Nemo, Beyond the tunnel

Nemo beyond the tunnel.


Most have heard about Nemo tunnel near Wartburg Tn where you can drive your rig through an old railroad tunnel but there is more to this spot then just diving through a tunnel. For me overlanding is about going to cool places to do cool things with the vehicle serving as base camp/gear hauler.


Let me be the first to say that driving your rig through an old railroad tunnel is really cool.



The parking lot along the Emory River is the end of the Obed Wild and Scenic river, The is also a primitive NPS campground just across the river. $10 a night for ground tents only. My wife and I decided to spend a Sunday night there. It is an online reservation and it is first come first serve you put your reservation number on the site post. We chose site 11 as it was relatively secluded and creek side. Typical sites have a fire ring with cooking grate a picknick table and a elevated pad for your tent. There is also a bear locker for your food.






The campground also serves as a trailhead for the Cumberland trail. There are two sections here. The Emory River and the Devils breakfast table. Sunday afternoon we decided to hike a section of the Devils breakfast table trail to Ally Ford, a backcountry campsite along the Obed River. The trail winds along the valley of the Obed river lined with the echo from the rapids below most of the way line with limestone cliffs. The trail climbs roughly 500 feet over two miles until the junction with the Ally Ford branch. From here its another 14 miles to devils breakfast table in challenging back country with limited maintenance or blazing. The down to Ally Ford is a bit tricky as its a loose rock creek bed and drops about 500 feet in a little over a tenth of a mile.







After hiking back we made a quick dinner of sausage and peppers and hung around the camp fire.









Monday morning we packed up and did the Emory Section. The main trailhead is located at the end of the Nemo Access picnic area. You hike up out of the river valley and cross the dirt exit road from Nemo Tunnel. It winds up some switchbacks and old roads until you come to the exposed rock face above the new railroad tunnel. The trail currently ends a little further in at a waterfall. There are plans to continue the hiking trail into Wartburg and the Obed visitors center.

 

Pics didn't show

 

Sounds epic but the pics don’t work...

 

should work now

 

yep