Raccoon Mountain Hiking is great any time of the year, but let me show you why it’s best at winter. Not only is it great at winter, you have to add Raccoon Mountain to your list for visiting because it’s such a unique Chattanooga destination.
TVA’s Raccoon Mountain
The Raccoon Mountain I’m referring to is also known as TVA’s Raccoon Mountain. Not to be confused with the Raccoon Mountain Caverns and Campground. TVA stands for Tennessee Valley Authority and has been around for almost 100 years. This federal corporation was put in place to better the Tennessee River Valley and surrounding areas. TVA aids in key economic elements such as flood control, river navigation, electricity generation, and so much more. In addition to this, they have 170 miles of hiking trails throughout their areas of coverage.
Raccoon Mountain is TVA’s largest hydroelectric facility. The 107 billion gallon water reservoir on top of the mountain is used as a source of emergency energy, should the need arise. This reservoir is one of my favorite things about Raccoon Mountain that adds to the uniqueness of this place.
Raccoon Mountain Hiking
With over 28 miles of trails on Raccoon Mountain, hiking is in no short supply here. The trails were actually designed for mountain biking, however you are still welcome to hike them too. Which is what I did. The trails are long, but not too difficult. In the steeper sections there’s a lot of traversing which aids the mountain bikers. This zig zagging adds to the mileage but you might find it beneficial as well on a hike.
Since the trails are mainly used by mountain bikers, I must warn you to proceed hiking them with caution. During my hike I encountered countless riders and only a few hikers. It’s quite clear that hikers are the minority here so you need to watch out. Don’t let this discourage you from hiking here though. The trails are easy enough that you can easily step to the side should you be approached by a rider and stay out of the way. Every rider I encountered slowed down when they saw me, but I just as quickly stepped to the side to let them by. Even though they are traveling at high speed, they don’t want to run over a hiker and understand that the trails are open to both.
Why Winter?
Why I say you must enjoy this hike at winter is because of the views. Many of the trails are nearby the mountain’s edge allowing for beautiful views of the valley and river below. In fact, the main overlook is one of my favorite Chattanooga overlooks. For photos from this overlook as well as two other must-see overlooks, click HERE.
Besides the overlook, most of the trails are still heavily wooded. This means that at any other time of year other than winter, you can’t really see the valleys below. That’s why Raccoon Mountain hiking at winter makes for the best views all around. Plus, I love winter hiking because it’s not buggy or hot like it is in the spring and summer.
Where I Hiked
Since there’s so many trails, let me just quickly share with you the nearly 4 mile hike that I took last weekend. I started near Laurel Point at one of the trailhead’s parking lot. This is the first parking lot that you’ll come to when you exit off the right side of the reservoir road. Click HERE for the location of Laurel Point and remember to park in the first parking lot, not the last one, if you want to hike the way I did. See the photo below of the trailhead from this parking lot.
I started my hike on the Laurel Point Trail and headed towards the point. After rounding the point, there’s a fork for River Gorge and Electric Ave marked by a wooden sign. I took the River Gorge option because it continues on the mountain’s edge while the Electric Ave goes more inland. I continued on till I reached the edge of the reservoir and then turned around and headed back the same way. However, I did take a little shortcut up to the picnic area at Laurel Point on the way back to get back to the parking lot quicker. Below is a map of the hike I took.
To watch the video of this hike, click HERE. You’ll want to be sure to watch it for a little surprise that I didn’t mention in this post. I look forward to maybe mountain biking here someday. Have you visited Raccoon Mountain? Let me know in the comments below. Until next week, enjoy Exploring Chatt!
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