Tennessee trails · Lower Loop Trail
Lower Loop Trail
A 11.5-mile network in Tennessee, with 760 ft of climbing. Reaches Fall Creek Falls and other viewpoint/waterfall destinations. Managed by the state.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 52% of the ascent falls between mile 3.8 and mile 7.6. It gives back about 1,514 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Fall Creek Falls (waterfall)
- Cane Creek Falls (waterfall)
- Piney Creek Falls (waterfall)
- Cane Creek Falls Overlook (viewpoint)
- Suspension Bridge (viewpoint)
- Fall Creek Falls Viewpoint (viewpoint)
- Piney Creek Suspension Bridge (viewpoint)
- Piney Creek Falls Overlook (viewpoint)
Getting there
Overlook Trail access. About 57 min drive (35 mi) from Dunlap. 35.66492, -85.35507 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:21 a.m., the sun rises at 6:46 a.m. and sets at 6:07 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:33 p.m. (CDT) — 11 h 21 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 11.5-mile route takes roughly 4 h 38 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:24 a.m. — 6 h 43 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Lower Loop Trail — 8.8 mi loop, 1,320 ft gain
- Lower Loop Trail + Paw Paw Trail — 11.2 mi loop, 2,217 ft gain
- Lower Loop Trail + Paw Paw Trail — 1.1 mi loop, 139 ft gain
Nearby trails
- North Rim Trail — 19.0 mi
- South Rim Trail — 20.5 mi
- Collins Rim Trail — 20.5 mi