Promoting the development and enjoyment of Tennessee trails.
Tuesday June 27 — Ocoee River: SHORT: Rhododendron Trail, easy, 3.3 miles, out-and-back. LONG: The Rhododendron Trail follows the wild and wooly Ocoee River through beautiful scenery. Shady with mini-waterfalls, rafts, and kayaks along the way. LONG: After the Rhododendron Trail, continue to the Bearpaw Loop, moderate, 3.3 miles, for a total of 6.6 miles. […]
Saturday, July 1 — John Muir Trail along the Hiwassee River, 6-8 miles, easy, shuttle involved. This is a beautiful trail that follows the scenic river through the mountains. We’ll start at the Appalachia Powerhouse and end at Childers Creek Road, seeing fishermen, rafters, kayakers, and maybe bald eagles along the way. Bring water shoes if you […]
Tuesday, July 4— Window Cliffs Trail, moderate, 5.3 miles, 660’ el. gain, out-and-back. A lot of the elevation gain is near the turnaround point and can be skipped. This is a popular trail with a LOT of creek crossings, a waterfall, and cliffs with holes (“windows”). A great summer hike! How often do you get […]
Saturday, July 8 — Stone Door to Big Creek Rim, returning on Laurel Trails Loop, 7 miles, easy to moderate because of distance. A second option is to return by going down the Big Creek Gulf Trail and up the Stone Door Trail, for total of 9.5 miles and 1620’ elevation gain. Bring water, snacks, insect repellent, and […]
Tuesday, July 11 – Booker T. Washington State Park: Outer Loop Trail, 3.9 miles, easy to moderate. This trail follows the water most of the way around a peninsula, with beautiful views of Chickamauga Lake. Then it heads inland through pleasant woods to take us back to the trailhead. Be on the lookout for deer and […]
Saturday, July 15 — Emery Creek Falls Trail, moderate, around 6 miles, 900’ el. gain, out-and-back. This is a beautiful trail with a record number of creek crossings, so do not attempt at high water. Almost all the crossings are easy, but you may get wet at the first one—no problem on a hot summer […]
Tuesday, July 18 — Hiwassee River Float Trip. We will rent inflatable kayaks, aka “duckies,” and float/paddle down the beautiful Hiwassee River, which is an easy whitewater river flowing out of the mountains east of Cleveland. No experience is required. A great trip for a hot summer’s day! Costs: $40 for a 1-person duckie, $60 for a […]
Saturday, July 22 — Coker Creek Falls, moderate, 590’ el. gain, 6.5 miles, with an optional second hike to Turtletown Falls Trail for a total of 10.3 miles, 1160’ elevation gain. Great hikes along rowdy creeks, but possibly with several blowdowns to get over, through, or around. Check the weather forecast and choose appropriate layers; wear […]
Tuesday, July 25 — Foster Falls, 3.2 miles, elevation gain,175 ft, easy/moderate, out-and-back. We will begin our hike at the Foster Falls Base Trail, a rocky and steep trail that leads down to the plunge pool and base of Foster Falls. While short (0.6 mile), this trail has many rock steps to the bottom. There […]
Saturday, July 29 — Savage Gulf: Stone Door to Saw Mill Campground via the Connector Trail, 10 miles, moderately challenging, out and back, 1676’ el. gain. We will stop at fantastic overlooks, descend the Stone Door, cross a few creeks, see the old Decatur Savage house, cross on a large bridge and refresh in the water […]
Tuesday, August 1 — Reflection Riding, about 4 miles, easy. To try and beat the August heat, we will explore the grounds at Reflection Riding, which is an arboretum and nature center at the foot of Lookout Mountain. Expect to walk/hike 4 or so miles mostly under shade with some sun (if it's out) here and there. Make sure to […]
Thursday, August 3 — Scenic City Chapter Meeting, 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm ET, Hixson Community Center, 5401 School Dr., Hixson, TN. 37343. A meeting agenda will be sent out prior to the meeting. If you have something you would like to add to the agenda, please contact Scenic City Chapter Chair Jane Ellett, Jne2609@gmail.com or (423) 309-7879.
