🧭 Hundred-Mile Happenings: Sunrise Coffee at Burgess Falls, a Lantern Hike to Hazard Cave, a Costume Hike at the Stone Door, a Halloween Float on the Ocoee, Frontier Pelts at Fort Southwest Point, Campfire Tales at Harrison Bay, Campground Trick-or-Treat in Crossville and a 1930s Christmas With Santa

Or: Sip Coffee by a Waterfall at Sunup, Follow an Oil Lantern to a Cave, Hike to a Sunset Overlook in Costume, Paddle an Olympic River Dressed Up, Touch a Beaver Pelt Inside an Old Fort, Hear Outlaw Stories by a Campfire, Trick-or-Treat Campsite to Campsite and Mail a Letter to Santa From a 1930s Farm Post Office — Eight New Day Trips Within About 100 Miles of Dunlap

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Good evening, neighbor. Lay this one by the coffee pot for the morning. Here’s batch number fifty-eight 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.

This batch lands on two Saturdays and one Friday, plus a Christmas treat for later. On Saturday, Oct. 24, Fort Southwest Point in Kingston lets you handle the furs of frontier animals, Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville turns its campground into a trick-or-treat trail, and Harrison Bay tells tales of highwaymen and hangmen by the campfire. On Friday, Oct. 30, Pickett leads a fall-color hike to Mesa Top Overlook and Harrison Bay walks a lantern tour of an old cemetery. Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, is packed: sunrise coffee at Burgess Falls, a costumed float down the Ocoee, a costume hike to a sunset overlook at Savage Gulf and an oil-lantern hike to Hazard Cave at Pickett. And mark the calendar for Saturday, Nov. 28: a free 1930s Christmas with Santa at the Sadie Ford Heritage Farm near Lebanon.

⏱️ Your 30-second trip list

• Sat., Oct. 24, 11 a.m.–noon Eastern (10–11 a.m. OUR time): Pelts on the Frontier, Fort Southwest Point State Historic Park, Kingston. Free; drop in.
• Sat., Oct. 24, 5–7 p.m. (Central — our time): Trunk or Treat 2026, Cumberland Mountain State Park campground, Crossville. No price posted; check before you go.
• Sat., Oct. 24, 8–10 p.m. Eastern (7–9 p.m. OUR time): Murder in the Mountains campfire stories, Harrison Bay State Park. Free; sign up first.
• Fri., Oct. 30, 1–3 p.m. (Central — our time): Mesa Top Fall Colors hike, Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, near Jamestown. Free (donation optional); sign up first.
• Fri., Oct. 30, 6–7 p.m. Eastern (5–6 p.m. OUR time): Mourning at Maddux Cemetery lantern tour, Harrison Bay State Park. $15; sign up first.
• Sat., Oct. 31, 7–8 a.m. (Central — our time): Sunrise Coffee at the Cascades, Burgess Falls State Park, Baxter. $5; sign up first.
• Sat., Oct. 31, 4–6 p.m. Eastern (3–5 p.m. OUR time): Halloween Float on the Ocoee, Ocoee River State Park. Free (donation optional); bring your own boat; sign up first.
• Sat., Oct. 31, 5:30–7:30 p.m. (Central — our time): Ghouls in the Woods Costume Hike, Savage Gulf State Park (Stone Door side), Beersheba Springs. $1; sign up first.
• Sat., Oct. 31, 8–9:30 p.m. (Central — our time): Halloween Hazard Cave Lantern Hike, Pickett CCC Memorial State Park. $10 adults, $5 kids under 10; only 12 spots.
• Sat., Nov. 28, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (Central — our time): A Very Merry 1930s Christmas With Santa, Sadie Ford Heritage Farm, Cedars of Lebanon State Park. Free (donations welcome); sign up.

🕰️ The one thing to remember: Harrison Bay, the Ocoee and Kingston are on EASTERN time. Everything else on this list is CENTRAL, same as us. For those three, subtract an hour: Harrison Bay’s 8 p.m. campfire is 7 p.m. our time, the cemetery lantern tour at 6 p.m. Eastern is 5 p.m. our time, the Ocoee float at 4 p.m. Eastern is 3 p.m. our time, and Fort Southwest Point’s 11 a.m. program is 10 a.m. our time. Pickett, Crossville, Burgess Falls, Savage Gulf and Cedars of Lebanon are on Central, so their times are our times. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1 — set the clocks back Saturday night after the Halloween outings.

🦫 Touch a Beaver Pelt Inside an Old Frontier Fort at Kingston

Where the Clinch River meets the Tennessee, Fort Southwest Point State Historic Park keeps the site of a federal fort built in 1797, when this spot was the edge of the United States and the border of Cherokee land. On Saturday, Oct. 24, rangers hold a hands-on drop-in program called Pelts on the Frontier: what animals lived alongside the Cherokee and early settlers, and how people depended on them to survive. The park says it’s perfect for all ages, whether you know your critters or are just curious.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 24, 2026, 11 a.m.–noon EASTERN (10–11 a.m. our time). It’s a drop-in program.
• Where: Inside the fort, 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. To be there by 10 our time, leave Dunlap by about 8 a.m. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free.
• Who’ll love it: Kids who like to touch everything, history buffs, hunters and trappers, and anybody who’s driven past that hilltop fort on the way to Knoxville and wondered about it.
• Good to know: The fort sits on a hill above the rivers, with a view worth the stop. Make a day of it: Cumberland Mountain’s trick-or-treat trail (next story) is on the way home through Crossville that evening.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Pelts on the Frontier)

🎃 Trick-or-Treat Campsite to Campsite at Cumberland Mountain State Park

At Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville, campers decorate their sites and hand out candy for Trunk or Treat 2026. Families walk “campsite to campsite” through the campground in a festive, safe setting. The park calls it family friendly and right for all ages. It’s close, it’s easy, and you’ll be home before bedtime.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 24, 2026, 5–7 p.m. Central Time — our time. Rain or shine.
• Where: The campground at Cumberland Mountain State Park, 24 Office Dr., Crossville, TN 38555. Park at the Recreation Lodge, the Upper or Lower Playground, or the Boat Dock lot — no cars are allowed in the campground during the event. Host: (931) 484-6138.
• How far: About 44 miles, roughly 1 hour 5 minutes — one of the closest trips on this list. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: No price is posted and the listing has no sign-up button; it looks free, but check before you go.
• Who’ll love it: Little trick-or-treaters, grandparents with a wagon, and families who’d like Halloween under the pines.
• Good to know: Expect to walk about 2 miles over the two hours, so wear comfortable shoes and bring a flashlight for the walk back to the car.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Trunk or Treat 2026, Cumberland Mountain)

🔥 Hear Highwaymen Tales by the Campfire — and Walk a Lantern Tour of an Old Cemetery — at Harrison Bay

Before the TVA flooded the valley for Chickamauga Lake in the late 1930s, the old town of Harrison and the nearby Maddux community stood where Harrison Bay State Park is today. Ranger Dani brings that lost history back in two evening programs. First, Murder in the Mountains: a campfire, a cup of cider and true stories “from highwaymen to the hangman’s noose” from Harrison’s rowdy past. Then Mourning at Maddux Cemetery, a lantern-guided tour of a cemetery used for nearly 100 years, with stories of the people buried there and how mourning customs changed in the 1800s and early 1900s.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Murder in the Mountains Sat., Oct. 24, 2026, 8–10 p.m. EASTERN (7–9 p.m. our time). Mourning at Maddux Cemetery Fri., Oct. 30, 2026, 6–7 p.m. EASTERN (5–6 p.m. our time).
• Where: Harrison Bay State Park, 8411 Harrison Bay Road, Harrison, TN 37341. The campfire is at the Friends Front Porch, next to the playgrounds and Shelters 1 and 3 (keep right on Campground Road; turn at the A-frame camp store). The cemetery tour starts at the gates of Maddux Cemetery, at the end of the road through Bear Trace golf course, up a small unpaved road. Host: (931) 224-7652.
• How far: About 48 miles, roughly 1 hour 10 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Campfire free; cemetery lantern tour $15. Sign up for both.
• Who’ll love it: Local-history lovers, true-crime fans, genealogy folks and older kids who like a good story.
• Good to know: The park suggests the campfire for ages 12 and up, because the stories include real historical violence; younger kids may come with a parent. Bring a blanket or chair; seating is limited. The cemetery is not wheelchair-accessible, but the park has two all-terrain wheelchairs you can reserve free by calling ahead. Prefer daylight? The park also lists a Historic Cemetery Tour at Maddux on Sat., Oct. 24, 4–5 p.m. Eastern (price not shown; check before you go).

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Murder in the Mountains)
👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Mourning at Maddux Cemetery)

🍁 Catch Peak Color at Mesa Top — Then Follow an Oil Lantern to Hazard Cave at Pickett

Way up near the Kentucky line, Pickett CCC Memorial State Park is a land of sandstone arches, rock shelters and some of the darkest night skies in Tennessee (it’s a certified Dark Sky park). It has two outings for you. On Friday, Oct. 30, Ranger Ashlyn leads Mesa Top Fall Colors, a short hike to an overlook during what the park expects to be the Plateau’s best color week. The overlook even has a special viewfinder for folks who are colorblind. Then on Halloween night, Ranger Grant leads the Halloween Hazard Cave Lantern Hike, with old-fashioned oil lanterns lighting the way to a big sandstone rock house and stories of the park’s history.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Mesa Top Fri., Oct. 30, 2026, 1–3 p.m. Hazard Cave lantern hike Sat., Oct. 31, 2026, 8–9:30 p.m. Central Time — our time.
• Where: Pickett CCC Memorial State Park, 4605 Pickett Park Hwy., Jamestown, TN 38556. Mesa Top meets at the Visitor Center, then drives to the trailhead. Hazard Cave meets at Picnic Shelter 2. Park: (931) 879-5821.
• How far: About 98 miles, roughly 2 hours 25 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Mesa Top free (optional donation). Hazard Cave $10 adults, $5 kids under 10; no refunds unless the park cancels. Sign up for both.
• Who’ll love it: Leaf-peepers and photographers for Mesa Top; adventurous families with older kids for the lantern hike.
• Good to know: Mesa Top is about 1.5 miles round trip with stairs and some climbing. Hazard Cave is a 1.6-mile night loop of moderate, rugged ground; the park provides the lanterns, flashlights aren’t allowed unless they have a red lens, kids under 16 need an adult, and it’s capped at 12 people. ⚠️ Check before you go: the Hazard Cave listing says 8 p.m., but its description says “meet at picnic shelter 2 at 9:00 pm.” Call the park to confirm. After the lantern hike, it’s a long drive home in the dark, so consider staying nearby.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Mesa Top Fall Colors)
👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Halloween Hazard Cave Lantern Hike)

☕ Bring Your Favorite Mug for Sunrise Coffee by the Falls at Burgess Falls

Here’s one made for early risers. On Halloween morning, Burgess Falls State Park near Baxter invites you to Sunrise Coffee at the Cascades: bring your favorite coffee mug, and the park pours a warm cup while you watch the day come up to the sound of the Falling Water River. The park promises a relaxed gathering with only minimal walking.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 31, 2026, 7–8 a.m. Central Time — our time.
• Where: The lower parking lot, Burgess Falls State Park, 8487 Burgess Falls Rd., Baxter, TN 38544. Park office: (931) 432-5312.
• How far: About 55 miles, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes. To be there by 7, leave Dunlap by about 5:45 a.m. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: $5. Coffee is provided. Sign up early; the park says space may be limited.
• Who’ll love it: Every early bird in the Valley, retirees, couples and anybody whose best thinking happens over that first cup.
• Good to know: Dress warm; late-October mornings on the Highland Rim can be chilly. Don’t forget the mug.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Sunrise Coffee at the Cascades)

🛶 Dress Up and Float the Olympic River on Halloween at the Ocoee

The Ocoee River hosted Olympic whitewater in 1996. On Halloween afternoon, rangers at Ocoee River State Park invite you to see the gentle side of it at the Halloween Float on the Ocoee: bring your own kayak, canoe or paddleboard, come in costume and drift a lazy one-way stretch with a ranger, then ride a shuttle back to your car.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 31, 2026, 4–6 p.m. EASTERN (3–5 p.m. our time).
• Where: The listing names the Big Creek Take Out as the meeting place. The float runs from Big Creek to Parksville Lake Campground, with a shuttle from Parksville Lake Campground (off Hwy. 30) back to Big Creek. Polk County, near Benton. Ranger: (423) 769-5202.
• How far: About 82 miles, roughly 1 hour 50 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free, with an optional donation when you register. Sign up first.
• Who’ll love it: Paddlers with a sense of humor, river families and anybody with a pirate costume and a kayak.
• Good to know: Bring your own boat and a life jacket (PFD), plus shoes and clothes that can get wet; the park says skip cotton. Pick a costume you can paddle in. Check before you go on exactly where to park and meet.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Halloween Float on the Ocoee)

👻 Hike to a Sunset Overlook in Costume at Savage Gulf’s Stone Door Side

Close to home and only a dollar: Savage Gulf State Park holds a Ghouls in the Woods Costume Hike on Halloween evening. It’s a guided sunset walk of about 1 mile round trip to Laurel Gulf Overlook, one of the prettiest views on the western edge of the Plateau. The name says it all: wear your best ghoul getup.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 31, 2026, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Central Time — our time.
• Where: Savage Gulf State Park, 1183 Stone Door Rd., Beersheba Springs, TN 37305 (the Stone Door ranger station side). Host: (931) 692-3887.
• How far: About 40 miles, roughly 1 hour 5 minutes — the closest trip on this list. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: $1. Sign up first.
• Who’ll love it: Families with kids who can walk a mile, costume lovers and anybody who wants a Halloween sunset from a bluff.
• Good to know: The listing doesn’t spell out costume rules or trail details beyond the distance; check before you go. You’ll walk back near dark, so bring a flashlight and wear sturdy shoes under the costume.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — Ghouls in the Woods Costume Hike)

🎅 Mark the Calendar: Mail a Letter to Santa From a 1930s Farm Post Office Near Lebanon

Thanksgiving weekend, Cedars of Lebanon State Park dresses its Sadie Ford Heritage Farm for A Very Merry 1930s Christmas With Santa Claus. Santa visits all day, and there’s hot chocolate, Christmas cookies and fresh popcorn. Kids can make cedar-cookie ornaments and old-fashioned paper chains, and write a letter to Santa and drop it in the Baird’s Mill Post Office. Stop by Tom Jones Broom Shop for a handmade broom to give as a Christmas gift, and if the weather and mules cooperate, take a mule wagon ride around the farm.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Nov. 28, 2026, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Central Time — our time.
• Where: Sadie Ford Heritage Farm, part of Cedars of Lebanon State Park (park office: 328 Cedar Forest Road, Lebanon, TN 37090). The farm has its own map pin on the event page. Host: (615) 443-2769.
• How far: About 95 miles, roughly 2 hours 15 minutes. Approximate; check your map app.
• Cost: Free, and donations are welcome to help cover supplies. The park asks you to register.
• Who’ll love it: Grandkids with a Christmas list, grandparents who remember simpler Christmases, and anybody who’s never owned a real handmade broom.
• Good to know: Treats and crafts last while supplies last, and the park warns of lines, including for Santa. Mule wagon rides are not guaranteed. Go early.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks — A Very Merry 1930s Christmas at the Sadie Ford Farm)

✅ Remember These Dates

• Sat., Oct. 24, 10–11 a.m. OUR time (11–noon Eastern): Pelts on the Frontier, Fort Southwest Point, Kingston. Free; drop in.
• Sat., Oct. 24, 5–7 p.m. (Central — our time): Trunk or Treat, Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville. No price posted.
• Sat., Oct. 24, 7–9 p.m. OUR time (8–10 Eastern): Murder in the Mountains campfire, Harrison Bay. Free; sign up.
• Fri., Oct. 30, 1–3 p.m. (Central — our time): Mesa Top Fall Colors hike, Pickett. Free; sign up.
• Fri., Oct. 30, 5–6 p.m. OUR time (6–7 Eastern): Maddux Cemetery lantern tour, Harrison Bay. $15; sign up.
• Sat., Oct. 31, 7–8 a.m. (Central — our time): Sunrise Coffee, Burgess Falls. $5; bring a mug.
• Sat., Oct. 31, 3–5 p.m. OUR time (4–6 Eastern): Halloween Float, Ocoee. Free; bring your boat.
• Sat., Oct. 31, 5:30–7:30 p.m. (Central — our time): Ghouls in the Woods Costume Hike, Savage Gulf. $1; sign up.
• Sat., Oct. 31, 8–9:30 p.m. (Central — our time): Hazard Cave Lantern Hike, Pickett. $10/$5; 12 spots.
• Sat. night, Oct. 31: Set the clocks back one hour. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.
• Sat., Nov. 28, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (Central — our time): 1930s Christmas With Santa, Sadie Ford Farm, Lebanon. Free; sign up.

✅ Trip-planning checklist

• ✅ Write the time zone on the fridge note: Harrison Bay, the Ocoee and Kingston are Eastern — subtract an hour. Everything else here is Central — our time.
• ✅ Sign up this week for the programs that need it, especially the Hazard Cave lantern hike (only 12 spots) and the Burgess Falls sunrise coffee.
• ✅ Halloween is crowded with good choices. Pick one or two. Burgess Falls (morning) and Savage Gulf (evening) pair nicely; the Ocoee is southeast and Pickett is far north.
• ✅ Call ahead on details that weren’t posted: the Hazard Cave start time, whether Crossville’s trick-or-treat is free, where to meet for the Ocoee float and the price of Harrison Bay’s daytime cemetery tour.
• ✅ Several trips end after dark. Bring a co-pilot and a flashlight (a red-lens light for Pickett).
• ✅ Pack sturdy shoes, water and a jacket. For Burgess Falls, your coffee mug. For Harrison Bay’s campfire, a chair or blanket. For the Ocoee, your boat, a life jacket and dry clothes for the ride home.
• ✅ Outdoor programs can be canceled for weather. Check the event page the morning you go.
• ✅ Fill up and grab a snack 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 eight outings are new for article #58. We’ve featured other programs at some of the same parks, like Harrison Bay’s boat tours and blanket making, Savage Gulf’s Stone Door sunset and fall foliage hikes, Burgess Falls’ Stories and S’mores and Cumberland Mountain’s lantern hikes, but these are separate events.

Which ones are free?

Pelts on the Frontier, the Harrison Bay campfire, the Mesa Top hike, the Ocoee float and the 1930s Christmas are free (some invite an optional donation). Crossville’s trick-or-treat has no price posted, so check before you go. The Savage Gulf costume hike is $1, the Burgess Falls sunrise coffee is $5, the Hazard Cave lantern hike is $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 10, and the Maddux Cemetery lantern tour is $15.

Which ones are best for young kids?

The Crossville trick-or-treat trail and the 1930s Christmas with Santa are made for them. Pelts on the Frontier is hands-on and open to all ages. The Savage Gulf costume hike is short. Harrison Bay suggests ages 12 and up for its campfire stories, and Pickett’s Hazard Cave hike is rugged and at night, so it suits older kids with an adult.

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

The Burgess Falls sunrise coffee needs only minimal walking. Pelts on the Frontier is a drop-in program inside the fort. The 1930s Christmas is on a farm with some walking between activities. The Savage Gulf hike is about 1 mile round trip, Mesa Top is about 1.5 miles with stairs, and the Crossville trick-or-treat is about 2 miles of walking. Hazard Cave is 1.6 miles of rugged ground at night.

Eastern or Central: which clock do I set?

Dunlap and Sequatchie County are on Central. So are Pickett, Crossville, Burgess Falls, Savage Gulf and Cedars of Lebanon. Harrison Bay (Hamilton County), the Ocoee (Polk County) and Fort Southwest Point (Roane County) are on Eastern time, one hour ahead. Harrison Bay’s 8 p.m. campfire is 7 p.m. our time, and the Ocoee float at 4 p.m. Eastern is 3 p.m. our time.

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 or a trusted listing 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 — Pelts on the Frontier, Fort Southwest Point
• Tennessee State Parks — Trunk or Treat 2026, Cumberland Mountain
• Tennessee State Parks — Murder in the Mountains, Harrison Bay
• Tennessee State Parks — Mourning at Maddux Cemetery, Harrison Bay
• Tennessee State Parks — Historic Cemetery Tour (daytime), Harrison Bay
• Tennessee State Parks — Mesa Top Fall Colors, Pickett
• Tennessee State Parks — Halloween Hazard Cave Lantern Hike, Pickett
• Tennessee State Parks — Sunrise Coffee at the Cascades, Burgess Falls
• Tennessee State Parks — Halloween Float on the Ocoee
• Tennessee State Parks — Ghouls in the Woods Costume Hike, Savage Gulf
• Tennessee State Parks — A Very Merry 1930s Christmas, Sadie Ford Heritage Farm
• 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 warm cup by a waterfall at sunup, an oil lantern bobbing toward a cave, a ghoul on a bluff at sunset, a costumed kayak drifting down an Olympic river, a beaver pelt in a child’s hands, an old outlaw story by the fire, a campground full of tiny trick-or-treaters and a letter to Santa mailed from a 1930s post office 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.