Steele Creek Park

Went for a walk with the JC Hikers in Steele Creek park in Bristol on 3/10. Steele Creek is the third largest municipal park in the state of Tennessee and contains over 2000 acres of forested land. It was a very warm day for early March with a considerable amount of climbing. We followed the Lake trail to the Fox Glen Trail then the Power line trail and Sinks trails around to the nature center on the north side of the park.



After the checking out the nature center we crossed a branch of the lake and picked up the Hemlocks trail and the North ridge trail. Then we took the Old Logging trail (though we were looking for the Tulip Tree Trail) through Jackson Camp to the South Ridge trail, and then along the South Ridge trail to its end just before a knob above the parking area back on the south side of the park.



At this point it looked like it would be too steep to bushwhack down the other side of the knob as we had planned. We didn't want to have to go all the way back though, so we descended down the side of the ridge to the ravine below. Except for a few briar scratches we escaped mostly unscathed.



Walking on down out of the ravine, we soon joined back up with the trail on the west side of the lake and had a gentle walk the remaining distance back to the cars.



This was my first visit to this park and I believe I shall return to see what is blooming in the next few months. We saw toothwort getting ready to bloom and several spring beauties already in bloom.

My only complaint is there seems to be evidence of a considerable amount of motor bike traffic on the trails and one actually passed us on the South Ridge trail. This motorized traffic is causing a great deal of erosion on the trails.

However, this is a very nice park with an active nature program with several park naturalists. For more info on the park and Nature Center activities Click Here.

To Howard, Faye, Joy, Joel, Conrad, Bill, and Lisa it was a pleasure hiking with you and I hope to see you soon.