Little Cedar Mountain Tennessee Valley Authority, TN
miles
LENGTH 3.3 MILES
DIFFICULTY 4.2 Easy
DURATION 1-2 hours
ELEVATION GAIN
460
feet
TRAIL TYPE
Loop
Little Cedar Mountain

If you're looking for a quiet hike away from more popular trails, check out Little Cedar Mountain along the shore of Nickajack Lake just outside Chattanooga. With a couple views of the lake, large boulders, and a small pond, this is a good trail to find some solitude or give the dog some exercise.

The 7 car parking lot is quite small, but on a sunny weekend day in June there was only one other car there, so parking shouldn't be an issue. The details of this hike are for the outer loop and don't include the Pond Trail. This trail is no more or less difficult than the rest so mix it up if you come here often.

Begin this hike by walking the short distance to the beginning of the loop. Hiking clockwise, the trail immediately begins to climb in elevation. This can also be the most overgrown section of the trail if it's been awhile since it was maintained. Drop back down to the edge of the lake before making the longer ascent to the top of the mountain. Along the way there is one unmarked point that looks like a junction. Just keep heading uphill. The trail quickly peters out the other direction.

After passing the blue blazed Pond Trail the path begins to descend with two views of the lake and surrounding mountains along the way. After looping around to the other side of the Pond Trail the hike descends a little more quickly down the west side of the mountain. The rest of the loop is flat and easy to follow.

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Elevation Map Length (miles) by Elevation (feet)
Terrain Map Click to control map
Details
length3.3 miles
difficulty4.2 Easy
duration1 - 2 hours
features Dog Friendly  Lake  Views 
trail typeLoop
blazeWhite, Blue (Pond Trail)
elevation gain460 ft.
state Tennessee 
park/forestTennessee Valley Authority
ranger districtTennessee Valley Authority
400 West Summit Hill Drive
Knoxville, TN 37902
1-800-882-5263
parking feeNone
trailhead coordinates 35.03079, -85.581409 (Degree Decimal, DegDec)
N 35°1.85, W 85°34.88 (Degree Minutes, MinDec)
N 35°1'51'', N 35°1'51'' (Degree Minutes Seconds, DMS)
Trailhead Directions
35.03079, -85.581409 (Degree Decimal, DegDec)
N 35°1.85, W 85°34.88 most GPS units use this one
N 35°1'51'', N 35°1'51'' (Degree Minutes Seconds, DMS)
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Notes
The northeast part of the loop can be the most overgrown if it's been awhile since the trail has been maintained. If you want to avoid this section, make a smaller loop with the Pond Trail and the west side of the loop. This still includes the views of the lake.
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Reviews / Comments
Average Review Rating
3 (1)
DQuarles-3 years ago
The west side of this trail is covered with beautiful wildflowers in the spring and early summer.
hikethesouth-5 years ago
Good Hike For Locals
This is a nice hike, just nothing to rave about. It can be overgrown if it's rained a lot as it had when I went. The trail is usually maintained more than this. This trail is definitely a candidate for a better hike in winter as you should get more views through the trees.
Easy | Hiked Summer 2018
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