Half Day Hike

Tuesday, August 20 —Savage Gulf Day Loop near Gruetli Laager, with Savage Fall Overlook, 4.1 miles, easy, 380’ elevation gain, lollipop loop. Optional add-on: continuing to a second Savage Fall overlook and swinging bridge, 0.6 miles roundtrip, 100’ elevation gain. We will hike the loop clockwise and enjoy views from the Rattlesnake Point Overlook, where we will have a snack. Our main trail includes a swinging bridge across Boyd Branch and the main Savage Fall Overlook. Check the weather forecast within a day of the hike, as earlier forecasts often change dramatically. Wear hiking shoes or boots; bring snacks and/or lunch along with more water than you think you need; use insect repellent; gather up hiking poles, sunscreen, and rain jacket as needed. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at the Durham Street parking lot (ball fields) off Dayton Pike in Soddy-Daisy at 7.30 am ET. https://bit.ly/3Qjdc0S Register with the hike leader (required for all Scenic City hikes): Tim Booth, 423-400-2011. Carpool cost $3.00.

Tuesday, August 13 – Booker T. Washington State Park near Chattanooga: 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 enjoy the lake sightings along the trail, but also be prepared to jump out of the way of mountain bikers. Check the weather forecast within a day of the hike, as earlier forecasts often change dramatically. Wear hiking shoes or boots; bring snacks and/or lunch along with more water than you think you need; use insect repellent; gather up hiking poles, sunscreen, and rain jacket as needed. Please note the meet-up parking location has changed. Meet at 7:30 A.M. at Picnic Area #1, which includes a bike trailhead and basketball court. This parking lot has toilet facilities nearby. Register with the hike leader (required for all Scenic City hikes): Jean Smith, 423-596-7681.

Tuesday, August 6 — Durham Mine Trails, less than 30 minutes south of Chattanooga, 3.9-5.1 miles, easy/moderate. This pleasant walk in the woods on top of Lookout Mountain is a good summer hike that periodically reveals its past as a coal-mining site. We’ll head out on DC&C trail, then wander back on Williams Cut and Marion 21 Trails, jumping off onto John Henry Trail to get back to our cars. Check the weather forecast within a day of the hike, as earlier forecasts often change dramatically. Wear hiking shoes or boots; bring snacks and/or lunch along with more water than you think you need; use insect repellent; gather up hiking poles, sunscreen, and rain jacket as needed. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 7:30 am ET at Food City in St. Elmo, in the area of the parking lot straight ahead off TN Ave. https://bit.ly/3C3Um9L  Register with the hike leader (required for all Scenic City hikes): Ginny Kidd, (423) 304-3799. Carpool cost: $1.00.

Tuesday, July 2 — Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga: Cravens House loop trail, 3 miles or so, 640’, el. gain, moderate. Trees, rocks, cliffs, views, museum, history! We will go up the mountain on the gradual Cravens House Trail, then north toward Point Park on the always scenic Bluff Trail. Just below the Point is an interesting Civil War museum full of lots of cool stuff, including “hard tack,” a standard ration for soldiers back then. It may still be edible! Once we get up to Point Park via a couple of flights of stairs (better than rock-climbing), we will enjoy great views of almost all of Chattanooga. This park will also be especially appealing to people who are really into cannons. 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; use insect repellent in season; gather up hiking poles, sunscreen, and rain jacket as needed. Meet at 7:30 am ET at Cravens House, Lookout Mountain, off Scenic Highway and Cravens Terrace. Registration with the hike leader is necessary to receive cancellation notifications, etc.: Register with the hike leader (required for all Scenic City hikes): Tom McElhone, 805-208-4654 or sarmitta@yahoo.com. Carpool cost: $0.00.

Tuesday, July 23 — Old Copper Road and Rhododendron Trails near Benton TN, 5.7 miles, easy. Short shuttle involved. This is a very pleasant and shaded walk along the Ocoee River, with its many entertaining rapids and curiously carved rocks. This river was the site of the whitewater competitions for the 1996 Summer Olympics, with a section narrowed from 200 feet to 70 feet to create a series of intense rapids. We will start hiking at the upper trailhead of the Old Copper Road, below TVA’s #3 dam. In a couple of miles, we will reach the Olympic section, with its paved trails and two bridges across the river. We’ll cross the river and continue on the Rhododendron Trail to Thunder Rock. 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; use insect repellent; gather up hiking poles, sunscreen, and rain jacket as needed. For carpooling/caravanning, meet at 7:30 am ET in parking area near the gas station at Food City in Ooltewah, right (east) off I-75 exit 11. https://bit.ly/3dwmbxn  Registration with the hike leader is necessary to receive cancellation notifications, etc.: Will Latham, (704) 365-8889. Carpool cost: $2.00.