Welcome to the 20th Annual Trails & Trilliums!
April 19-21, 2024 at Beersheba Springs, TN
Trails & Trilliums is a weekend-long naturalist rally, put on by the Friends of South Cumberland State Parks. Headquartered at the Beersheba Springs Assembly in Beersheba Springs, Tennessee, the festival offers a slate of guided hikes and nature-themed presentations and workshops. A native plant sales tent is a highlight.
Young naturalists will enjoy two Family Adventures Days with hands-on outdoor activities.
The weekend kicks off with a Hootenanny & Cookout on Friday night and on Saturday evening, the fun continues at Wine & Wildflowers with happy hour, dinner, and a reception at the Big Red Barn.
Young naturalists will enjoy two Family Adventures Days with hands-on outdoor activities.
The weekend kicks off with a Hootenanny & Cookout on Friday night and on Saturday evening, the fun continues at Wine & Wildflowers with happy hour, dinner, and a reception at the Big Red Barn.
Registration
- Registration is open!
A complete list of all hikes and presentations, with times and descriptions, can be found on the Hikes & Presentations page. Please review this page prior to registering.
Registration Information
- You may register and pay for several people at the same time.
- Review the full list of hikes & presentations before registering and make a note of the sessions you want to attend.
- Register for Family Adventure Days on the Family Adventure days page (linked at top of this page).
- Pay with major credit cards or Google Pay.
- You will receive an email acknowledgment of your registration. Add our email (friendsofsouthcumberland@gmail.com) to your contacts to be sure the acknowledgement does not go to your junk folder.
HIKES, WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS:
Three days of guided hikes, workshops and talks by 50 top naturalists from across the state. Visit Stone Door, Savage Gulf, Greeter Falls, Collins Gulf. The trails, waterfalls, overlooks and wildflowers are unparalleled. LOCATION:
The historic Beersheba Springs Conference Center in Beersheba Springs TN situated next door to Savage Gulf State Park and Stone Door (18 miles from Monteagle, 80 miles from Nashville, 60 miles from Chattanooga). LODGING: Make it a weekend getaway at the historic Beersheba Springs Conference Center: scenic overlooks, great meeting spaces. rocking chairs, fire pits and nature trails, Choose from 90 reasonably priced rooms (under $100 per room, $50 per person for double occupancy, with less expensive options for small groups or families). When you register, you will be able to make reservations for rooms and meals. Camping is also available at the nearby Savage Gulf State Park. A group campsite is already reserved for TRAILS & TRILLIUMS attendees. The campsite will hold up to 45 campers so there is no need to register, and there is no charge.
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Schedule of Events
FRIDAY APRIL 19
For those who can start the weekend early, choose from a slate of unique offerings:
SATURDAY & SUNDAY APRIL 20-21
All day activities include:
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
For those who can start the weekend early, choose from a slate of unique offerings:
- Bran Potter: Literary Nature Hike at Stone Door
- State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath: Wildflower hike in Collins Gulf
- Mary Priestley: Trek from Greeter Falls to the Decatur Savage Cabin
- Or choose a canoe adventure, a hunt for green salamanders at Suter Falls, or a nature workshop
SATURDAY & SUNDAY APRIL 20-21
All day activities include:
- Hikes, Nature Walks, Workshops, Author Talks, AV presentations (Pre-Registration required)
- Native Plant Sale (no admission charge or reservations needed)
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
- Friday night Hootenanny & Cookout on the front porch of the Beersheba Hotel
- Saturday night Wine & Wildflowers at the Big Red Barn in Beersheba Springs, BBQ,
music by The Sewanee Conglomerate. Tickets are $50 a person (pre-registration required) - Late Night Adventures: Star Party, Night Hike to Stone Door
Event Pricing
Events include hikes, presentations, and workshops
- Park Plus Pass: Apr. 19-21, $175: all Friday, Saturday, and Sunday events, including Wine & Wildflowers on Saturday (If you plan to attend Wine & Wildflowers, email sandandrea@gmail.com)
- All-Weekend Pass: Apr. 19-21, $100: all Friday, Saturday, and Sunday events, not including Friday Cookout and Saturday Wine & Wildflowers
- Friday Pass: Apr. 19, $40: all Friday events, not including Cookout meal at Beersheba Springs Assembly
- Saturday Family Adventure Pass: $5 per person: all Saturday family adventure events:
- Saturday Pass: Apr. 20, $50: all events Saturday, not including Wine & Wildflowers
- Saturday Wine & Wildflowers: Apr. 20: $50: music, dinner, program Saturday evening at Big Red Barn
- Sunday Family Adventure Pass: $5 per person: all Sunday family adventure events
- Sunday Pass: $40, Apr. 21, $40: all events Sunday
Tennessee Naturalist Program Information
We are hosting a statewide TNP gathering as part of the Trails & Trilliums naturalist rally, hosted by the Friends of South Cumberland State Parks. All current and past TNP participants are invited, and we hope you will bring your friends.
Registration: For TNP Early Bird Registration opens February 15 and Open Registration begins a week later. All TNP participants and alumni are eligible to register during this first week, giving you first shot at the presentations and hikes you want (many have space limits).
Earn TNP Continuing Education (CE) Credit: 90% of the Trails & Trilliums offerings have been pre-approved as CE credit. Current participants can accumulate CE hours before completing your intro course.
Volunteer during the event: Check below for more information
Registration: For TNP Early Bird Registration opens February 15 and Open Registration begins a week later. All TNP participants and alumni are eligible to register during this first week, giving you first shot at the presentations and hikes you want (many have space limits).
Earn TNP Continuing Education (CE) Credit: 90% of the Trails & Trilliums offerings have been pre-approved as CE credit. Current participants can accumulate CE hours before completing your intro course.
Volunteer during the event: Check below for more information
Trails & Trilliums Presenter Spotlight
Nature’s Messenger, by Patrick Dean, was just selected by Garden & Gun magazine as one of “The Best Books for (and about) Southerners of 2023.” Patrick gave a talk about Mark Catesby last year, but this year his book will be available! Appropriately, one of Mark’s discoveries was the Catesby Trillium.
“Dean argues (that Catesby) is ready to come out from the shadow of the more-famous John James Audubon. In this book-length exploration of the topic, Dean shares lots of adventurous anecdotes and botanical illustrations."—CJ Lotz Diego |
Volunteer Information
We need volunteers to help make Trails & Trilliums a success! Most volunteer shifts are two hours or less, allowing you plenty of time to enjoy the event.
Volunteer Opportunities Include:
Please contact Raymond at rcnance45@gmail.com with any questions regarding volunteering.
Volunteer Opportunities Include:
- Set-up and Site Management: Assist with setting up tables and chairs, both inside and outside; hanging or erecting signs inside the buildings and outside in the common areas, including parking; and organizing the site.
- Registration/Information: Welcome participants, check attendees off a list, hand out registration packets, register those who haven't pre-registered, collect payments, and answer questions.
- Presenter/Hike Leader Hospitality: Welcome presenters and hike leaders, give them their packet of information, and help them with directions.
- Hike Central: Welcome hikers and check names off a list, coordinate list with registration desk, provide information, help organize hikers into carpools or walking groups.
- Parking and Traffic Management: Assist with directing traffic and parking.
- Friends of South Cumberland State Parks Merchandise Sales: Staff the tables in the lobby displaying FSC merchandise (hats, t-shirts, books, etc.). Accept payments.
- Family Adventure Activities: Assist the staff from the Cumberland Forest School in directing a variety of children's activities, such as building forts and fairy houses.
- Meal Hospitality: Greet people, collect meal tickets, hand out lunch boxes.
- Clean-up and Site Management: Assist with putting away tables and chairs, taking down signs, and general clean-up of the area.
Please contact Raymond at rcnance45@gmail.com with any questions regarding volunteering.
For thirty years, Friends of South Cumberland State Parks has turned generous donations from its membership into protection of great spaces, education about the natural world, and supporting park rangers and managers for the parks on the South Cumberland Plateau. We maintain trails, enhance park facilities, and introduce people of all ages to these wonderful natural places. None of this happens without the generosity of those who love Savage Gulf, Fiery Gizzard, Lost Cove, Hawkins Cove, and the stunning landscape of the South Cumberland Plateau. Please give generously today to keep this work vibrant and alive.
Other Information
Activities will take place rain or shine.
Weather Plan: All activities are designed to continue rain or shine. In case of emergency weather conditions or lightning, cancellations/postponements will be posted on the Trails and Trilliums website by 6:00 am daily.
Refund Policy
In order to receive a refund, you must contact sandandrea@gmail.com at least two weeks prior April 19th.
All events are on Central Daylight Time.
Weather Plan: All activities are designed to continue rain or shine. In case of emergency weather conditions or lightning, cancellations/postponements will be posted on the Trails and Trilliums website by 6:00 am daily.
Refund Policy
In order to receive a refund, you must contact sandandrea@gmail.com at least two weeks prior April 19th.
All events are on Central Daylight Time.