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Hiking / Backpacking. Hiking is an easy and flexible way to relax and set daily pressures on a back burner, enjoy the spiritual renewal and beauty of the outdoors, and get exercise.  Hiking is a relatively inexpensive sport. 

We are blessed with a multitude and variety of hiking and backpacking opportunities in and around the Chattanooga area.  There are hiking opportunities in the downtown area, on historic Lookout and Signal Mountains, in nearby state and national parks, natural areas, national forests, and wilderness areas.  A 34-mile segment of the Cumberland Trail (a Tennessee linear State Park, to extend 303 miles to Cumberland Gap National Historic Park in Virginia) begins in Prentice Cooper State Forest and runs northward across Signal Mountain, with other open segments close by.  Portions of the Pinhoti Trail in north Georgia will eventually connect with the Cumberland Trail.  A 2+-hour drive places one in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Hiking opportunities abound along greenways; rivers and streams; on level, unencumbered, terrain; on challenging trails that climb high into the mountains; or combinations of these.  There are wonderful panoramic views of mountains, valleys, and rivers, majestic rock formations, and mixed hardwood forests with occasional old growth.  Some areas are rich in wildflowers.

One has the option of strolling for an hour or more, spending hours or all day hiking, or backpacking to create a multi-day hike.  Regardless of whether one chooses an easy, moderate, or more strenuous hike, it can be therapeutic to the mind and body.

Tips for Safe and Happy Hiking

 

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Benton MacKaye Trail
Difficulty level: leisure, family
Availability: year round
Location: Cleveland, TN
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Cane Creek Loop
Difficulty level: easy to moderate
Availability: year round
Location: Pikeville, TN
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Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center
Difficulty level: family, leisure, ADA accessible
Availability: year round
Location: Chattanooga, TN
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Chickamauga Battlefield
Difficulty level: family, leisure, ADA accessible
Availability: year round
Location: Fort Oglethorpe, GA
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Cloudland Canyon State Park
Difficulty level: leisure family
Availability: dawn to dusk
Location: Rising Fawn, GA
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Coker Creek Falls
Difficulty level: easy to moderate
Availability: year round
Location: Hiwassee Road
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Cumberland Trail
Difficulty level: moderate to expert
Availability: year round
Location: Signal Mountain, TN
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Enterprise South Nature Park
Difficulty level: Beginner to Intermediate
Availability: Year Round
Location: Chattanooga, TN
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Georgia Pinhoti Trail
Difficulty level: leisure, familiy
Availability: year round
Location: North Georgia
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John Muir Trail
Difficulty level: moderate to difficult
Availability: year round
Location: Polk County, TN
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Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness
Difficulty level: leisure, family
Availability: year round
Location: Rhea County, TN
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Lula Lake Land Trust
Difficulty level: leisure family
Availability: open to public several times a month
Location: Lookout Mountain, GA
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North Chickamauga Pocket Wilderness
Difficulty level: leisure family
Availability: year round
Location: Soddy Daisy, TN
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Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center
Difficulty level: leisure, family
Availability: Call (423) 821-1160
Location: Chattanooga, TN
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Savage Gulf
Difficulty level: family, leisure
Availability: year round
Location: Monteagle, TN
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South Chickamauga Creek Greenway
Difficulty level: leisure, famiy
Availability: year round
Location: Chattanooga, TN
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South Cumberland State Recreational Area
Difficulty level: family, leisure
Availability: year round
Location: Monteagle, TN
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Stringers Ridge
Difficulty level: Leisure Family
Availability: Trails CLOSED for Construction
Location: High Ridge Rd., Chattanooga, TN 37405




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Events

Organizations

Walking Tours

Chattanooga History Center

Chattanooga Sidewalk Tours

 

Hiking Resources

American Hiking Society

Benton MacKaye Trail Association

Chattanooga Hiking Club

Chattanooga Trekkers

Cumberland Trail Conference

Friends of the Cumberland Trail

Georgia Pinhoti Trail Association

Hiking Chattanooga

Roots Rated - Hiking

Sierra Club Cherokee Group

Southern Hiker

TN Trails Association Soddy Daisy Chapter

Tennessee Wild

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