Tennessee · Hiking

Gee Creek Watchable

0.7 mi
loop
53 ft
climb
940 ft
high point
Loop
route
Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
best months

Is Gee Creek Watchable open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Cherokee National Forest. It doesn't name Gee Creek Watchable, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Cherokee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Gee Creek Watchable is a short, easy loop hike in the Ocoee Ranger District of Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, about 0.7 miles long. It sits within the South Cherokee National Forest & Wildlife Management Area, and the land is managed jointly. The trail is a loop that starts and ends at nearly the same elevation, with a high point of about 940 feet and a low of about 875 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at the start, and the total gain is about 53 feet one way. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Athens, at a similar elevation, show October highs around 73°F and April highs around 71°F, while July and August average highs near 88°F. Gee Creek and Starr Mountain are both about 0.2 miles away, and the Coffee Branch Trail is about 0.7 miles off. Quinn Springs Pavilion, a campground, is about 1.2 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov

    Best time to visit Gee Creek Watchable

    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

      49° / 28°

      12 wet · 1 snow

    2. Feb

      53° / 31°

      12 wet · 1 snow

    3. Mar

      62° / 37°

      12 wet

    4. Apr

      71° / 45°

      11 wet

    5. May

      79° / 55°

      12 wet

    6. Jun

      85° / 63°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      88° / 68°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      88° / 66°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      83° / 60°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      73° / 47°

      9 wet

    11. Nov

      61° / 36°

      10 wet

    12. Dec

      52° / 31°

      12 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Athens, TN, 13.1 mi away at 940 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Gee CreekPhoto: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Gee Creek

Next door

Gee Creek is a 1.42-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 784 feet of elevation gain.

CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN HORSE TRAILPhoto: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN HORSE TRAIL

~1 min drive

6.9-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 2,479 ft elevation gain and loss.

HIKE

Starr Mountain

Next door

4.82-mile out-and-back trail on Starr Mountain in Tennessee with 1,968 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

COFFEE BRANCH TRAIL

~1 min drive

14.5-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 3,847 ft elevation gain.

Clemmer Spur TrailPhoto: Nicolas Raymond from Bethesda, Maryland, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Clemmer Spur Trail

~16 min drive

A 2-mile point-to-point trail offering easy access to Tennessee's natural scenery.

Lowry Cove TrailPhoto: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lowry Cove Trail

~2 min drive

3.86-mile point-to-point trail in Tennessee with 2,880 ft gain

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COKER CREEK FALLS TRAIL

~18 min drive

4.54-mile out-and-back hike in Tennessee with 2,571 ft elevation gain/loss.

Slickrock Branch RoadPhoto: Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Slickrock Branch Road

~17 min drive

1.43-mile point-to-point trail in Tennessee with 109 ft gain and 497 ft loss.

Prince Gap TrailPhoto: Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Prince Gap Trail

~19 min drive

7.04-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 1,366 ft elevation gain and loss.

HIKE

CHESTNUT LOOP BIKE TRAIL

~23 min drive

12.44-mile out-and-back bike trail in Tennessee with 3,486 ft elevation gain

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors