Trail Review: Little Cedar Mountain

Elise makes her way up the beginning of the trail.
Elise makes her way up the beginning of the trail.

LITTLE CEDAR MOUNTAIN

Type: Loop

Distance: 3.3 miles

Difficulty: Easy-moderate

Time: 1.5-2 hours

Traffic level: Moderate-high

Drive time from downtown: 25 minutes

Dog-friendly: Yes

Highlights: Panoramic views, river overlook

Rating: 4/5 stars

This week has been incredibly busy for us, so we decided to do a quick and easy loop hike on Little Cedar Mountain. This 3.3-mile trail leads to a fabulous overlook of the Tennessee River, without too much work. The elevation gain is around 350 feet, a manageable climb for hikers of all levels.

Little Cedar Mountain (if you can call it a mountain) is on a small peninsula jutting into the Tennessee River. There is a small, paved parking lot on the west side of I-24 immediately off Exit 158. The trailhead starts directly from the parking lot, and the trail itself is marked with white painted rectangles. The markers could use a fresh coat of paint, but ultimately lead the way just fine.

The first half mile of the trail is fairly straight and flat, leading toward 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. We didn't realize it until we finished, but going left (clockwise) is more challenging than right (counterclockwise). Considering I was very tired, I am happy we chose to go right.

Around 0.6 miles, the trail slowly begins to climb. There are dips here and there, but overall the trail climbs steadily to the top, gaining around 300 feet of elevation over a mile.

At 1.1 miles, you encounter an intersection. Stay to the right to continue counterclockwise on the outer loop. I haven't been to the left before, but it appears to lead into the woods through the central part of the mountain. We decided views would be better if we stuck to the perimeter of the peninsula, and that certainly appears to be true.

Around 1.6 miles, there is an amazing overlook. It isn't terribly high, approximately 800 feet, but the views are fantastic, nonetheless. Here, we took a seat and drank a celebratory beer as we admired the river below.

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. You drop around 300 feet in 0.5 miles, which is less than half the distance you cover to climb up the slope. However, if you want a more moderate hike overall, I recommend climbing this direction by hiking clockwise.

Little Cedar Mountain is definitely a great trail for beginners or hikers with a busy schedule. Achieving a good view does not require too much time or effort. This isn't to say that the entire trail is easy, but rather, easy with short patches of moderate hiking. I plan to go back for some short trail running once the rain clears out.

photothumb" id="477700" align="left" />Meet Bryant and Elise

In late December, Bryant and Elise Hawkins, recent Chattanooga transplants, kicked off a yearlong hiking project. Every week, they choose a different trail, varying in length and difficultly and located within one hour of Chattanooga, to hike and review.

Bryant is a photojournalist whose works has appeared in The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, among other places. Elise is currently working on a Master of Education at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Together, the outdoor enthusiasts hope to discover the region's endless outdoor opportunities.

You can follow the Hawkinses' hiking adventures by "liking" Get Out Chattanooga on Facebook, where we share their write-ups every Friday.

Have a trail suggestion for the Hawkinses? Email them at info@bryanthawkins.com.

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