BCHET Accomplishments

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Volunteer Hours: 2010
National Hours: 315,442
Local Hours: 1,743

Southern Building Systems ~ Proud Supporters of BCHET

5% Discount for BCHET Members
5% Donated to BCHET when Mentioned

BCHET currently has over 300 members and is still growing!

Education/Public Outreach

Education through seminars, clinics, conferences, meetings and publications helps to grow individuals as well as improve the image, visibility and effectiveness of horsemen to the public and our land manager partners. This includes such things as our contributions towards spreading the Leave No Trace message and individual members becoming certified chainsaw operators. BCHET has worked on a local and national level to address policy issues that affect horsemen,such as the appeal of the Cherokee Land Management Plan and the Right to Ride Bill. We have even had the opportunity to discuss our concerns with the Chief of the US Forest Service. We have also managed to have fun along the way, through many planned and unplanned social get-togethers.

Held in Tennessee for the first time, the Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference (SETC) on July 19-21 (2007) brought together almost 200 people interested in the future of horse trails. The participants included a good cross section of federal, state and local government employees, NGO representatives and individual trail riders. The conference was jointly hosted by BCHET and the Blue Ridge Trail Riders.
The theme of the conference - Tomorrow's Horse Trails Depend on You - is truer than ever. What are you doing to help?
BCHET attended and displayed the BCHA booth at the Southeast Equestrian Trails Conference (SETC) in Clemson SC in July, Equifest in Limestone TN in September and the National Trails Symposium in Orlando FL in November of 2002.

Grants

$80,000 Grant Funds New Parking Areas -
The Nolichucky-Unaka district FS office has received a grant of $80,000 through the Recreational Trails Program of the Federal Highway Administration. The majority of this will be of direct benefit to horsemen, as the grant includes the construction of two trailhead parking areas for horse trailers. The trailhead at Limestone Cove in Unicoi County is brand new and provides access for existing and planned trails. BCHET has been responsible for the opening of the Wolf Creek Trail in Cocke County and the construction of a road to the trailhead. The grant allowed the completion of the parking area. Rangers Cheryl Summers and Terry Bowerman supported and did all of the work necessary to apply for the grant, so we are very grateful to them. BCHET members Herb Heinze, Susan Culver and Tom Connor also assisted in gathering the information needed for the grant application. Winning this grant is a major achievement and we applaud all those who were involved.

BCHET was awared a $2000 grant in 2001 from the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation to be used on a long distance multi use trail.

Existing Trails

BCHET undertakes annual clean-up and maintenance of existing trails.

New Trails

Carter and Sullivan County Accomplishments

Holston Mountain in Carter and Sullivan Counties was the initial focus for trail development, mainly because that was where the founders and many of the first members were from.

Our first success was the redesignation and upgrade of the existing Morrell Trail in 2001 to make it legal and safe for horse travel, followed by further safety improvements in 2202 including removing rock outcrops and widening the tread. This scenic single-track mountain trail provides an important link from roads and trails in Flatwoods (next to South Holston Lake) and the mountain crest.

Two new parking areas designed for horse trailers have been constructed, Griffith Branch and Hinkle Branch Trailheads, both located off Highway 91, northeast of Elizabethton.

An extensive network of interconnected loop trails out of these trailheads was built. The trails include:

Bartee Branch
Bear Wallow
Griffith Branch Connectors
Low Gap
Rye Patch
Taylor Ridge and
West Holston Mountain.
Highline posts have also been installed at the Low Gap campground to facilitate overnight trips.

Greene and Cocke County Accomplishments

Not long after our initial founding, we learned that a group of horsemen interested in improving trail riding in Greene County were working to organize. Thanks largely to the efforts of a dedicated core of workers, a significant part of our membership is from Greene County and they have a long list of accomplishments.
With trailer parking identified as a big need here too, the Burnett Gap Trailhead was constructed on Highway 107 south of Greeneville to access both Meadow Creek and Brush Creek Mountains.

Trails on these mountains (Meadow Creek and Brush Creek) were improved, constructed and joined together resulting in 11 miles of trails that tie together the Chimney Rock trail and Paint Mountain trail with the Gum Springs and Meadow Creek trails.

The Meadow Creek Mountain Trail, a 14-mile linear trail along the crest of Meadow Creek Mountain, was impassable for many years due to washouts and blow downs. Over 360 BCHET volunteer hours were spent rebuilding and clearing the trail. Lumber and materials such as 1840 pounds of concrete and 25 3x6x8 timbers were packed or carried to the site in order to restore it.

A portion of the Gum Springs Trail redesignated for multiple use and a new feeder trail connecting to the Meadow Creek Fire Tower Road was opened.

Parking areas have also been added on Cedar Creek Cave Road and Shelton Mission Road.

The Paint Mountain and Davis Creek trails have been opened to horses, and major renovation completed on Paint Rock and Little Jennings trails.
The Bullen Hollow Trail connects the Greene Mountain Trail and the Old Forge area with the Horse Creek, Cowbell Hollow and Jennings Trails near Camp Creek.

In Cocke County, the trail to Wolf Creek Falls was opened and a parking area built. Wolf Creek Trail is old road bed that was renovated and redesignated as a horse trail. It provides access to an historical area and an extensive gravel road network which connects to the adjacent Pisgah National Forest.

Unicoi County Accomplishments:

Dark Hollow Trail: This trail in Unicoi County is now open, although with limited parking. The parking lot at the old Limestone Cove Campground is now open.

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Website Last Updated Feb. 22, 2012