News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cummins Falls State Park will delay the use of a permit system until next spring.
Park Ranger Ray Cutcher said park officials made the decision in light of other projects taking place at the park.
“We are in the process of getting the visitors center constructed. [The Park Director] really felt like it would be a much better situation if we had a building,” Cutcher said. “And were able to work out of that to issue the permits and do the things we need to do instead of how we have it now.”
Cutcher said the park will also hire additional staff to implement the permit system. Cummins will offer online and in-person permits.
“Our plan is to do a combination. To do it where people can go online and get permits before they come,” Cutcher said. “And they will be able to get them a few months in advance so that they will be able to plan their trip or whatever part of vacation they were taking.”
Cummins Falls officials began the process of creating a permit system after the rapid increase of visitors since 2012.
“The past two months ago, March, our visitation numbers were truly double what they were the previous March,” Cutcher said. “And I was actually getting ready to do our numbers for April to see what they are and I suspect they are going to be quite a bit higher than last April as well.”
The permit plan will limit the number of visitors in the gorge on a daily basis.
