Volunteer Trail
- 2.1 mi
- round trip
- 664 ft
- climb
- 522 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- best months
Volunteer Trail is an easy hike of about 2 miles in Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in Tennessee, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is an out-and-back, and the round trip covers about 4 miles with a total climb of roughly 660 feet. The route starts at an elevation of about 420 feet and reaches a high point of about 522 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 1.7 miles in, where the grade reaches about 14%. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show October highs around 71°F with lows near 48°F, and April highs around 70°F. July and August average highs near 88°F. Several other trails sit close by. Telegraph Trail is about 0.4 miles away and Pickett Loop about 0.6 miles. Boswell Landing Campground is about 1.2 miles off, and the Piney Hike Bike Main trail is about 1.4 miles away.
Best time to go · Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
Best time to visit Volunteer 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.
Jan
46° / 27°
9 wet · 1 snow
Feb
51° / 30°
8 wet · 1 snow
Mar
60° / 38°
9 wet
Apr
70° / 47°
10 wet
May
77° / 57°
10 wet
Jun
84° / 65°
8 wet
Jul
88° / 69°
7 wet
Aug
88° / 68°
7 wet
Sep
82° / 60°
7 wet
Oct
71° / 48°
7 wet
Nov
60° / 38°
8 wet
Dec
50° / 31°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Dover 1 W, TN, 8.9 mi away at 475 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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Photo: LandBetweentheLakesKYTN, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Trail 7,8
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Piney Trail
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
