Chilhowee Trail Complex

Chilhowee Trail Complex

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	Chilhowee Trail Complex
Location:	Tennessee
Nearest Town:	Between Cleveland and Ducktown
Directions to Trailhead:	From Cleveland take Hwy 64 East to Hwy 30. Turn Left and go maybe 100 yards and turn left again into the Forest Service Parking Area. From Ducktown take Hwy 64 West to Hwy 30. Turn right and then left after 100 yards. The trail head is near the fee drop. You can also access the trails from the Benton Springs Campground.
Trail Description:	This is an interconnecting network of trails. There are trails for all skill levels once you have made the climb up from the trailhead (or as accessed from the campground). The initial climb is fairly long (about 2 miles) and is aerobically challenging since it gains about 1200 feet of altitude in that distance to just over 2000 feet. The highest point in the system is close to 2200 feet, and the trailhead is at under 850. There are sections that are extremely challenging, steep, technical etc. There are also trails that are little more than smooth dirt roads.
Trail Length:	20+ miles
Trail Type:	Singletrack & Fire Roads
Skill Level:	Trails for all skill levels
Submitted By:	Terry

Bryan from Oak Ridge TN Date: February 14, 2003 Trail Ridden: Please Select
Recommended Route: Climmer to slick rock ( the loop ) to benton falls to azalia to Clear creek to rim rock to benton falls to slick rock back to climmer 22 miles +or- Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Climmer is a great climb and will really open up those lungs for the rest of the ride, Slick Rock will make you wounder just why you are there untill you hit the top and finaly score your first down hill after 3.5 miles of up hill all out climb. Benton falls a hikers trail but a fun very fast down hill slope, Azalia a good point and shoot trail w/ short hills, Clear Creek just a means to get to Rim Roack unless your going all the way to the bottom of the mtn. Rim Rock a short steep down hill and a brutal climb back out the other side, Back to the top of Slick Rock and a 3.5 mile all out down hill to include Climmer be forworned speeds of 32 mph have been recorded on this trail by more than just myself. Do use caution when making your drop off the rock others may be making there way up and at those speeds you will see God if you run out of the trail and off the side of the mnt.	Overall Rating:

Terry from Conyers, GA Date: July 30, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: See the map at: www.chattbike.com/images/maps/chilhmap.jpg I climbed up Clemmer (which turns into Benton Falls trail after the climb). I took a break and hiked down to the Benton Falls water fall as a refresher after the climb. I then proceeded to Redleaf and rode the Arbutus loop and then Redleaf back to Benton Falls Trail. Continued up B.F to Slick Rock (naked widow). Took it all the way around to Clemmer/Benton Falls. Took Clemmer/B.F. all the way back to the Campground. Picked up Azalea to Arbutus (for like 25 yards) to pick up Clear Creek. Took Clear Creek back down (following the "real wet route" marked on the map). This hits Hwy 30 go right for about a mile and the parking area will be on your right This route made for upwards of a 20 mile ride (my computer was broken so I don't have exact figures). NOTE Slick Rock is really two loops and hits Clemmer/Benton in three places. One of those loops is nicknamed Naked Widow. Print off the map mentioned above and follow it closely. I rode everything there is except the Rim Extension, the lowest section of Slickrock, and the Rimrock trails. I think I missed a total of maybe 3-4 miles of riding. Other recommended trails in the same area: Tanasi/Whitewater
Review: This is (with a couple of exceptions) a top notch ride! The parts that I didn't care for were The Redleaf/Arbutus and the upper portion of Benton Falls trails which were just broad dirt roads. There had been bulldozers in the area pushing dead pinetrees out of these paths (a pine beetle infestation really hit this area hard). This also smoothed and widened the trails. The Benton Falls trail was also crowded with folks from the campground making the walk down to the waterfalls. I did not enjoy the Clearcreek Trail as much as I'd hoped. There were several unrideable sections due to large rock outcroppings, fallen pine trees and severe trail erosion. The parts that were rideable were fun, but the walking sections were just long enough as to really rob the rest of the downhill of its thrill, especially after a long day's ride. Everyone who rides Chilhowee for the first time should probably ride Clearcreek down off the mountain, but I doubt I will do it again. Everything else was great! Clemmer was a good climb and would have been a screaming downhill, Slickrock was fast in parts and rocky/technical in parts. Azalea was a good roller coaster rip too. I look forward to going back and doing the stuff I missed. Especially the downhill on Clemmer. Some notes to avoid confusion. If you take upper slickrock (naked widow) and you want to pick up the other slickrock loop, watch for the open "wildlife viewing field". You will enter on single track. The single track crosses the field and goes about 1/2 mile and hits a gravel road. This is NOT where you want to be. In order to pickup the rest of slickrock when you enter the field, make an immediate right on what starts out as a two track. Trust me, it gets much more challenging very soon!! This will take you onto the portions of Slickrock where it earns its name. You will eventually hit the same FS road, and follow it down past where you would have come out if you had stayed straight in the field.	Overall Rating: