Old Stone Fort Archaeological Site

                           

                      How far would you travel to hike the hike?

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 Old Stone Fort Archaeological Site

Coffee County, Manchester TN

Why Go:

• Three Waterfalls, this alone is worth the trip! 

  

  Step Falls on the Little Duck River

•  Scenery is a Five
•  Bursting with history
• Well stocked gift shop with bathrooms
• Less than 5 Miles from I-24

Disappointments:

• The museum while informative, needs a makeover. There are a lot of great facts about the site, but the displays are tired and could use an updated presentation.
• Trails are not well marked and at time can be a bit confusing,
• The Devils Backbone Trail along the Little Duck is not an easy trail to hike. Part of the trail is narrow and very close to the river with lots of tree roots and rock, which makes for slow going at times.

The Backbone Trial is narrow and close to the River

Junction of the Little Duck and Duck Rivers

Caution:

• Make sure to grab a map from the museum/park office. GPS and phones are not the most accurate.
• Take extreme care with small children. The falls are very powerful and dangerous.

Commentary:

            We visited the Old Stone Fort on an unseasonably warm day in January and the park was

Big Falls on the Duck River

hopping with hikers, families and dogs. We enjoyed the interpretive signs along the trail and stopped along the way to learn the history of the site.  The signs for trail directions were lacking and we found ourselves confused on which direction to head next. More signs are needed on the trails.

We had a lot of rain the days before our visit and the falls on both the Duck and Little Duck were spectacular. The Step Falls on the Little Duck were tough to get to but if you are sure footed and don’t mind a bit of climbing the view is worth the effort. Don’t miss the "Forks of the River Trail" that takes hikers to the confluence of the Little Duck and Duck Rivers. This is a great place to stop for a brake and enjoy the scenery.  The latter part of our hike along the Duck River took us to the Big Falls which we could hear well before we could see them. There was a worn trail that took us to the edge of the falls. The Big Falls are the biggest falls, with the highest drop along the Duck River.

This is one of Tennessee best day hikes!!!

Side Note:

            After our hike we headed into Manchester for lunch and a beer. We found

a great local restaurant called Bites of Europe, “Restaurant, Pub, Bakery”. Everything is made fresh and locally sourced. In a town with a lot of chain restaurants this was a gem. Also, it is less than 5 miles from the Park and they have a Beer Garden. Make sure to call ahead for hours and to find out what’s the Daily Special.

Blue Hole Falls on the Duck River

“In every walk with nature, one received for more than he seeks.”

-John Muir

Remains of the old paper mill on the Duck River