Sokno Rail Trail
- 3.4 mi
- round trip
- 690 ft
- climb
- 932 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- best months
The Sokno Rail Trail is a 6.9-mile out-and-back hike within Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, on city-managed land. The route rises from a low point of 826 feet to a high of 932 feet, with a total elevation gain of 175 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 3.2 miles, where the grade reaches 10 percent. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Knoxville show October highs around 72°F with lows near 46°F, and April highs around 71°F. Summer runs hotter, with July and August highs near 88°F. The trail sits close to several other outings. Tharp Trace Trail is just 0.2 miles away, and Burnett Ridge is 0.9 miles off. Ijams Crag, a climbing area, is about a mile away, and Sycamore Loop is 1.7 miles away.
Best time to go · Mar–May, Sep–Nov
Best time to visit Sokno Rail Trail
Best months: March–May 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.
Jan
48° / 26°
12 wet
Feb
53° / 29°
11 wet
Mar
61° / 36°
12 wet
Apr
71° / 44°
11 wet
May
79° / 54°
12 wet
Jun
86° / 62°
11 wet
Jul
88° / 66°
11 wet
Aug
88° / 65°
10 wet
Sep
83° / 59°
8 wet
Oct
72° / 46°
9 wet
Nov
61° / 35°
9 wet
Dec
51° / 30°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Knoxville Exp Stn, TN, 6.5 mi away at 830 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: verygreen, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Mike's Trail
~30 min drive
1.54-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 553 ft elevation gain
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Tharp Trace Trail
Next door
2.16-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 1,053 ft elevation gain
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Chain Ring Loop Section 5
~3 min drive
0.66-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 82 ft elevation gain.
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Burnett Ridge
~1 min drive
3.48-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 1,273 ft elevation gain.
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Sycamore Loop
~3 min drive
0.83-mile loop in Tennessee with 170 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Lower Lake
~11 min drive
1.78-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 1,067 ft elevation gain
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Chain Ring Loop Section 2
~3 min drive
1.16-mile out-and-back section of Chain Ring Out-and-back in Tennessee with 253 ft gain.
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Seclusion Bend Trail
~17 min drive
5.26-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 718 ft elevation gain.
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Chain Ring Loop Section 3
~3 min drive
0.62-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 77 ft of elevation gain.
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West Overlook Trail
~20 min drive
1.46-mile out-and-back hike in Tennessee with 1,177 ft gain and 1,946 ft max elevation.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
