Going for a First Activation: Two-Fer at Scott’s Gulf Wilderness State Park and Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness
Hey folks,
On May 13, 2025, I saw that one of my all-time favorite hikes had just become part of a brand-new Tennessee State Park — Scott’s Gulf Wilderness State Park (US-12361). I knew right away I wanted to get up there fast and try to be one of the first to activate it. I hadn’t managed to be a first activator on any park yet, so when this one came online I asked the boss for a day off, grabbed my gear, and headed up onto the Cumberland Plateau.
Right next door is the Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness WMA (US-3928). Because the two areas overlap in a couple of spots, it’s possible to do a valid two-fer activation — as long as you and all your equipment stay completely inside the boundaries of both parks. (State trails have a little more wiggle room: you just need to be within 100 feet of the designated trail.)
After looking over the maps, I found two good overlap locations. One is at the trailhead for the Virgin Falls Trail — a challenging but incredibly rewarding hike with at least three stunning waterfalls along the route. It’s easily one of the best hikes I’ve ever done, and I recommend it to anyone who’s up for the adventure. The other overlap spot is farther down the road near the Yellow Bluff trailhead.
I chose the Virgin Falls trailhead. I set up my IC-705 and laptop right there, this time using a hamstick antenna magnetically mounted on the roof of the truck because it was drizzling outside.
I started out on 40M, but the SWR started to creep up due to the rain, so I swapped out to the 20M hamstick. At this point the story takes a bit of a dramatic turn involving getting locked out of my truck and how I managed to get back in. I’ll save the full details for an eyeball QSO sometime — it’s worth hearing! Ask me about it if we ever meet.
Because of the aforementioned drama, I only managed 13 QSOs on this visit. Fortunately, that was enough for a valid activation of the two-fer.
Stations worked: AZ, CT, FL, IN, MD, MI, NM, OH, TX (2), UT, VA, plus British Columbia, Canada
Even with the shorter operating time, it felt great to get on the air from this beautiful spot on the Plateau and help put some early contacts in the log for the new park.
If you enjoy tough but spectacular hikes, put the Virgin Falls Trail on your list. The waterfalls alone make the effort worthwhile. Both Virgin Falls and Sheep's Cave falls flow out of caves, present themselves as stunning water falling glory, before disappearing back into the ground; no stream leading to or away from the falls. Now that it’s part of Scott’s Gulf Wilderness State Park there’s even more reason to go explore.
Another fun day chasing parks with the portable setup. I’ll definitely be back to this area.
73, Rick / W4IO
