One hot summer day in the mid-90s, we had the urge to go somewhere to cool off and have a picnic. Gee Creek and Quinn Springs on the Hiwassee River were good candidates, but they were usually a little crowded in the summer. We decided to find an out-of-the-way picnic site in the Cherokee National Forest. We found one called Lost Creek. It turned out to be about as out of the way as they came, but it was beautiful.

We loaded the van with burgers and all the fixin's and took off from Athens to Highway 411, then south to Highway 30 East. Not too far up 30, there was a road that turned up into the mountains. That was Lost Creek Road, a tiny gravel track that clung to the sides of the mountains in Polk County for about seven miles. It was so narrow I wondered how two cars could pass each other. Maybe it had been built for two VW Beetles. Even that was a stretch! I prayed all the way up that no one would be coming down.

After what seemed a harrowing eternity for me (the kids were totally enjoying the drive), we reached the area, put a couple of dollars into the donation box, and drove to the end of the camping and picnic area. We decided on a place near the creek that lent its name to the area. Before we unloaded the food, we decided to try out the creek. It certainly cooled us off and definitely refreshed. It was a lovely, wide rushing stream with rocks and fish.

Our fun was interrupted by a little dog that had sole ownership of the campground until we arrived. She crept in while we were playing in the creek, a young black and white terrier, very friendly and very hungry. There was no collar or other indication of ownership. Thankfully we had brought plenty of food. Our new little friend was very happy with our offerings and stuck as close to us as a shadow. Of course, we weren’t going to leave her. We wondered how anyone could be so cruel as to leave a little dog in a place as remote and wild as Lost Creek.

We built a fire in the grill box and cooked our hamburgers. There is something wonderful about anything cooked outside over a fire. It was absolutely delicious. That also went for the dessert. S’mores can only be properly prepared over a fire and the grill box would not suffice, so we also built a small fire in the fire pit. The kids made sure we had packed the graham crackers, chocolate bars (which always seem to be a little short by the time we fixed s’mores), and marshmallows.

Before it got too dark, we doused our fire, packed up, put the little dog in the van, and slowly wound our way back down on the mountain road. This time I was praying there’d be no latecomers making their way up the mountain.

Tennessee’s protected forests have some incredible trails, sights, and hidden treasures. Lost Creek is one of those.

Susan Kite is the author of five young adult novels. These can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/author/bookscape . She is also the author of a children’s book, set squarely in the mountains of Tennessee called The Legend of Billy Bob Flybottom. It’s being published by Doodle & Peck, and is tentatively scheduled for release this fall. A novelette will be published in a Zorro anthology in May. You can learn more at www.bookscape.net