LIMESTONE, Tenn. (WJHL) — David Crockett is a name many across Appalachia have heard, but not many know that he was born in the heart of East Tennessee and that you can hike right through the spot he called home. While hiking through David Crockett Birthplace State Park on the Limestone Creek Trail, hikers can experience a wide variety of scenery and history to take in.
The first thing visitors will see on their hike is River Cane. While this plant doesn’t necessarily stick out from the rest, it’s important to the park.
“What’s awesome is Crockett is actually named after this,” said ranger Gary Purchase. “He’s known as the Cane Brave Congressman because he’s from the frontier where you have a ton of river canes still.”
The next landscape change that visitors will notice is Limestone Creek itself, something Ranger Purchase says helps them determine the history of the park. The creek, he says, “is really important in placing us here at Crocket’s Birthplace because we don’t have a birth certificate for David. We don’t have any of those awesome public records like we have now. What we have from David is from his autobiography. He just says he is born in Greene County at the confluence of Big Limestone Creek on the Nolichucky River.”
The hike on the Limestone Creek Trail is right around a mile round trip and provides very little incline to conquer, which makes it great for people of all ages and abilities.
The name of the creek wasn’t chosen randomly; Ranger Purchase says Limestone Creek got its name because, “it’s named after the bedrock of our area. So the Tennessee Valley is an old sea bed and so we have the limestone that is really rich biological rock. So, if you look through our creeks here, you’ll see where the water has eroded the limestone. They have all of these awesome cavities, which is amazing for aquatic life that lives here.”
While you’re there, make sure to check out their new group area. The spot is right by the water and can serve as a beautiful backdrop for weddings, a perfect place to camp with friends, or a gorgeous spot for group gatherings. The new spot costs $75 to rent.
