The Friends of the Rugby State Natural Area and Historic Rugby, Inc. will kick off the 2015 season on Saturday, March 14, with an opportunity to see beyond the buildings in the National Register Historic District of Rugby, Tn.
Free morning and afternoon guided hikes on up to seven different trails will take participants to early settler home sites and secluded places of recreation for the early colonists. This second annual Hike Rugby! event honors the legacy of Eric Wilson, who was a great trail blazer in Rugby as well as a community booster.
Registration starts at 9 a.m. Eastern/8 a.m. Central at the Community Building with hikes beginning at 10 a.m./9 Central. Hikers can sign up for either morning or afternoon guided hikes or both. Most trails are loops taking hikers into the Natural Area or Rugby’s portion of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Some of them are newly blazed. Trail conditions in the wake of a Feb. 21 ice storm may necessitate a few route changes.
Afternoon hikes are scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Eastern from the Community Building, which will be marked. Afternoon-only hikers should plan to arrive and register by 1 p.m. Eastern.
Hiker merchandise, including a new long-sleeved T-shirt listing Rugby’s trails, a patch and a hiking medallion, will be available at Rugby’s Commissary Museum Store.
All hikers are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather, including footwear that allows for wet spots. Updates on the day-long celebration will be posted at www.historicrugby.org
Guests may also gather for a special St. Patrick’s Day Pub Night traditional dinner starting at 6 p.m. Eastern at the Harrow Road Café. For dinner reservations, call 423 628-2441.