Mapping the Sheltowee

Benutzer · cub Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 13 Location: Ohio

I'm planning to hike from Turkeyfoot to Wildcat area over 3 days. Is there a decent place to leave a car for a couple of days near Wildcat?

rootman · Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 6:21 am Post subject: Wildcat Parking

South of I-75 at exit 49 is a large truck stop. They might let you leave a vehicle there but I don't know about the security in the area. You also might go into Hazel Patch and see if you can find a resident who will let you keep a car there. The top of Wildcat Mountain, where the displays are, is pretty isolated. I wouldn't recommend leaving a vehicle there. The Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation (http://wildcatbattlefield.org/contact.html) might have a suggestion. Finally, you could try Jim Honchell at Rockcastle Adventures to get a shuttle. He also might keep your vehicle and park it at your end trailhead on the day you finish. He did that for us when we hiked that area. Used our vehicle for the shuttle. There will be a fee, of course.

Benutzer · cub Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 13 Location: Ohio

Thanks Rootman! CWPF had some good ideas for us and were very helpful.

Traildust · Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 10:15 am Post subject:

You can leave your vehicle with "A Country Peddler", the new bike rental shop in Livingston which is 8 miles from Wildcat. They can drive you back to S-Tree or pick you up from Wildcat for a fee. Call Carl Swanigan at 419-307-8859. Retired policeman opening new business in a new trail town.

Benutzer · cub Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 13 Location: Ohio

Thanks Traildust. Sounds like a good suggestion for the next section. Everything worked out fine this time, using a suggestion from the nice lady at CPWF, who gave us a good idea of where to leave the vehicle about 2.5 miles from Wildcat, and called the neighbors to ask them to watch it for us. I'm always pleasantly surprised by the kindness of people along the trail.

streetcop · cub Joined: 07 Aug 2011 Posts: 2 Location: burgin ky

just finished hiking from exit 49 to mckee. the folks at spur oil were very nice and didnt mind me parking in their lot. the trail was in good shape with lots of turtles. at the jackson rockcastle line right by the road is a good swimming hole but the water was cold yesterday.

Benutzer · cub Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 13 Location: Ohio

We noticed an awful lot of turtles when we were there too. Apparently they understand what Sheltowee means, or maybe they just recognize the pictures of themselves. Smile

Traildust · Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:31 am Post subject:

Glad your trip was a success. We have had folks have navigational issues between 89 and S-Tree down at the creek where you turn left up the Forest Road.

Unseasonable cool weather means cool cold water.

Benutzer · cub Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 13 Location: Ohio

We actually had a couple of navigational issues as well, at least in part due to our own negligence. It was a long, hard and hot day, and by the end we actually logged 22.5 miles out of a planned 18. Just short of 89, we turned the wrong way out of habit going west & south rather than turning to the east at an intersection, and at another spot (455 & ?) we followed the group of horses we'd been following for a while, but they were taking a different way. In both those cases, if we'd checked the map we wouldn't have made the mistake and gone a mile before realizing we hadn't seen a marker for too long. But in both cases, there was no southbound trail marker or other directional indicator to follow at the intersection of trails.

The most confusing part was that there seemed to be places along 455 or Horse Lick that were unmarked at critical junctions (and the Sherltowee Trace itself seems to be unmarked on the National Forest central section map in that area). We had trouble following 455, let alone the trail. We tried our best to figure out which of the multiple ATV trails was the trail we were supposed to be following, reading the guide book backwards since we were southbound, and just ended up heading off in the more-or-less right direction and eventually being back on the correct trail after a few more trail intersections. It might have been easier northbound.

Traildust · Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:39 am Post subject:

Your response echos our experience in May when we hiked this section. Horse Lick Creek needs some blazes and the rest of the trail into S-Tree needs some additional markings especially after you cross Horse Lick Creek and the trail goes right or straight. We had three people with maps and guidebooks and still had folks not agreeing.

Glad it all worked out for you.

For those who are hiking this section, and it is a great section to hike, please bear in mind that when you leave the asphalt road Rt 89, going left onto the gravel road which is FS road 489 which you follow for about a mile. then you turn right on 455. At mile 128.48 the road comes to Lick Creek or Horse Lick Creek. Do not cross here. Turn left and follow the ATV trail about one mile and then take left trail down to Horse Lick Creek.

When you cross the other side the trail is clear through the low area and comes to a fork. You will see a blaze to the right. Do not take that route to the right. Go straight. yep there is a large mud hole but the trail runs this way with the creek to your left for several miles. When you hit the wide gravel road be prepared for the serious uphill climb to S-Tree campground on the gravel road.

We will get out and blaze better this summer. If you want to volunteer to blaze this area - maybe you have an ATV and love to ride, please let me know.

Captain Blue · cub Joined: 07 Jun 2012 Posts: 19 Location: Dayton, Ohio

I recently hiked this Horselick section and successfully navigated through it without getting lost. This probably needs a separate thread and not buried in Wildcat Parking. Here is what I will add to Traildust's clarification:

When you are on Forest Road 455 you are hiking upstream on Horselick Creek with the creek on your right. You will come to where Forest Road 455 crosses Horselick Creek. This is the first crossing. Do not cross here. This is for ATVs. Continue hiking upstream (not really a left turn) for about one mile. Look for white, faded, painted diamonds on the trees to confirm you are still on the Sheltowee Trace. You will come to the second crossing. Cross here. You can't miss it.

After crossing Horselick Creek expect to see multiple, confusing routes. At your first fork go right and continue straight on what looks like an old road. Look for an incorrectly placed white, plastic turtle marker on your right. Ignore it.

To continue on the Sheltowee Trace make sure the hillside is on your right and Horselick Creek is on your left. You should feel like you just make a huge U-Turn. You did. Look for white, faded, painted diamonds on the trees to confirm you are still on the Sheltowee Trace. If the creek is on your right and the hillside on your left you made a wrong turn, backtrack and correct.

After the Horselick Creek crossing do not expect to see white plastic trail markers for a long time. Or at least it will seem this way.

The OutrageGIS map does not correctly show where the Sheltowee Trace crosses Horselick Creek. The map shows where Forest Road 455 crosses. Ignore the map in this area.

The OutrageGIS map also shows the Sheltowee Trace crossing the creek once or two more times a couple of miles north. The map is wrong. Do not cross the creek. Keep the hillside on your right and creek on your left. The next creek crossing is where the Sheltowee Trace joins a gravel road and is car accessible. You are in the home stretch for S-Tree at this point.

TABA's 2010 Sheltowee Trace Thru Hiker's guide will correctly guide you through this section.