Little Cedar Mountain Trail Temporarily Closed

The geological history of the Cumberland Plateau spans hundreds of millions of years, from ancient seas that deposited the sandstone and limestone bedrock to the erosion that carved the deep gorges and caves we explore today. Understanding this history deepens our appreciation for the landscape.

The restoration of native warm-season grasses on reclaimed mine lands has created valuable early-successional habitat for grassland birds and pollinators. These restored areas, while different from the original forest, serve important ecological functions and demonstrate that damaged landscapes can be returned to productive natural communities.