Double Circle Ranch

10/01/2022

Former hurricane Ian from Sevierville, Tn.

03/27/2018

07/09/2017

Doug and I made the half day drive from our farm to Natchez Trace State Park. Easy drive on good roads. We lucked out again with a peaceful, quiet campsite. In fact we had the entire campground to ourselves. We also were the only folks using the large stable area. We didn't have as much luck with the weather. It poured the first day. Everything was red, slick mud.

On the second day we had some sunshine and took off for a ride. There are about 40 miles of horse trails and over 100 miles of multiuse trails. We opted for the horse only trails. The horse trails start right out from the stables. The trails can also be reached from the campground. We rented stalls so the horses could rest well, but horses can also be kept in the campground. Each site has highline ties.

In places the horse trails are very steep. Plus in many places they are rutted into a deep, narrow path with high,slick banks. To make matters even more difficult there are many bogs- not little mud puddles-but small swamps. The muddy water made judging depth impossible, and the steep banks made going around the swamps almost impossible. Doug got scraped pretty good when Dee Bar tried to jump up to high ground and ran them into the trees. I got my face swiped through poison oak when Pardner tried to follow. Fortunately, I had no allergic reaction, but it took a lot of the fun of riding away. Most likely the trails are generally much drier than when we were there- hopefully so for other riders.

We rode two more days and tried each of the three horse trails that started from the stables. All had beautiful scenery and plenty of shade- and flies. All also had the swamps and near vertical trails mixed with stretches of nearly flat and gentle trails with good footing. There is no way to ride from the campground or the stables without steep trails with poor footing and mud holes from Hades- at least that is what we ran into.

We did ask both a ranger and the girl running the camp store if there were other trails less swampy and steep. Neither one knew. I suppose they were new to the park. When we were leaving, we spoke to another ranger who actually knew the territory. He said the horse trails used to be motorcycle hare scramble racing trails. The dirt bikes and erosion have made the narrow trenches in deep ruts. They also created mudbogs for challenges. The horse trails- old dirt bike trails- are the steepest in the whole park. Next time we go, we may ride the multiuse trails. They should be much better. At any rate, we had 2 more days of hard rain coming in so we left early. We didn't want to tackle these trails with even more water and mud.

Pluses of Natchez Trace State Park

Light use. NO crowds at all. The day we left there were 2 more horses in the entire campground.
Great scenery. Lots of shade at campsites and on trails. Large stalls with water spigots and wheelbarrows.

Minuses-- horse trails steep and slick. Swamps tricky to navigate. General lack of maintenance at stables, campground, and trails. Plenty of flies but not as bad as Florida Cavern State Park. Many campsites were very uneven- sloping either side to side or back to front. Many sites were too small for both a trailer and truck to fit. Be sure to go online and book a site that is level and big enough for your rig. Plus barn is .2 miles from the campground so you had to drive to go feed, etc.

All in all- we may go again. We will take multiuse trails and hope for dry weather.

07/09/2017

We left the Florida Caverns State Park and headed to our farm in West Tennessee. The Florida stop is perfect to break up the drive from our lake cabin to the farm- easier on us and the horses. While at the farm we managed to wash and dry all our sopping wet clothes and dry our boots. It took 3 days of intermittent sunlight to get the boots completely dry. Plus I got one bridle and saddle cleaned and conditioned after the rainstorm in Florida.
We needed to plan for constructing a hay barn on the farm. In two days we managed to pick a site and lay out the drives to the new squeeze chute and the new hay barn. Plus we found a good deal on a metal barn and a crew to put it up. Next we located a road and pad builder and got lined out for a build in the first week of August. Work done.
The horses loved having a small pasture with knee high grass and loads of clover. Vacation time for them. We did get some bad news. The family leasing the farm with the right to purchase in January were not able to secure a bank loan with an unverified farm income. So I guess we will be interviewing for new help or offering the almost 100 acre farm up for sale soon. That will be a big project this winter.
We will be heading to Natchez Trace State Park next for more riding. It will be great to be back in the saddle. Plus we will be in a new area for us. Finding great horse camps and trails is always a blast. Hopefully we won't be in anymore rain deluges!

07/05/2017

Doug and I spent the 1st two nights of our horse vacation/working trip At Florida Caverns. At a 5 hour drive from our lake cabin, it is the perfect distance to split up the drive to our Tennessee farm. We had stayed at Florida Caverns State Park once before- but had never taken horses there. This state park is just off I -10, but doesn’t seem to be used heavily. It is a wonderful park with swimming in a blue hole, cavern tours, kayaking and river fishing, hiking trails and a horse camp with 11 miles of horse trails.

The 1st night there, we arrived late afternoon. The horses were really jumpy and we were tired so we waited to ride until morning. Rain was expected in the afternoon next day, but we thought we had plenty of time to do a 3+ mile loop trail and hopefully another trail after that. Wrong. We got just as far as possible away from camp when the rain gods decided to let loose buckets of water on us. It poured—and our slickers were in the trailer. At least it was warm- but we would have been no wetter if someone had thrown us in a river. We both poured water out of our waterproof boots because so much water ran down our pants that our boots filled up!

But the trails were beautiful- wide enough to ride side by side in most places, shaded by a pine and hardwood forest, with good footing. Even after the trail turned to a creek, it still wasn’t dangerous- just uncomfortable. We want to go back when it is dry some time and ride the several short trails that make up the 11 miles of horse trails. Plus the swimming hole is beautiful- most times. This time it was closed to swimming and looked oily and murky. We have never taken the cave tours either.

Pluses of Florida Caverns—we had the whole horse camp to ourselves- no other horses anywhere. There are only 3 horse camp sites and they are packed pretty close. It was nice to have the privacy and extra room. Stalls are huge- maybe 18 by 20- and free. Hard to beat that. Water does run right thru the stalls, when it rains in downpours. Partner’s stall had a creek through it. There are nice hiking trails and kayaks for rent if you want a break from horses. The woods and river are beautiful.

Minuses- For us the weather, but you can’t hold that against the park. Besides, we did leave our slickers in camp. Flies--- big horse flies. We were bitten and the horses were eaten alive. I have never seen such a bounty of horse flies. Spray didn’t help at all. Several times we swatted a horse fly and killed 2. They were that plentiful. We got plenty of exercise between knocking flies off our horses’ rumps and swatting at flies biting through our shirts. This was clouds of horse flies- not your normal one or two horse flies. Best to enjoy this park when it isn’t horse fly season—whenever that is.

07/03/2017

Doug and I finally have a chance to travel with our horses and ride in different state parks and forests. Our month long trip starts at our lake cabin in Ocala National Forest, goes to our Tennessee farm for some work, then to Natchez Trace Sate Park in Tennessee, on to Big South Fork in middle Tennessee, and then to Cherokee National Forest by the Smokies. We also will be visiting friends and family in Tennessee and Georgia along the way- and taking care of some farm and real estate business en route.

So it is kind of a work/play trip with the emphasis on play. We have our whole family with us- dog Belle, Doug’s mount reliable Dee Bar and my new horse Partner. We bought a new- new to us at any rate- 2016 2 horse living quarter Lakota trailer and this is our first trip with it.

Follow along as we travel. Everybody needs a good adventure sometimes- this is ours.
Wilma

10/02/2016

The APA and RAF are both great organizations involved in the saving and renovation of the Double Circle Lodge and airstrip.

​Homesteaded by George Stevens and his Apache bride in 1878, under the Desert Lands Act, the Double Circle Ranch was once one of the largest cattle ranches in the southwest. It's place between Willow and Eagle creeks at 4,800' made it a coveted place by not only the ancient pueblo Indians, but by th...

09/29/2016

Heres a picture i snapped of the fire back in 2011

09/29/2016

09/28/2016

Sitting at the dinner table this evening and guess what's looking back at us? Nice bull elk!