Biking Chattanooga's South Chickamauga Creek Trail

This trail exists in two as yet unconnected sections, and when the missing center segment is finished, it will run for 14 miles. I biked the northern section (which currently extends 4.5 miles) beginning at the Riverpoint area of the Tennessee Riverpark off the Americola Highway. If you want a longer ride, I suggest you still bike this lovely trail, and when finished, head either direction on the also lovely Chattanooga Riverwalk Trail which hugs the Tennessee River for over seven miles.

The trail that will take you to to the South Chickamauga Trail can be reached by taking either the paved path that runs below the ramp up to the bridge over the South Chickamauga Creek (for the Riverwalk Trail) or the "Woodland Walk" trail seen in this map going under the white highway...

After less than a mile on this paved trail...

... you'll cross the lovely South Chickamauga Creek seen below...

In addition to being verdant and scenic, the trail is a construction wonder because a good mile or more is wooden boardwalk! In order to protect fragile wetland areas and to avoid floodplains, you'll be amazed at how much wood has been used to build the trail! To emphasize this fact, three photos follow...

For a short section, you'll bike on a driveway for some industrial concern, and later you'll skirt two sides of a nice subdivision.

At one point you'll pass this sign, showing some of the significance of the area...

At the 4.5 mile mark the pavement ends and becomes a gravel road. I went a bit of the way on it but was out of time so I turned around.

Parking is available at the southern end of the trail in Camp Jordan Park (323 Camp Jordan Parkway, East Ridge).

For the northern segment, trailheads are available at Riverpoint off the Americola Highway, as well as Faith Road, Sterchi Farm (2700 block of Harrison Pike), and the 3900 block of North Hawthorne Street.