The mile markers are spaced every half-mile on most trails, and at quarter-mile intervals on the park's most popular trails, so hikers are never more than a few minutes' walk from the nearest marker. SCSP Rangers already report several situations where hikers, lost or injured after dark, located one of the new markers and reported the location code on that medallion, not only giving Rangers an exact fix on their location, but considerably shortening the amount of time it would take responders to reach them, and help get them to safety.Įach marker is flanked by two high-intensity reflectors that can be illuminated by light from a smartphone screen at distances of up to 1/10 mile. The markers are also color-coded to differentiate adjacent trails from one another. The 4-inch metallic medallions each feature trail mileage for the specific trail they mark, as well as a unique location code hikers can use to accurately report their location if they need to call first responders for help. After 11 months and 85 miles of carefully measuring the trails in South Cumberland State Park, the Friends of South Cumberland's Trails Team has completed the posting of mile markers on every trail in the 31,000-acre park.
