. for 3.1 Miles [passing Wal-Mart and Bi-Lo]
until you see a Left turn onto Suck Creek Rd. (US 27) This Left turn is at the base of Signal Mountain before heading up
Stay on Suck Creek Rd. for approx. 9 Miles- Look for signs for Prentice Cooper State Forest
Turn Left on Choctow Trail for .25 Miles- you will travel through a small housing area
Turn Left on Game Reserve Rd. and enter into Prentice Cooper State Forest and Wildlife Management Area.
Parking for Cumberland Trail is approx. 4 Miles on right [present end of section 9]
Mullins Cove Loop Starts Right or Left of Game Reserve Rd. We advise you to preview the Trail PDF below to plan your desired direction and desired sights to see along the Loop.
Trail Access Map PDF >
Attention to Hikers:
This is a managed hunting area. As posted by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
“Hunters take pride in their record of keeping hunting safe while sharing the public lands, and are very careful to look past their target before shooting. Hunter orange makes you much more visible to hunters and increases their confidence that they are aware of the location of any hikers or other hunters before firing. For this reason, hunters are very uncomfortable when hikers not wearing blaze orange enter big game hunt areas. Most hunters feel that not wearing hunter orange is discourteous and disrespectful. As a courtesy to hunters, we STRONGLY recommend that hikers wear hunter orange during the fall and spring in ALL Wildlife Management Areas. “
TWRA has posted a PDF for all Wilderness Management Area Hunting. It contains a Seasonal Guide for Small Game and Big Game. Prentice Cooper State Park is listed on Page 64-65. (PDF page 23) WMA Seasons PDF >
On the following dates in Fall 2010 the Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area will be closed for managed hunts and the section of the CT in this area cannot be accessed by hikers/ runners.. The area West of Highway 27 (Suck Creek Rd.) will be closed to visitors except hunters on these dates below (The area East of Hwy. 27, including Edwards Point, will remain open to the public):
September 18-26
October 14-16, 33-31
November 5-7,
November 27- December 2
* When searching for information, hikers may discover a few variations to spell “Mullens”. We try to be consistent with the -E- for Mullen’s, but other may spell it with an -I- for Mullins, Mulins, Mullin’s or Mulin’s. Either way, you are looking at the same great hiking destination.