Promoting the development and enjoyment of Tennessee trails.
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, August 22 — Durham Mine Trails to Fuggett Branch, around 5 miles, moderate, mostly a loop. We will take a gentle walk along Chalkeye Trail to get to E Fuggett Trail and down to the creek, passing rickety cliffs and investigating ruins from the mining era. Then we’ll get back to the top first via […]
Saturday, August 26 — Lookout Mountain: Bluff Trail and Upper Truck Trail, 8.7 miles, 1300’ el. gain, moderate, loop. Shorter alternatives are to veer off Bluff Trail to Sunset Rock or go on to Point Park for either a 3-mile or a 4-mile hike; cars can be left at these locations. All of these hikes […]
Saturday, September 30 — Polly Branch Falls Trail near Sparta. Moderate, 9.4 miles, 1100’ el. gain, loop. This hike includes two waterfalls, a cascade, and the headwaters of the Caney Fork River. The trail may be overgrown in places, but it is an interesting hike! Bring lunch and the other summer essentials. For carpooling/caravanning, meet […]
Tuesday, October 31 — Trails at Woodcock Climbing Area, around 3 miles, moderate, about 400’-500’, lollipop. This relatively new climbing area, not far from Dunlap, was developed by the Southeastern Climbers Coalition, which also developed Denny’s Cove. While the primary purpose of the trails is to provide cliff access to climbers, they are also open […]
Tuesday, October 31 — Aetna Mountain Green and Blue Loops, easy/moderate, about 3.5 miles, about 500’ el. gain. These are two relatively new trails on Aetna Mountain, which is next to Raccoon Mountain. The trails are in very good condition, with very few rocks and roots and with gradual ascents and descents. They take us […]
Saturday, November 4 — Cumberland Trail: Signal Point to Suck Creek Road, strenuous, 8.4 miles. Multiple fine overlooks of the Tennessee River Gorge and other gorges, intriguing rock formations, and (we hope) gorgeous fall scenery! Shuttle required. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at Food City on Signal Mountain Road, in the near back corner of the parking […]
Saturday, December 30 — Laurel Falls, Bryan Overlook, and a hidden natural bridge, about 8 miles, moderate, about 900’ el. gain, out-and-back. We’ll walk by interesting remnants of mining activity along wild and wooly Richland Creek and take switchbacks to Laurel Falls, which is almost always impressive. We’ll then head up a steep trail to […]
Board Camp Creek, about 8 miles, moderate. Short shuttle. We'll start this hike at the Soddy Gulf trailhead in Soddy-Daisy. A flat one-mile walk along Big Soddy Creek takes us to Board Camp Creek (what a weird name!), which we cross to get to the Cumberland Trail. This section of the CT roughly follows Board […]
Saturday, January 20 —Collins Gulf in Savage Gulf State Natural Area, 12.3 miles, strenuous with rocks, el. gain 1700’. We will head to the Collins Gulf Trail, then down down down to the Collins River. We’ll follow along the river until we swing around to the east and make our way to the Stagecoach Road, then […]
Saturday, January 27 — Graysville Mountain,9 miles, moderate with rocky terrain, 900’ el. gain. Shuttle required. On this section of the Cumberland Trail, we will hike through the woods to the top of Graysville Mountain, then continue all the way to Hwy 30, with the last bit just recently completed. Highlights include an old mining area, […]
