Brown's Ferry Federal Road- Who knew?

The weather in Chattanooga wasn't very conducive to being outside this week. We had lots of rain associated with many thunderstorms. I found myself trying to sneak in walking time where I could and I decided not to go places that I couldn't get back to the car quickly. Maybe that proves I'm a novice hiker but I'm good with that. I looked for places close to home this week and remembered a hiking trail I had seen off Pineville Road. I drove the corner of Pineville Road and Riverside Avenue and parked my car at the trailhead knowing nothing about this trail. Secret the Wonder Pup and I got out of the car and I read the very well marked trail information while she got her obligatory sniffs in.


I soon found out that I was standing on what was known as the Moccasin Bend National Archeological District which is a part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. This road bed had been part of the Trail of Tears as the Cherokee were driven to Brown's Ferry in 1838. It also served as a roadway for the Union army supply wagons during the Civil War. I was standing on historical ground, which is easy to do in Chattanooga.

 The hike was a short round trip 1.2 mile easy walk to the Tennessee River and back. It was obvious that some of the trail way had been worked on lately with new mulch in place but there were times I found myself making a lot of noise because the grass was a little high to walk through and I wanted to make sure all the snakes knew I was coming. Along the walk you could see some foundations of buildings left over from times gone by and I wondered what had been in this location in the past. I would say this was probably one of the easiest natural pathway walks that Secret and I had taken- very flat and well marked.

When we pulled up to the parking area I had noticed another car there. As we came around a bend we saw a couple having lunch on some hewn log seating facing the Tennessee River. I don't know why I surprised to see the river right there...I mean, it made sense geographically but none of the trail information had mentioned the river itself so walking up to it as "the destination" was a pleasant surprise. Secret and I looked at the river for a bit and then turned around to go back the way we had progressed.

On the way back I let Secret off her leash and she ran ahead sniffing and drinking out of puddles. On a Secret the Wonder Pup scale, this trail apparently had the best puddles in Chattanooga! The trail way was wide and the green of the landscape was not lost on me. Everything looked so lush with all the rain we have been experiencing in Chattanooga lately. As we loaded up in the car I thought "this could be a recurring place for us. It's easy to get to, close to home and scenic." Just another opportunity to walk the dog and experience CHA the beautiful in my own backyard.