Pop Corn Sutton spotted on Old Settlers Trail

Well maybe not Popcorn but Mountain Man Glen Cantrel joined my scouting Team that checked out a fall (oct) hike planned along old settlers trail.   And since Glen grew up in Greenbrier, and has hiked not only all the trails but every man way and off trail around he was a great asset to scout this hike.

  

 

 

We left some cars at Steiner Bell lodge (run by Wa-Floy) which is a few miles past greenbrier up on the right.  You go up their driveway a quarter mile and they have a nice big parking lot.  I have asked them if okay to use for our hike in OCT.  You can give them a call sometime and you can still rent out cabin or lodge for groups if you wish.   Then we packed in a few cars and went further out towards cosby a few miles.  We passed Bent Creek Golf Course which is also a good spot to park a few cars and go in old man way there to the trail.  We went down to pull off close to old radio station 87.2 We didn't block the gate as this is part of the park and access can't be blocked.   Once past the gate it is a nice old road bed and Glen told us how this used to be a road that linked this area to NewPort.   Once you get to old settlers trail there is also a sign to see the old mcarter barn.  It was in good shape and we enjoyed seeing that.

  We hiked along Old Settlers and it is a quiet trail and you can see lots of old rock walls, chimneys, artifax, along this pretty area of Greenbrier. Glen reminded us that this was a pretty good area for farming and he used to see corn fields etc all thru this area.  Sometimes the trail was lush with plants/flowers but also made for a narrow trail and we were thankful we didn't see any snakes which are common in this area esp on hot days.   There are many many manways (old trails) that meets this trail. Glen mentioned Webb creek, noisy creek, brandywine etc  He showed us where a good one comes out from 321 along by Bent Creek that we may use for those who don't want to do 8.5 miles.   Campsite 32 is a good site for lunch and to look around at a few old chimneys close by and the creek.  Not too far past it we came on one of the many old settlers trail signs with an old sock on it and turned up there to walk up 1/2 mile to Steiner Bell lodge where half of our cars were located.   You may want to read up on this trail in the historic hikes of smokies book or little brown book.  But this area is rich in mountain history and once had over 300 families living along the creeks and streams in Greenbrier, including our mountain man Glen Cantrell aka Popcorn!