🧭 Hundred-Mile Happenings: A Medicinal Plant Hike at Harrison Bay, Corn Husk Dolls at Fort Southwest Point, a Fall Bird Hike at Frozen Head, a CCC Museum Tour at Pickett, Camping 101 at the Cleveland Library, Halloween in the Campground at Henry Horton, Spooky Crafts at Booker T. Washington and a Homeschool Day at Red Clay

Or: Learn the Plant Remedies the Cherokee and Victorian Doctors Knew, Twist a Corn Husk Doll to Take Home, Bird-Watch Along a Storybook Trail, Hear How the CCC Boys Built a Park, Learn to Camp the Right Way, Trick-or-Treat a Whole Campground and Craft Something Spooky by the Lake — Eight New Day Trips Within About 100 Miles of Dunlap

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Thursday, October 22, 2026

Good morning, neighbor. Pour the coffee and grab a pencil. Here’s batch number sixty of Hundred-Mile Happenings, our running list of unusual, family-friendly outings within about 100 miles of Dunlap. Same promise as always: when, where, how far, what it costs and who’ll love it, in plain words. And no repeats. Every one of these is new to the list.

Most of this batch is free, and most of it lands this weekend. On Saturday, Oct. 24, Harrison Bay State Park leads a short medicinal plant hike through its old prairie field, Fort Southwest Point in Kingston teaches you to make a corn husk doll, and that evening Henry Horton State Park opens its campground for a free Halloween trick-or-treat. On Sunday, Oct. 25, Frozen Head takes birders down a one-mile storybook trail. On Tuesday, Oct. 27, a ranger teaches Camping 101 at the Cleveland library, and Pickett opens its CCC Museum for a guided tour. Halloween morning, Booker T. Washington State Park hosts spooky nature crafts, and on Friday, Nov. 13, Red Clay holds a homeschool day on Cherokee history.

⏱️ Your 30-second trip list

• Sat., Oct. 24, 10–11 a.m. Eastern (9–10 a.m. OUR time): Medicinal Plant Hike, Harrison Bay State Park, Harrison. Free; register.
• Sat., Oct. 24, 1–2 p.m. Eastern (noon–1 p.m. OUR time): Create a Corn Husk Doll!, Fort Southwest Point State Historic Park, Kingston. Free; register.
• Sat., Oct. 24, 10–11 a.m. and 4–8 p.m. (Central — our time): Pumpkin Candy Bucket Decorating ($5) and Horton’s Halloween in the Campground (free), Henry Horton State Park, Chapel Hill.
• Sun., Oct. 25, 10 a.m.–noon Eastern (9–11 a.m. OUR time): Fall Bird Hike, Frozen Head State Park, Wartburg. Cost: check before you go.
• Tue., Oct. 27, 2–3 p.m. Eastern (1–2 p.m. OUR time): Camping 101, Cleveland Bradley County Public Library, Cleveland. Free; register.
• Tue., Oct. 27, 3–3:45 p.m. (Central — our time): CCC Museum Tour, Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, near Jamestown. Free (donation optional).
• Sat., Oct. 31, 11 a.m.–noon Eastern (10–11 a.m. OUR time): Spooky Crafts, Booker T. Washington State Park, Chattanooga. Cost: check before you go.
• Fri., Nov. 13, 1:30–3:30 p.m. Eastern (12:30–2:30 p.m. OUR time): Homeschool Days: All About Red Clay, Red Clay State Historic Park, near Cleveland. $2; students must be registered.

🕰️ The one thing to remember: Harrison Bay, Booker T. Washington, Kingston, Frozen Head, Cleveland and Red Clay are on EASTERN time. Pickett and Henry Horton are CENTRAL, same as us. For the Eastern ones, subtract an hour: the 10 a.m. plant hike is 9 a.m. our time, and the 1 p.m. corn husk dolls are noon our time. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1 — set the clocks back Saturday night after Halloween. The one-hour difference between Eastern and Central stays the same after the change.

🌿 Walk an Old Prairie and Learn the Plant Remedies of Long Ago at Harrison Bay

Out on Chickamauga Lake, Harrison Bay State Park keeps a big open field called the Star Walk as a remnant prairie, full of native perennial plants. Fall is a fine time to find them. On Saturday morning, Oct. 24, Ranger Dani leads a short Medicinal Plant Hike and shows you plants that turn up in old remedies, “from the Cherokee to Victorian doctors.”

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 24, 2026, 10–11 a.m. EASTERN (9–10 a.m. our time).
• Where: Star Walk Trail, Harrison Bay State Park, 8411 Harrison Bay Road, Harrison, TN 37341. Park at the Star Walk Trail lot on the left as you enter, across from the Interpretive Center and Aviary. Look for the giant field. Host: (931) 224-7652.
• How far: About 48 miles, roughly 1 hour 10 minutes. To be there by 9 our time, leave Dunlap by about 7:45 a.m. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free. The listing has a Register button, so sign up.
• Who’ll love it: Gardeners, herb lovers, grandmothers who remember a home remedy or two, and curious kids.
• Good to know: It’s a short hike. If you need an all-terrain wheelchair, the park asks you to call ahead so they can have one ready. This is for learning, not for picking and dosing yourself.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Medicinal Plant Hike)

🌽 Make a Corn Husk Doll and Learn Its Story at Fort Southwest Point

On the hill where the Clinch meets the Tennessee River in Kingston, Fort Southwest Point marks a federal fort built in 1797 on the line between settlers and Cherokee lands. On Saturday afternoon, Oct. 24, rangers set up on the barracks patio for Create a Corn Husk Doll!, a fall craft that also covers the cultural and historic meaning of corn husk dolls in Native American traditions. You go home with a finished doll.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 24, 2026, 1–2 p.m. EASTERN (noon–1 p.m. our time).
• Where: Patio outside the barracks building, Fort Southwest Point State Historic Park, 1226 S. Kentucky St., Kingston, TN 37763. Host: (865) 567-3977.
• How far: About 81 miles, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free. All supplies provided. Register on the listing.
• Who’ll love it: Crafty kids, homeschool families, history buffs and grandparents who made these as children.
• Good to know: Walk the reconstructed fort buildings while you’re there. It’s an easy pairing with the Harrison Bay plant hike that morning only if you don’t mind a long day; the two parks are about 80 miles apart.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Create a Corn Husk Doll!)

🎃 Trick-or-Treat a Whole Campground, Free, at Henry Horton

Down on the Duck River in Chapel Hill, the Friends of Henry Horton State Park throw Horton’s Halloween in the Campground on Saturday, Oct. 24, a week before Halloween. The park lists trick-or-treating, touch-a-truck, trunk-or-treat, bounce houses, food trucks and costume contests for adults, kids and pets, plus a sensory hour for children who do better with less noise. That morning, the camp store hosts Pumpkin Candy Bucket Decorating, so the kids can make their own bucket for the night, some turned into the park’s animal ambassadors.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 24, 2026. Bucket decorating 10–11 a.m. Campground Halloween 4–8 p.m.: sensory hour 4–5, general public 5–8. Central Time — our time.
• Where: Henry Horton State Park, 4209 Nashville Hwy., Chapel Hill, TN 37034. Bucket decorating meets at the camp store; the Halloween event is in the campground. Halloween host: (931) 364-2222.
• How far: About 107 miles, roughly 2 hours 30 minutes, a little past our usual 100-mile line. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Halloween in the Campground is free (optional donation when you register). Bucket decorating is $5, with all materials and the bucket included; proceeds help pay for the Halloween night.
• Who’ll love it: Little trick-or-treaters, families with a dog in costume, and anybody who wants Halloween early.
• Good to know: Young children should have a parent help with the craft. It ends at 8, so it’s a long, dark drive home. Bring a co-pilot and a flashlight.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Horton’s Halloween in the Campground)
👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Pumpkin Candy Bucket Decorating)

🐦 Look and Listen for Fall Birds on Frozen Head’s Storybook Trail

Up in the Cumberland Mountains near Wartburg, Frozen Head State Park covers more than 24,000 acres, named for a peak that’s often iced over in winter. On Sunday morning, Oct. 25, Ranger Blayne leads a Fall Bird Hike from the visitor center along the storybook trail, an easy one-mile round trip, to look and listen for birds.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sun., Oct. 25, 2026, 10 a.m.–noon EASTERN (9–11 a.m. our time).
• Where: Visitor center, Frozen Head State Park, 964 Flat Fork Road, Wartburg, TN 37887.
• How far: About 96 miles, roughly 2 hours 20 minutes. To be there by 9 our time, leave Dunlap by about 6:30 a.m. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: ⚠️ Check before you go. The listing doesn’t post a price or a sign-up button.
• Who’ll love it: Backyard birders, retirees with a good pair of binoculars, and kids who like a short, gentle walk.
• Good to know: Bring your own binoculars, bug spray, water and sturdy shoes; the park says it won’t provide them.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Fall Bird Hike)

🏕️ Learn to Camp the Right Way — at the Library — With an Ocoee Ranger

This one doesn’t even need hiking boots. On Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 27, Ranger Darby from Ocoee River State Park comes to the Cleveland Bradley County Public Library for Camping 101, a talk on the basics: how to set up camp, fire safety, and how to protect yourself and wildlife using the Leave No Trace principles.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Tue., Oct. 27, 2026, 2–3 p.m. EASTERN (1–2 p.m. our time).
• Where: Cleveland Bradley County Public Library, 795 Church St. NE, Cleveland, TN 37311. Ranger: (423) 769-5202. Library: (423) 472-2163.
• How far: About 61 miles, roughly 1 hour 25 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free. Register on the listing.
• Who’ll love it: First-time campers, scouts, families planning a spring trip, and grandparents taking the grandkids camping.
• Good to know: It’s indoors and seated, so weather won’t matter. Make an afternoon of it in Cleveland.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Camping 101)

🏛️ Hear How the CCC Boys Built Pickett, Inside Its Own Museum

Way up near the Kentucky line, Pickett CCC Memorial State Park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Depression-era work program that put young men to work building parks. On Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 27, Ranger Hodge leads a CCC Museum Tour on the park’s history and what the CCC meant to it.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Tue., Oct. 27, 2026, 3–3:45 p.m. Central Time — our time.
• Where: CCC Museum, Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, 4605 Pickett Park Hwy., Jamestown, TN 38556. Host: (931) 879-5821.
• How far: About 98 miles, roughly 2 hours 25 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free, with optional donation tickets. Register on the listing.
• Who’ll love it: History lovers, folks whose fathers or grandfathers served in the CCC, and anybody who likes old stonework.
• Good to know: The same morning, the park’s free Bears at Pickett talk (in our last batch) runs 10–11 a.m., so you could make a full day of it. It’s a long drive home; leave time for daylight.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — CCC Museum Tour)

🕷️ Craft Something Spooky by the Lake on Halloween Morning at Booker T. Washington

Closest of the bunch, Booker T. Washington State Park sits on Chickamauga Lake on Chattanooga’s east side. On Halloween morning, Saturday, Oct. 31, a ranger leads Spooky Crafts, a “spooky nature-inspired craft” you make and take home. All craft materials are provided.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 31, 2026, 11 a.m.–noon EASTERN (10–11 a.m. our time).
• Where: Outdoor classroom behind the pollinator field, Recreation Area 1, Booker T. Washington State Park, 5801 Champion Road, Chattanooga, TN 37416.
• How far: About 41 miles, roughly 1 hour. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: ⚠️ Check before you go. The listing doesn’t post a price.
• Who’ll love it: Young crafters in costume, and grown-ups who want a calm Halloween morning before the evening rush.
• Good to know: It’s outdoors, so dress for the weather. You’ll be home in plenty of time for trick-or-treating in the Valley.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Spooky Crafts)

🪶 A Homeschool Afternoon on Cherokee History at Red Clay

South of Cleveland, right at the Georgia line, Red Clay State Historic Park marks the council grounds of the Cherokee Nation in the years before the Trail of Tears, with its sacred spring and Eternal Flame. On Friday, Nov. 13, park staff host Homeschool Days: All About Red Clay, an educational tour of the council grounds and a traditional Cherokee weapons demonstration.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Fri., Nov. 13, 2026, 1:30–3:30 p.m. EASTERN (12:30–2:30 p.m. our time). Meet on the visitor center porch at 1:30 Eastern.
• Where: Red Clay State Historic Park, 1140 Red Clay Park Road SW, Cleveland, TN 37311. Overflow parking at the picnic pavilion. Host: (423) 889-3249.
• How far: About 59 miles, roughly 1 hour 30 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: $2. You must register your student to take part.
• Who’ll love it: Homeschool students in 1st through 8th grade, split into a 1st–5th group and a 6th–8th group.
• Good to know: Registration opened back in August, so spots may be limited. Check the listing soon.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Homeschool Days: All About Red Clay)

✅ Remember These Dates

• Sat., Oct. 24, 9–10 a.m. OUR time (10–11 Eastern): Medicinal Plant Hike, Harrison Bay. Free; register.
• Sat., Oct. 24, noon–1 p.m. OUR time (1–2 Eastern): Create a Corn Husk Doll!, Fort Southwest Point, Kingston. Free; register.
• Sat., Oct. 24, 10–11 a.m. and 4–8 p.m. (Central — our time): Pumpkin Candy Bucket Decorating ($5), then Horton’s Halloween in the Campground (free), Henry Horton, Chapel Hill.
• Sun., Oct. 25, 9–11 a.m. OUR time (10–noon Eastern): Fall Bird Hike, Frozen Head, Wartburg. Bring binoculars.
• Tue., Oct. 27, 1–2 p.m. OUR time (2–3 Eastern): Camping 101, Cleveland Bradley County Public Library. Free; register.
• Tue., Oct. 27, 3–3:45 p.m. (Central — our time): CCC Museum Tour, Pickett. Free.
• Sat., Oct. 31, 10–11 a.m. OUR time (11–noon Eastern): Spooky Crafts, Booker T. Washington State Park, Chattanooga.
• Sat. night, Oct. 31: Set the clocks back one hour. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.
• Fri., Nov. 13, 12:30–2:30 p.m. OUR time (1:30–3:30 Eastern): Homeschool Days: All About Red Clay, near Cleveland. $2; register your student.

✅ Trip-planning checklist

• ✅ Write the time zone on the fridge note: Harrison Bay, Booker T. Washington, Kingston, Frozen Head, Cleveland and Red Clay are Eastern — subtract an hour. Pickett and Henry Horton are Central — our time.
• ✅ Register for the plant hike, corn husk dolls, Camping 101, the CCC tour and the Red Clay homeschool day so the rangers can plan.
• ✅ Call ahead on details that weren’t posted: the price for the Frozen Head bird hike and the Booker T. Washington crafts.
• ✅ Henry Horton and Pickett are long drives, and the Halloween night ends after dark. Bring a co-pilot and a flashlight.
• ✅ Pack sturdy shoes, water and a jacket. For Frozen Head, add binoculars and bug spray.
• ✅ Outdoor programs can be canceled for weather. Check the event page the morning you go.
• ✅ Fill up and grab a biscuit before you leave the Valley. Find local stops on Dunlap.Directory.

Remember: check the clock, check the weather, and pick the outing that fits your crew. A good day trip gets you home tired and happy, not worn out.

— Dunlap.Today

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Are these events already on earlier Hundred-Mile Happenings lists?

No. We keep a covered-events list and skip anything we’ve already featured. All of these outings are new for article #60. We’ve featured other programs at some of the same parks, like Harrison Bay’s star party and boat tours, Fort Southwest Point’s Spooky Yarn Dolls, Frozen Head’s Cryptids and Campfires, Bears at Pickett, Booker T. Washington’s Plant Your Poison and Red Clay’s Cherokee cornhusk dolls, but these are separate events.

Which ones are free?

The Medicinal Plant Hike, Create a Corn Husk Doll!, Camping 101, the CCC Museum Tour and Horton’s Halloween in the Campground are free (some offer optional donations). Pumpkin Candy Bucket Decorating is $5, and the Red Clay homeschool day is $2. The Frozen Head bird hike and Booker T. Washington’s Spooky Crafts don’t post a price, so check before you go.

Which ones are best for young kids?

Horton’s Halloween in the Campground is made for them, with a sensory hour first. The candy bucket craft, corn husk dolls and Spooky Crafts are hands-on. The Red Clay homeschool day is for students in 1st through 8th grade.

Which ones are easiest if I don’t walk far?

Camping 101 is indoors and seated at the library. The CCC Museum Tour, corn husk dolls, candy bucket decorating and Spooky Crafts involve little walking. The plant hike is short, and the Frozen Head bird hike is about one mile round trip. The campground Halloween means walking site to site.

Eastern or Central: which clock do I set?

Dunlap and Sequatchie County are on Central. So are Pickett (near Jamestown) and Henry Horton (Chapel Hill). Harrison Bay and Booker T. Washington (Hamilton County), Kingston (Roane County), Frozen Head (Morgan County), Cleveland and Red Clay (Bradley County) are on Eastern time, one hour ahead.

How do you pick these events?

We look for one-of-a-kind, family-friendly outings within about 100 miles of Dunlap, and we check each one against the organizer’s own page whenever we can. When a detail isn’t posted, we say so. We keep a list so we never repeat an event. If you know a hidden gem, tell us at Dunlap.Today.

🔗 Other Resources

• Tennessee State Parks — Medicinal Plant Hike, Harrison Bay
• Tennessee State Parks — Create a Corn Husk Doll!, Fort Southwest Point
• Tennessee State Parks — Horton’s Halloween in the Campground, Henry Horton
• Tennessee State Parks — Pumpkin Candy Bucket Decorating, Henry Horton
• Tennessee State Parks — Fall Bird Hike, Frozen Head
• Tennessee State Parks — Camping 101, Ocoee River State Park at the Cleveland library
• Cleveland Bradley County Public Library — Contact and address
• Tennessee State Parks — CCC Museum Tour, Pickett
• Tennessee State Parks — Spooky Crafts, Booker T. Washington
• Tennessee State Parks — Homeschool Days: All About Red Clay
• Tennessee State Parks — Park Happenings calendar
• National Weather Service Morristown: Valley forecast
• Dunlap.Directory: Local businesses for gas, food and supplies

🌅 Slow Down and Go See Something

You don’t need a big trip to make a good memory. A walk through an old prairie field, a corn husk doll in a child’s hand, a songbird on a storybook trail, a campground full of little ghosts and a story about the men who built a park are all within a drive of the Valley. Grab a buddy, check the clock and the weather, and go.

Keep exploring, keep it easy and keep reading. Read Dunlap.Today for more Hundred-Mile Happenings, and find the Valley businesses that’ll fuel your trip on Dunlap.Directory.