Cumberland Trail, North Chickamauga Creek Gorge Chattanooga Tennessee

I my continued effort to explore the nooks and crannies of the Chattanooga area, I stumbled upon the Cumberland Trail.  In this area the trail goes through the Chickamauga Creek Gorge. I understand that there was once a project to create a 300 mile long trail system across the State of Tennessee.

The trail head is located just a short distance from the city of Chattanooga.  I was on the trail in late January on a cold and rainy day.  The leaves were off the trees.  This allows a good view of the gorge and the creek that runs through it.

There are a number of options for hiking in the area.  We started out on a trail that followed the creek up the gorge. It is called the Hogskin Loop Trail.  The walking was easy on the first part of the trail.  The waterway was called a creek but river would just as well apply. 

The water was probably a little higher that usual due to the rainy weather over the last couple of days.  The creek water was crystal clear even though there had been a recent rain.

The trail began an accent up the side of the mountain.  The trail is clearly marked by white blocks painted on the trees along the way.  The tail ascends the side of the mountain until it reached a closed road that once lead to a coal mine.   The trail continues along the road to the closed mine and then a little further.

The remain of a foundation associated with the coal mine can still be seen.

There are numerous water falls and cascades all along the trail.  We did not spend the entire day hiking in the area.  We spent three hours up and back on the Hogskin trail.  This included a stop to enjoy lunch.  I can imagine going back to this area over and over to explore all the various trails.  It also looks like it would be good fishing.