Mowbray Pike Trailhead to Little Soddy Trailhead
- Type: Out and back
- Distance: About 10 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time: Depends on how much of the trail you hike. It’s an easy one to cut short but leave about half a day to do the whole thing.
- Traffic level: Moderate to low
- Drive time from downtown: About 30 minutes
- Dog-friendly: Yes, but dogs must be leashed.
- Highlights: Rock formations, great for bouldering, awesome views of the city below, mining remnants and several creeks.
- Directions: 809 Co Hwy 1126, Soddy-Daisy. Step-by-step directions can be found here.
This portion of the Cumberland Trail is considered the Three Gorges Segment and is an ideal place for both hikers and those who love bouldering.
If there is one downfall to this hike it’s that parking is limited so you will want to arrive early. There are only 53 reviews on Google, making this portion of the heavily-trafficked Cumberland Trail a less well-known one.
Our favorite review is this one from hiker Christine:
“Took an exhilarating and breathtaking experience with my husband and elder son along the ups and downs and wind arounds of this beautiful trail in the Soddy area. Incredible rock formations, enchanting streams flowing through this serene landscape lend themselves very easily to a wonderful and rewarding experience in a natural environment. Still not sure if it was the hike itself or the views that had my heart racing!!”
The payoff of this trail comes quickly, too. At only about .3 miles there is an overlook of the town of Daisy and the twin cooling towers of TVA’s Sequoyah power plant are seen in the distance.
At .6 miles, there is a rock house that an archaeologist verified once served as shelter for Native Americans, according to Caroline Woerner and Jim Schroeder, longtime trail volunteers.
Happy trails!