Half Day Hike

Tuesday, March 19 — Little Cedar Mountain Trail, in a TVA Small Wild Area, off TVA Road near Jasper, TN. 3.2 miles, loop, easy, 400 ft’ el. gain. This trail hugs the western shoreline of Nickajack Lake (aka Tennessee River) at the tail-end of Walden Ridge, where it breaks up in the Tennessee River Gorge and blends into the Sequatchie Valley. We will see many interesting rock formations, early spring wildflowers, and overlooks of the beautiful Tennessee River. Bring water and snacks. Directions: take Exit 158 on I-24 about 25 miles west of Chattanooga and turn left. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 8:30 am ET at the parking lot just after LaQuinta Inn, right (north) off I-24 Exit 175. https://bit.ly/3QITAD4  Register with hike leader Joan Hartvigsen, jhartvigs@comcast.net or 931-636-2914. Carpool cost: $2.00.

Tuesday, March 26 — Sitton Gulch trail, 3-5 miles out & back, easy to moderate, depending on how many waterfalls you want to see. A well-maintained trail, three spectacular waterfalls, a rushing whitewater creek, looming cliffs, and lots of wildflowers (we hope). What more could you ask for? Trail starts near Trenton GA and heads up into Cloudland Canyon SP.  For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 8:30 am ET at the parking lot just after LaQuinta Inn, right (north) off I-24 Exit 175. https://bit.ly/3QITAD4  Please register with hike leader John Prescott, (352) 496-0977. Carpool cost: $2.00.

Tuesday, March 19 — Little Cedar Mountain Trail, in a TVA Small Wild Area, off TVA Road near Jasper, TN. 3.2 miles, loop, easy, 400 ft’ el. gain. This trail hugs the western shoreline of Nickajack Lake (aka Tennessee River) at the tail-end of Walden Ridge, where it breaks up in the Tennessee River Gorge and blends into the Sequatchie Valley. We will see many interesting rock formations, early spring wildflowers, and overlooks of the beautiful Tennessee River. Bring water and snacks. Directions: take Exit 158 on I-24 about 25 miles west of Chattanooga and turn left. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 8:30 am ET at the parking lot just after LaQuinta Inn, right (north) off I-24 Exit 175. https://bit.ly/3QITAD4  Register with hike leader Joan Hartvigsen, jhartvigs@comcast.net or 931-636-2914. Carpool cost: $2.00.

Tuesday, March 12 — Walden’s Ridge Park trails, 4 to 5 miles, loops, moderate. This is yet another new set of trails in the Chattanooga area, located on the side of Signal Mountain/Walden Ridge. We will start our hike at the bottom of the ridge, using the trailhead off Mountain Creek Road. We’ll proceed to meander through the woods in a generally uphill fashion, then wander more or less downhill to complete a loop or two. Rocks and boulders will be encountered. Crazy mountain bikers will be avoided. Check the weather forecast and choose appropriate layers; wear hiking shoes or boots; bring food and water; and gather up hiking poles, rain jacket, and sunscreen as needed. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 8:30 am ET at Food City on Signal Mountain Road, in the near back corner of the parking lot. https://bit.ly/3pk0suY Please register with hike leader Tom McElhone, 805-208-4654 or sarmitta@yahoo.com. Carpool cost $1.00.

Saturday, March 9 — Fall Creek Falls State Park: Prater Place/Hemlock Falls, 6 miles, out and back, el. gain 649’, moderate due to some rocky areas and creek crossings. This trail has everything: waterfalls, rock formations, caves, creeks, early spring wildflowers! This is one of the newer Fall Creek Falls State Park trails. It is located outside of the park’s north entrance just off Hwy 30 on Hwy 285. Bring water and lunch. Consider bringing water shoes. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 8.30 am ET at the Durham Street parking lot (ball fields) off Dayton Pike in Soddy-Daisy. https://bit.ly/3Qjdc0S  Please register with hike leader Joan Hartvigsen, 931-636-2914 or jhartvigs@comcast.net Carpool cost $5.00.

Tuesday, March 5 — Five Points trails, 4 to 5 miles, loop, easy. Starting at the Escalon trailhead , we will take the Cloudland Canyon Connector Trail northeast into the maze of trails known as Five Points. Assuming we can plow our way through the can-full-of-worms junction of at least seven trails at the center of this maze, we’ll keep heading NE on Windy Shot. Then we will wander back to the start via Slickenside and North Hogsback Trails, or whatever trails that are going in the general SW direction. Check the weather forecast and choose appropriate layers; wear hiking shoes or boots; bring food and water; and gather up hiking poles, rain jacket, and sunscreen as needed. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 8:30 am ET at Food City in St. Elmo, in the parking area straight ahead off TN Ave. https://bit.ly/3C3Um9L Please register with hike leader Will Latham, (704) 365-8889. Carpool cost $2.00.