Ore Pit Loop Trail

The Ore Pit Loop Trail (red blaze) begins near the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The Ore Pit Loop Trail and the Montgomery Bell Trail merge at the north side of Jackson Hollow Creek for part of the loop. The Ore Pit Loop recognized for the large pits--as well as scattered pieces of the timeworn Laurel Furnace built in 1815 by Robert Napier--seen on either side of the trail. In the early 1800s, iron ore was discovered here and men came to work digging for iron and clearing the forests for fuel. However, the onset of the Civil War halted to that industry and the forest reclaimed the land.