Pioneer short loop trail - Member Hike

Hike Name:	Pioneer short loop trail
Country:	United States
State:	Tennessee
Nearby Town:	crossville
Rating:
Directions:	From Interstate 40 turn onto exit #317. Travel south on US Hwy 127 for 8.5 miles where you take the left side of the fork in the road to follow 127 south then in aproximatley .5 miles you will see the park entrance on the right.
Total Hike Distance:	2.00 miles
Hike Difficulty:	Easy
Permit Required:	No
Hike Type:	Roundtrip, Loop Hike
Hike Starts/Ends:	at parking area next to boat dock
Trails Used:	pioneer short loop trail
Backcountry Campsites:	No
Backcountry Water Sources:	Rivers, Lakes, Springs
Management:	State Park Service
Contact Information:	Cumberland Mountain State Park 24 Office Dr. Crossville , TN 38555 Office: 931-484-6138
Best Season:	Spring
Users:	Hikers, Bikers, Dogs
Road Conditions:	Primary Paved Roads
Hike Summary:	This hike is a short 2 miles down an easy trail which is fairly maintained. It starts next to the boat dock and continues to the right down a path which passes by the rental cabins for the Cumberland Mountain State park. Then it crosses over a large rock which is great for having a picnic or taking a break. At the half way point the trail turns left to cross the swinging bridge. However if you miss the turn for the swinging bridge then you will add an additional mile and end up completing the longer version known as the pioneer loop trail. There is very little elevation gain or loss on this trail and once across the river you can hike back towards the bridge next to the boat dock to finish the trail. the trail basically follows the lake and a stream which feeds it. It is very pretty in the spring when everything is just coming to life but can be nice for a quick hike anytime of year. If you decide to complete this hike you may want to check to see if the bridge at the boat dock has been finished because the last time I did this hike it was being worked on so I had to follow the lake trail around to the dam and then back up the other side of the lake to get back to my car. This was not a bad hike but it added additional mileage to my trip.