Tennessee · Hiking · Near Red Bank

Clear Branch Loop Trail

1.2 mi
round trip
448 ft
climb
1,840 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
best months

The Clear Branch Loop Trail is a short, easy hike in Tennessee's North Chickamauga Creek Gorge Designated State Natural Area, managed by the State Department of Conservation. The route is an out-and-back that covers about 2.4 miles, with a total elevation gain of 448 feet, and it is rated easy. The trail's high point reaches about 1,840 feet, and the low point is around 1,667 feet. The climb is rolling, with the steepest stretch at about 0.14 miles in, where the grade reaches 7 percent. The round trip is estimated to take about an hour. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Soddy Daisy run to highs around 71°F in April and 70°F in October, with fewer wet days in both months than in summer. Flipper Bend is just 0.1 mile away, and the Blue Hole hike is about 1.5 miles off. Climbers can find Lower Leda about 1.4 miles away and Leda about 1.6 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    North Chickamauga Campsite

    Campground

    Campground · 2.6 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Delias Mexican

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 2 mi
  • If it rainsTVSRR at English Wikipedia . Photo by Jason Trew / TVSRR, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

    Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 11 mi from Red Bank

    Railroad museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: TVSRR at English Wikipedia . Photo by Jason Trew / TVSRR, Public domain (commons)

More in Red Bank
  • Best time to go · Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov

    Best time to visit Clear Branch Loop Trail

    Best months: March–June and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      48° / 28°

      8 wet

    2. Feb

      51° / 31°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      60° / 38°

      9 wet

    4. Apr

      71° / 47°

      9 wet

    5. May

      78° / 55°

      8 wet

    6. Jun

      85° / 62°

      8 wet

    7. Jul

      88° / 65°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      87° / 64°

      8 wet

    9. Sep

      81° / 57°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      70° / 47°

      6 wet

    11. Nov

      59° / 38°

      7 wet

    12. Dec

      50° / 32°

      9 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Soddy Daisy-Mowbray Mtn, TN, 3.9 mi away at 1,700 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors