Suck Creek Road to Mushroom Rock

Shoulder Parking and Highway Crossing

Mushroom rock is a rock that, get this, is shaped like a mushroom.  There are pictures of it in historical accounts of Signal Mountain that date back to the beginning of the town’s inception.  The rock is actually located on private property, but the owner has no problems (to date) with hikers stopping to snap a few shots of the rock before moving along.  The Cumberland Trail passes right by this historical rock, (as do a few others) and is a major destination for many hikers and trail runners (today, however, we ran into one other person at the rock).

Mushroom Rock

 

The weather was a partially overcast day in the upper 40s, lower 50s, a warm Friday in January.  The plan of attack for this section of trail was to park on Suck Creek Road and hike back towards and up Signal Mountain.  I ended up parking right above the trail’s road crossing on the mountain side of the road (versus the creek side parking further up the gorge).  Luckily Annabelle was already outfitted in her pack, because there wasn’t much room on the side of the road.  Crossing the road can be tricky, people fly on this road despite the hiker crossing signs. 

Trailhead at Hwy 27

Once safely across the road you have to climb over the guard rail (or for dogs, Annabelle, under) and descend down to South Suck Creek where a nice wooden bridge takes you over to the other side.  There is a lot of garbage that has been dumped along the creek, which sadly takes some of the beauty from this land, keep an eye out for broken glass as it will tear your dogs feet up.  After crossing the bridge, the trail runs alongside and through a tributary creek as you ascend a small plateau.  Atop the plateau you will see a small creek cascading out of sight into a cave before you begin your descent.  An ominous 250-foot suspension bridge will carry you across North Suck Creek, and yes the boards creak and bow as you walk across.  If you have a dog that is not fond of swinging bridges, this will likely be their least favorite.  Once across, a new trail pops up, marked in blue, this trail veers to the left and from what I can guess ends up at Mushroom rock (don’t quote me on that).  The Cumberland Trail continues to your right and begins the final ascent up Signal Mountain.  Before you reach the top of the mountain you will be able to see the rock, which is a great treat after the steep climb.  Annabelle and I were worn out from the trek out to the rock so we stretched out and drank a lot of water and I stuffed my jacket into my pack before we headed back to the car.  Pay close attention when heading back that you take the trail that goes downhill, not the one that stays level and then jumps up a small boulder.  The Cumberland Trail has a switch back right at Mushroom Rock, so it is easy to jump on the wrong trail, though you should realize your mistake very quickly if you do.  The upside of the trip back to Highway 27 is there is only one major climb; the downside is the last descent is rocky which can pose some danger for the weary hiker. 

Trip Distance 3.92 miles roundtrip

2012 Total Mileage 5.92 miles

Cumberland Trail Mileage 2.96 mile