Half Day Hike

Tuesday, June 4 — Benton McKaye Trail: Lost Creek Campground to Hiwassee River at Reliance TN, 4-5 miles, easy/moderate due to medium hills at the beginning and end of the hike. Requires a 30-minute shuttle. We will drop off cars near the railroad overpass beyond the Hiwassee Outfitters campground, then go to the Lost Creek Campground. The drive is mostly on a dirt road in surprisingly good condition. Just before the campground, it takes us past the trailhead, which we walk back to by turning right out of the campground. This section of the BMT is mostly a pleasant stroll along Big Lost Creek, which cascades through a lush gorge. The creek has kindly carved out some very interesting rock formations for our rock-o-philes. This part of the trail used to be a railroad graded very gently for hauling logs, aka almost flat. Check the weather forecast within a day of the hike, as earlier forecasts can change dramatically. Choose appropriate layers; wear hiking shoes or boots; bring snacks and/or lunch along with more water than you think you need (it’s summer!); gather up sunscreen and insect repellent (essential), and hiking poles and rain jacket as needed. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 7:30 am ET in the parking area near the gas station at Food City in Ooltewah, right (east) off I-75 exit 11. https://bit.ly/3dwmbxn  Please register with hike leader Tom McElhone, 805-208-4654 or sarmitta@yahoo.com. Carpool cost $5.00.

Tuesday, April 30 — Benton McKaye Trail: Lost Creek Campground to the Hiwassee River, 4.1 miles, easy. Requires shuttle. This is an especially outstanding section of the Benton McKaye Trail, which parallels Big Lost Creek through a deep limestone gorge with cascades and waterfalls. The trail follows an old railroad grade built for logging in the early 1900s, then later used for a road. Beautiful rock formations are seen on both sides of the trail, with plenty of great stopping places. The only drawback is a 7-mile gravel road to the campground, but the road is in excellent condition compared to other Forest Service roads in the Cherokee NF. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 8:30 am ET in the parking area near the gas station at Food City in Ooltewah TN, right (east) off I-75 exit 11. https://bit.ly/3dwmbxn Register with hike leader Betsy Darken, (423) 718-2060. Carpool: $5.00. [FYI, McKaye is pronounced “Mc Ki, with a long “i”. He was Scottish.] 

Tuesday, April 16 — Chickamauga Battlefield: General Bragg Trail, 5 miles, easy/moderate. This is one of the five historical hikes recommended by the NPS. It will take us to the site of the headquarters of General Braxton Bragg, commander of the Confederate Army at the battle of Chickamauga, as well as tablets, monuments, and exhibits describing various officers, units, and actions involved in this Confederate victory in September of 1863. Even though General Bragg won this battle, which some say was the biggest Confederate victory of the war, he was a very controversial officer who was fired by Confederate President Jefferson Davis after he lost the Battle of Chattanooga. Meet at the lower parking lot at the Battlefield Visitors Center at 8:30 am. Please register with hike leader Jennifer Davis, (615) 617-2505 or jdavis327@gmail.com. (Ed.: It is not known if jdavis is related to Jefferson Davis.)