News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A new permit system will limit access to the Cummins Falls gorge area beginning Friday.
Permit carriers will be the only visitors allowed to hike to the gorge. The new safety measures come as a response to three deaths in the park from 2017 to 2019. Park manager Ray Cutcher said the permit is not necessary to access other trails.
“There’s a fee of $6,” Cutcher said. “You’ll show that permit when you arrive. After you’ve shown the permit you’ll need to go through a short safety briefing, and then you can go on and access the gorge area.”
Permits will be available for purchase online beginning Thursday. Cutcher said children under five years old are not permitted to visit the gorge. Cutcher said a ranger will be available to check the permits and provide the safety briefing.
“This is something that we’ve been planning for a while where we could finally institute a permit system to get control of our numbers, since we were having tremendous overcrowding,” Cutcher said. “With needing to open up under COVID-19 protocols, and even restrict numbers even further, it was decided that when we opened up we would go ahead and go with the permit system.”
Visitors entering the gorge without a permit will be turned away, and some could be fined, Cutcher said.
Cutcher said the park will allow a maximum of 100 permit entries to the park per day. He said that number could increase later, depending on social distancing guidelines related to COVID-19.
Cummins Falls has become a very popular destination for hikers and nature enthusiasts. The steep and narrow cliffs that make it beautiful have also made it dangerous. A flash flooding accident led to the death of a 2-year-old.
To purchase a permit, visit the Tennessee State Park website.
