Harrison Bay State Park: Nature Trails (Blog Hike #448)

Trails: Lakeshore Nature and Harrison Bay Walking Trails

Hike Location: Harrison Bay State Park

Geographic Location: northeast of Chattanooga, TN (35.17477, -85.12222)

Length: 1 mile

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Dates Hiked: October 2013

Overview: Two short but very different nature trails.

Park Information: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/harrison-bay

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=940800
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Just outside Chattanooga, take I-75 to SR 153 (exit 4).  Exit and enter north on SR 153, which is a limited-access divided highway.  Drive SR 153 4.6 miles to SR 58 (exit 5A).  Exit and turn right (north) on SR 58.  Drive SR 58 for 8.3 miles to Harrison Bay Road and turn left on Harrison Bay Rd.  Drive Harrison Bay Rd. 1.4 miles to the state park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park.  The gravel parking area for the Harrison Bay Walking Trail lies on the left 400 feet after entering the park, and the parking area for the Lakeshore Nature Trail is 0.4 miles from the park entrance on the right.

The hike: Like many state parks along the Tennessee River, Harrison Bay State Park has its roots with the depression-era Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).  The TVA built many dams and lakes along the Tennessee River through Knoxville, Chattanooga, and points downstream.  This section of the Tennessee River is known as Chickamauga Lake, a 60-mile long lake created in 1940 by the construction of Chickamauga Dam only a few miles south of here.  Harrison Bay is a large inlet of Chickamauga Lake named for the town of Harrison, which you drove through on SR 58 on your way to the park.

            The Civilian Conservation Corps also left its mark here: between 1938 and 1942 they built many of the structures you see in the park today.  The state leased the park from the TVA until 1950 when it purchased the land for one dollar.  The park features a fine Jack Nicklaus designed golf course, a large marina, and a 128-site campground.

            The park also boasts 3 trails: the 4.5 mile Bay Point Loop Trail, the 0.5 mile gravel Harrison Bay Walking Trail, and the 0.5 mile Lakeshore Nature Trail.  The Bay Point Loop Trail was built by mountain bikers primarily for mountain bikers, and I didn’t feel like dodging mountain bikes on the cool fall Saturday morning I came here.  Thus, I stuck with the two short nature trails.  The two trailheads are separated by 0.3 miles along the main park road, so either a short drive or road walk will be required between hiking these two trails.

Trailhead: Harrison Bay Walking Trail

            Start with the Harrison Bay Walking Trail, the trailhead of which is marked by a brown metal sign.  This trail features a restored tallgrass prairie, a now rare but once common habitat in the southeast. The gravel path goes right and left, but for the best prairie study, you should take the grassy trail that goes straight through the center of the prairie.  My shoes kicked the dew off the grass as I walked through the prairie.

Hiking through the tallgrass prairie

            On my visit the tallgrass prairie was a dull dead-looking yellow except for white some fleabane wildflowers, but in late summer the prairie comes alive with prairie wildflowers of various colors, dragonflies, and butterflies.  Only a few young trees dot the grassy expanse.  At the south side of the prairie, the grassy trail intersects the gravel loop trail.  You could go either way to walk around the perimeter of the prairie and close the loop.

Descending toward the lake shore

            Next, drive the short distance to the parking area for the Lakeshore Nature Trail, and pick up the trail as it exits the back of the gravel parking area at an information kiosk.  This trail appears to be the only one of the park’s three trails that dates to the opening of the park, but I could not confirm my hunch.  The trail descends on a gradual but slightly rocky grade to reach the lake shore at 0.2 miles.  The lake shore here is a pair of broad, quiet inlets.  You may see anglers in boats trying to get a bite in the shallow waters.

Shore of Harrison Bay

            The trail follows the lakeshore as it curves right and offers more nice lake views to the left.  At 0.3 miles, you reach a trail intersection.  The spur trail to the group camp goes left, but the main loop trail turns right to head back for the trailhead.  The trail climbs somewhat steeply but only for a short distance through a forest dominated by maple and sweetgum.  After topping the hill, a short level walk will bring you to a picnic table at the parking area, thus completing the hike.