Head of the Crow State Park: Buggytop Cave, the Natural Bridge and Lost Cove

Head of the Crow State Park is the newest state park in Tennessee, dedicated on October 21, 2025, in Franklin County. It holds two of the strangest sights on the plateau: a cave mouth 80 feet high with a creek pouring out of it, and a sandstone arch you can walk across. The park is about 35 to 45 minutes from The Getaway on Ranger Creek in Coalmont, depending on which part you visit, by way of Monteagle and Sewanee.

Where Is Head of the Crow State Park?

South of Sewanee, where the plateau breaks off toward the Crow Creek valley. The name comes from that: this corner of Franklin County holds the headwaters of Crow Creek. The park brings together four state natural areas that used to sit inside South Cumberland State Park: Sherwood Forest, the Carter natural area around Buggytop Cave, the Natural Bridge and Hawkins Cove.

Tennessee split South Cumberland into three parks between 2022 and 2025. Our South Cumberland State Park guide explains which areas went where.

Buggytop Cave

This is the one people come for. The Buggytop Trail climbs onto Spur Ridge, then drops into Lost Cove and ends at a cave mouth 100 feet wide and 80 feet high, at the foot of an overhanging bluff 150 feet tall. Crow Creek comes out of it. The streams in Lost Cove sink into the ground at the Big Sinks, run under the mountain for more than a mile, and come back out here.

It is about two miles each way, and the park rates it difficult. The climb out is the hard part: you lose several hundred feet getting down to the cave and gain every one of them back on the way to the car. Plan on three to four hours round trip, longer if you are going into the cave. Wear real boots and be off the trail by sunset.

Going inside takes a free permit, and only in summer. The park lists the caving season as May 1 to August 31; the rest of the year the cave is closed to protect its bats. Permits are capped at 40 a day and groups at 20, you register online at least three days ahead, and every caver needs a helmet and a headlamp. Nobody goes in alone. If you have never been caving, a ranger-led trip is the best introduction. Check the park’s caving page before you plan around a date.

The trailhead is roadside parking on TN-56, about six and a half miles south of US-41A in Sewanee, marked by a small brown “Bird Watching Area” sign.

The Sewanee Natural Bridge

The easy one. A sandstone arch about 25 feet high with a 50-foot span, at the end of a short stair-stepped path from the parking lot, about a tenth of a mile. You can walk out on top of it and look down into Lost Cove, the same cove that drains through Buggytop. There are no railings up there, so use extreme caution with children.

The steps make it a hard trip in a wheelchair. The park keeps all-terrain wheelchairs you can reserve, so call ahead if you need one. From Sewanee, take TN-56 south about two and a half miles and turn left on Natural Bridge Road for half a mile.

The Sherwood Forest Trails

The most developed part of the park is Sherwood Forest, south of the Natural Bridge off Jumpoff Road. The Sherwood Day Loop runs just under three miles, rated easy, with overlooks of the Crow Creek valley and a second, smaller natural bridge. The Pack Hollow Trail is steeper, 1.6 miles each way.

Hawkins Cove, the fourth area, protects a rare plant called the Cumberland rosinweed and has no trails or parking. The park is also the only known home of the painted tigersnail, a federally threatened snail recorded in a single small cove near Sherwood.

Camping at Head of the Crow State Park

There is one campground, and you hike to it. Catbriar is a backcountry campground in Sherwood Forest, about half a mile in from the Pack Hollow trailhead, with sites for up to six people, a group site for up to 30, and a shared outhouse. There is no drinking water, so carry in what you need. Sites are reserved through Tennessee State Parks.

For a less primitive night, the cabins and the Geodesic Glamping Dome at The Getaway on Ranger Creek each have their own private bathroom, heat and air, power and running water, about 40 minutes from the Natural Bridge.

Planning a Visit

Entry is free, and so are cave permits. Dogs are welcome on a leash. Hunting is allowed in parts of the park in season, so wear bright colors on fall and winter hikes. The park’s page posts alerts and closures.

Making a Day of It in Sewanee

Head of the Crow pairs with Sewanee. The University of the South’s campus is about ten minutes from either trailhead, and a short walk off the university’s Perimeter Trail leads to Point Disappointment. From there you see nearly all of Lost Cove from the other rim. Our Sewanee day trip guide covers the campus, and the Monteagle guide has places to eat on the drive back.

Where to Stay Near Head of the Crow State Park

The Getaway on Ranger Creek is in Coalmont, about 35 to 45 minutes from the park on the same road through Monteagle and Sewanee. The Scandinavian Cabin and the Cozy Spruce Cabin are open all year. The Geodesic Glamping Dome and the Glamping Tent close for the winter. The cave itself only opens in summer, so a trip built around going inside Buggytop belongs between May and August.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Head of the Crow State Park?

In Franklin County, Tennessee, just south of Sewanee and about 35 minutes from The Getaway on Ranger Creek. The Sewanee Natural Bridge is about three miles south of town, and the Buggytop Cave trailhead is about six and a half miles south on TN-56.

Is Head of the Crow part of South Cumberland State Park?

It was. Tennessee split South Cumberland State Park into three parks between 2022 and 2025, and Head of the Crow was dedicated on October 21, 2025, from four of its natural areas. The other two parks are Savage Gulf and Fiery Gizzard.

Can you go inside Buggytop Cave?

Only in summer, and only with a free permit. The park lists the caving season as May 1 to August 31, caps permits at 40 a day, and requires a helmet and a headlamp. The cave is closed the rest of the year to protect its bats.

How tall is the Sewanee Natural Bridge?

About 25 feet high, with a span of about 50 feet. It is a short walk from the parking area on Natural Bridge Road, and it looks out over Lost Cove.

Can you camp at Head of the Crow State Park?

Yes, at one hike-in backcountry campground. Catbriar is about half a mile from the Pack Hollow trailhead in Sherwood Forest. Sites are reservation only, and there is no drinking water. For a less primitive night, the cabins at The Getaway on Ranger Creek have a private bathroom, heat and air and a real bed, about 40 minutes away.

Pair the cave with a night or two on the plateau. Check dates for the cabins before you book your caving permit.

Photo: “Natural Bridge at Sewanee” by Casey Fleser, CC BY 2.0. Resized from the original.