Complete Guide to Big Soddy Creek Gulf Park Near Chattanooga

Big Soddy Creek Gulf is a popular park located in Soddy Daisy, TN, just north of Chattanooga. Creeks, waterfalls, swimming holes, and more can be enjoyed here via easy hiking trails.

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Every season at Big Soddy Creek Gulf is worth a visit. In the winter time the water is flowing with the extra rainfall. In the springtime you can see beautiful wildflowers along the trails. And Chattanooga summer fun can be had at Big Soddy Creek Gulf. I love this location because there’s plenty of swimming spots as well as long hiking trails to fill your day. Continue reading to learn more about this wilderness oasis and tips for your visit.

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Big Soddy Creek Gulf

The park is 285 acres full of forest, mountains, creeks, waterfalls, hiking trails, and swimming spots. You can visit the park anytime between sunrise and sunset. There’s two large gravel lots to park in, one right off the road, before the railroad bridge overhead, and one behind it by the trailhead entrance. There’s also porta potties at the trailhead and along the main trail in the first section of the park.

The Trails of Big Soddy Creek Gulf

These trails don’t have actual names except for the Main Trail that was named after Jim Adams in 2017 and the Cumberland Trail. But the park trails must be hiked in order to reach the Cumberland Trail sections. So, I’ve broken down the unnamed trails by section and named them according to their features. At the end of this post I’ll share a trail map, mileage, and my suggested hiking route.

Main Trail

Even though the Main Trail is now called the Jim Adams Wilderness Walkway, I’m going to refer to it as the Main Trail for this blog post. It’s the first section of the park and is the most traveled trail here. It’s common to see most people here compared to anywhere else in the park. The trail is wide, fairly flat, covered in gravel, and has the Soddy Creek raging on the left side. It goes on for about 1.25 miles before crossing Board Camp Creek.

There’s a new bridge to cross the creek which makes hiking the rest of the park a lot easier. In the summertime you can still cross the creek on foot if you want to for fun. The water is shallow and if it hasn’t rained a lot the flow shouldn’t be too strong. Once you cross the creek this is where the trail narrows, turns to earth, and splits into opposite directions.

Going Right Trail

If you choose to turn right at the split, you’ll follow Board Camp Creek upstream with an easy, gradual incline. Along the way you’ll see plenty of swimming spots perfect for summertime refreshment, and even a waterfall. Eventually this trail meanders its way up the ridge via switchbacks and meets an intersection of the Cumberland Trail. Note that water run-off is common on this trail so it’s usually muddy or wet with flowing streams.

Cumberland Trail

The trails at Big Soddy Gulf Creek meet up with the Cumberland Trail in the middle of the Soddy Creek Gorge Section North. This section of the Cumber land trail is just over 12 miles in length. If you take the Going Right Trail up to this point, you’ll see signs explaining which direction you can head on the Cumberland Trail if you choose to. The North side eventually leads to Highway 111 and the Heiss Mountain Trailhead. I have not hiked this section yet so I’m not sure what cool features it offers, but if you read the Heiss Mountain blog post linked right above, you’ll see what some of the next section holds.

The South side eventually leads to the Hotwater Road Trailhead. I’ve only hiked this section down to the bridge over Soddy Creek. And can say that it’s a fairly easy trail along the ridge that remains mostly flat until it descends down to the bridge via long switchbacks.

Going Left Trail

Back at the first bridge where the main trail splits, you can also choose to go left. If you do, you’ll find it remains mostly flat, closer to creek level. As it continues to follow Soddy Creek upstream, just like the Main Trail does. In less than a quarter mile down this trail you’ll see the ruins pictured below.

Creek Trail or Impossible Trail

After half a mile on this trail, you’ll come to a narrowing fork. If you go left, it continues down to the creek in about a quarter of a mile. Or you can go right, which is a difficult trail straight up the side of the ridge. I do NOT recommend this trail. It’s one of the steepest I’ve encountered in years of hiking with nearly 500 feet of elevation gained in only a quarter of a mile. It’s also a common water run-off when it rains. So the soil of the trail is extremely soft, unsturdy, and eroding away.

I thought it wasn’t an official trail the first time I hiked up it about 4 years ago. Back then, there were about a dozen fallen trees you had to hurdle over too. But today, most of the fallen trees have been sawed through making it easier to pass. And there’s white trail blazes the entire way up, further proving that this is an official trail. At the top, it meets up with the South Cumberland Trail section, closer to the bridge.

Waterfalls at Big Soddy Creek Gulf

On the Main Trail, 1 mile down, is the first waterfall you’ll see. From the rock bluffs on the right side, this waterfall is almost always flowing. And after rainfall in the winter or early spring, it might even be overflowing. In the photos below you’ll see one time this happened when I visited after a lot of rain. It was flowing over the trail and creating deep trenches in some places.

All along the rock bluffs on both the Main Trail and the Going Right Trail, smaller waterfalls flow down. Sometimes they’re just beaded trickles of water that drip constantly. Other times, after a lot of rain, they are flowing stronger like a small waterfall.

Also on the Going Right Trail is a hidden waterfall that’s easy to find and access. This waterfall is 1 mile up this trail hidden behind a large boulder. The trail makes its first switchback here so it’s easy to remember where it is. Simply go straight instead of following the switchback and soon you’ll hear the waterfall and be able to find it to enjoy.

Creeks at Big Soddy Creek Gulf

Big Soddy Creek Gulf comprises two creeks, Soddy and Board Camp. Soddy Creek is the main one you can see from both the Main Trail and the Going Left Trail. Board Camp Creek is the one that flows into Soddy Creek and can be seen at the bridge crossing at the end of the Main Trail and along the side of the Going Right Trail.

After a heavy rain, the creeks can quickly double in size. In the photos below you’ll see both Soddy Creek and Board Camp Creek were practically overflowing one time that I went after rain. But in the summer months, both creeks have excellent swimming holes to enjoy.

Swimming at Big Soddy Creek Gulf

There’s a big swimming hole just over .3 of a mile down the Main Trail in Soddy Creek. It’s hard to miss the big area cleared of trees with picnic tables and a porta potty.

If you continue hiking on and take the Going Right Trail, you’ll find a few different swimming holes, but the main one is my favorite blue hole of all. It’s small, so get here early, but it’s only a 2 mile hike from the trailhead. You’ll see a trail down to it if you watch for the access trail on your right. The access trail is steep, washed out, and slick when wet so be careful. At the swimming hole is a low bluff you can climb up to jump off into the cold waters for a refreshing summer day.

Biking and Fishing at Big Soddy Creek Gulf

Because of the fairly flat and wide gravel trail, the Main Trail makes for a good, short bike ride. I don’t recommend riding much further than this. Past the bridge over Board Camp Creek, the trails can be too soft and muddy, making a bike ride difficult. But if you just want to ride from end to end of the Main Trail, a bike is worthwhile. It’s perfect for families who don’t want to do a long mileage ride.

Big Soddy Creek Gulf is also a popular fishing spot for Chattanooga. From March through September you’re limited to 7 trout, but can use any bait you want. However, in the off season outside those dates you cannot keep any of the trout and can only use artificial lures. This enables the trout population to flourish and always be readily available to catch and keep during the season.