Welcome to our new hiking newsletter, Trails Less Traveled! This is a seasonal newsletter we will send out every Thursday at 12 p.m. to highlight a lesser-known trail in the Chattanooga region. Have ideas of trails off the beaten path that we should highlight? Send an email to editor@getoutchatt.com.
Little Cedar Mountain Trail
- Type: Loop
- Distance: 3.2 miles
- Difficulty: Easy – moderate
- Time: 1.5 – 2 hours
- Drive Time from Downtown: 25 minutes
- Dog Friendly: Yes
- Highlights: Panoramic views, river overlook
- Directions and more information from AllTrails
For the first week of this newsletter, we decided to keep the hike quick and easy. Little Cedar Mountain is a 3.2-mile trail that is great for beginner hikers or those with a busy schedule. The elevation gain is around 400 feet, and the trail leads to an overlook of the Tennessee River without too much work involved.
In a 2018 trail review, Bryant and Elise Hawkins explained Little Cedar Mountain (if you can call it a mountain) is on a small peninsula jutting into the Tennessee River. There is a paved parking lot on the west side of Interstate 24 immediately off exit 158. The trailhead starts directly from the parking lot, and the trail itself is marked with white painted rectangles.
The first half mile of the trail is fairly straight and flat, leading towards the tip of the peninsula. The loop proper begins at 0.3 miles, allowing you the choice to go clockwise or counterclockwise. The decision you make here will definitely impact your hike – going left (clockwise) is more challenging than right (counterclockwise).
Around 1.6 miles, there is an amazing overlook. It isn’t terribly high, approximately 800 feet, but the views are fantastic, nonetheless. Less than a half mile past the overlook, you reach the high point of 900 feet and begin a fairly steep descent. The trail is well constructed, but this half is considerably more steep than the first half.
If you decide to check out this trail, send us some photos to editor@getoutchatt.com, and we will highlight them in a future edition of Trails Less Traveled.
Happy Trails!
Read More: The 10 best overlooks in the Chattanooga area to see fall colors