Cedars of Lebanon State Park: Cedar Forest Trail (Blog Hike #111)

Trail: Cedar Forest Hiking Trail

Hike Location: Cedars of Lebanon State Park

Geographic Location: south of Lebanon, TN (36.08529, -86.32440)

Length: 2 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: November 2001

Overview: A pleasant woodland stroll through young forest and Karst topography.

Park Information: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/cedars-of-lebanon
Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=102313
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Lebanon, go south on US 231 for 6 miles to the park entrance on your left.  Turn left to enter the park.  Follow the main park road past the park office.  Park in a small blacktop picnic area lot on the right just before the road forks.  The trail begins at a small trailhead sign across the road.

The hike: Located just 30 miles east of Nashville, Cedars of Lebanon State Park and the adjacent Cedars of Lebanon State Forest provide over 9000 acres of mostly woodland for recreation.  The park derives its name from the large concentration of “cedar” trees found within the park’s boundaries.  Actually, the trees are not really cedars but junipers, a close relative of the cedar.  The park is very popular in the warmer summer months with an Olympic sized pool, 40-person group lodge, 117-site campground, and 9 cabins.  During the cooler months, crowds are more sparse and the scenery equally as enthralling, making for perfect hiking.

            The state park portion of the complex contains 8 miles of hiking trails and 6 miles of bridle trails traveling mostly through the cedar glades.  The limestone sinks trail is 1 mile long and contains a self-guiding brochure explaining the area flora, fauna, and topography.  The Hidden Springs Trail is 5 miles long and departs from the very rear of the park.  Our trail, the Cedar Forest Trail, splits the difference in terms of distance and provides a good walk with no major elevation changes while passing some interesting scenery and topography.

            Look for the sign along the park road that says “Cedar Forest Trail” beside a small gap in the trees.  Immediately, the trail intersects a maintenance road, where another sign directs you to turn left.  After climbing moderately for about 50 yards, a third sign directs you to the left again as the trail leaves the abandoned road.  From here on the trail is marked with white paint blazes, although the trail is sufficiently worn that you will rarely need them.

Exposed limestone bedrock

            In another 50 yards, the trail splits to form the loop portion of the hike, with a sign directing you to the right.  Either route could be chosen, but this description will follow this sign, using the right trail as the outward portion of the loop and the left trail as the return portion.  The trail heads slightly uphill through young maple forest with an occasional juniper tree, soon reaching some exposed limestone bedrock.  The trail climbs over the bare rock, which has played a major factor in this land’s development. 

            The fact that the bedrock is so close to the surface constitutes the primary reason this area has remained cedar glade rather than proceeding into later stages of forest succession.  Larger trees such as maples, oaks, and beeches are unable to establish the deep root systems they need to grow and out-compete the shorter cedars which do not have extensive root systems and cannot grow as tall.  Thus, if you observe the trees throughout this hike, you will notice that most trees are roughly the same size, with maples growing about the same height as their pine counterparts.  Note also that the shallow bedrock is the first indication of the Karst topography that will become more apparent later in the hike. 

Red cedar forest

            The trail jogs left then back to the right as it climbs over a little more limestone.  In no case is any of the climbing at all steep or difficult.  Soon reaching the crest of the hill, the trail curves left and begins a slight descent. 

0.2 miles from the curve, the first of numerous large sinkholes (sinks, as geologists call them for short) comes into view.  Sinks such as these are formed when the limestone bedrock near the surface collapses either due to erosion, the collapse of a small cave, or just simple weakness.  A few wild trails lead into the sinks.  While it may be worth short side trip for a closer look, do not venture to the very edge, as it may collapse with you weight, leaving you a near vertical climb back out.  A concentration of sinks and bedrock close to the surface form the distinguishing characteristics of the unusual Karst topography mentioned above.

Limestone sink

            Past the sinks, the trail passes beside some more exposed bedrock.  At one point, the rock comes up shoulder-high on either side of the hiker.  After 0.2 miles of this terrain, the trail rejoins the outward portion to close the loop.  Retrace your steps back to the abandoned road, then turn right and follow the abandoned road downhill to the parking lot, thus ending the hike.