MULLENS COVE LOOP

Mullens Cove is the loop our River Gorge race runs on, and it is open to anyone the rest of the year. The Cumberland Trail Conservancy measures it at 9.8 miles. The signed figure of 300 feet is the difference between the high and low points; the rolling adds up to about 1,700 feet of cumulative climb, which is what your legs will report.

Underfoot it moves between technical forest single-track, old logging roads and gravel, with some steep rocky sections. Short Creek gets crossed at three quarters of a mile by rock-hopping. The springs on the loop are seasonal and the Conservancy does not guarantee them, so carry what you plan to drink.

Hunting is the thing to get right here. During managed hunts everything west of Highway 27 closes to everyone except licensed hunters, and Mullens Cove, Snoopers Rock and Pot Point are all inside that zone. There is no partial access and no running around the edge of it.

Dates move every year, so check the current TWRA calendar rather than any list you find written down. The forest also closes with no notice for wildfire, which it did in March 2025.