Sunset Rock-Cravens House Loop Hike map (click to enlarge)

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See the Chattanooga Hiking Trails web page for a trail map of the entire park.

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Distance: approximately 4.2 miles
Time: 3-3.5 hours, including Cravens House stop and taking in views from Sunset Rock
Difficulty: Easy to Strenuous. Entails climbing up and down steep passages and staircases. Often rocky and hard on the ankles.

For those visiting the Lookout Mountain Battlefield and seeking a Civil War experience along with some exercise, the best hike in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park starts at Point Park and forms a loop between the Bluff Trail, the Gum Springs Trail, the Upper Truck Trail, the Rifle Pits Trail, and the Cravens House Trail. This hike also passes Sunset Rock, a spot famous for the views of Lookout Valley. Sunset Rock served as the staging point for many portraits and was where Confederate Generals Bragg and Longstreet are said to have watched the movement of Union troops prior to the start of the Battle of Wauhatchie.

You can begin this hike from either Point Park or the Cravens House. I started at Point Park, so this review describes the hike from there. A fee is required to enter Point Park, whereas there is no fee to park and hike from the Cravens House.

The trailhead at Point Park is located near the Ochs Memorial Observatory and Museum at the most northern end of the park. When walking towards Ochs, follow the signs for the MUSEUM. A loop takes you around the entire north end, but following the sign is the quickest way to the trails.

The hike starts off by descending a series of very steep staircases to the trail below.

Trail signs at the Point Park trailhead, Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Staircase leading down from Point Park to the trails below, Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Once at the bottom of the stairs you must take a left, but first check out the memorial plaques embedded in the cliff walls.

Memorial to the 29th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry at Point Park in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

The trail to Sunset Rock follows the ridge below Point Park and the top of Lookout Mountain, with cliffs on your left and a steep slope on your right. The entire trail is a thing of beauty, and if you have the opportunity to hike it in the fall when the leaves are changing, you are in for a treat.

Cliffs of the Bluff Trail in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Lookout Valley is to your right, but unobstructed views are hard to come by due to the forest. Besides, you really have to qualify the statement, “great views” when the once pristine valley is now dotted with industrial parks. The real views to get excited about are on the trail itself. While there are a few small up and down climbs, the hike to Sunset Rock is relatively flat for a mountain trail. Remember, the Bluff Trail is basically a long switchback.

Bluff Trail in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

A fifteen- to twenty-minute walk brings you to the intersection with the Craven House Trail. This is well marked. Pass this by and continue on to Sunset Rock.

Intersection of the Bluff and Cravens House trails in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

When hiking this trail, you can now understand what a fortress Point Park is from the east, west, and north. No Union soldiers could get to the top from these directions. I passed at least a half dozen groups of rock climbers trying to scale the cliffs. Rock climbing is permitted on the rock faces above and below the Bluff Trail extending between the areas known as the Towers to the climb known as Blonde Ambition.

Rock climbers along the Bluff Trail in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

From the intersection with the Cravens House Trail, Sunset Rock is .6 miles and should take no more than a half hour to reach. The intersection is not marked, but be on the lookout for a fork in the trail, with the left fork leading up a steep, stone staircase. This is the trail to the top of Sunset Rock.

Stone step trail to Sunset Rock in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Do be aware that when you start walking up the stone stairs that it appears as if the trail very quickly comes to an abrupt end. Don’t turn around and think you are at the wrong place (like I originally did). Look to your left and behind you and you can see that the trail continues to the top via a series of switchbacks. The climb is steep, but it takes less than five minutes. In truth, you can get the same great views from Point Park, so if the climb looks too strenuous, don’t think twice about skipping it. The top does make a great place to take a break, as you can sit and relax while viewing the valley below. There is an information panel describing the importance of Lookout Valley during the war. The hike to Sunset Rock is popular, so chances are you won’t be alone.

Taking in the views at Sunset Rock in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Lookout Valley as seen from Sunset Rock in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Wayside exhibit at Sunset Rock in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

The next intersection you need to find is the Gum Springs Trail. When you climb down from Sunset Rock (assuming you climbed up to see the view), continue south, the same way you have been traveling. The intersection is nearly impossible to see for two reasons. First, it is not marked with signs on the Bluff Trail as is the Cravens House Trail. Second, it cuts back at a severe angle to the Bluff Trail and is only marked by a hand painted sign nailed to a tree—when the National Park Service says it doesn’t have money in its budget to fix things, I guess they are not kidding! Therefore, from the moment you leave Sunset Rock, be looking to your right for the trail. It should be no more than a two minutes’ walk.

Intersection of the Gum Springs Trail and Bluff Trail in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

The Gum Springs Trail is a steep downhill trail until you reach the Upper Truck Trail.

Steep hike down the Gum Springs Trail, Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Like most of the trails in the park, the Gum Springs Trail is very rocky, making it easy to twist an ankle if you aren’t watching your every step.

Rocky terrain, typical of trails on the west side of Lookout Mountain in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

The trip to Upper Truck Trail is .6 miles and should take around 20 minutes. And just so you won’t be disappointed, you may not find any flowing water at Gum Springs, as all the springs and waterfalls in the park tend to be dry except during the springtime.

Directional signage along the Gum Springs Trail in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Take a right on Upper Truck Trail, following the signs to Cravens House. The Upper Truck Trail is a gravel service road that runs parallel to the mountain, which means it is a fairly level trail.

Terrain of the Upper Truck Trail in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

About five minutes down the road the trail comes to an end and you have to turn left or right. To the left is the Guild Trail, and to the right is the Hardy Trail, though the trail map makes it appear that Upper Truck continues to the right. Turn to the right, taking the Hardy Trail.

Sign marking the Guild/Hardy Trails, which meet at the intersection with the Upper Truck Trail, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

The next stop on the hike is the Civil War rifle pits. In about ten minutes the trail will fork, with the Rifle Pits Trail veering right. A sign marks the intersection. The rifle pits, just .4 miles down the trail, are a little bit of a disappointment. I was expecting something like a World War 2 bunker, but the rifle pits are really nothing more than a pile of rocks formed into a short wall. Most people would have walked right by them—even with the signs—but when you see a pile of rocks that form a wall, you know that didn’t happen naturally. The sign outlined in red near the wall indicates that these were Confederate rifle pits.

Confederate rifle pits on the Rifle Pits Trail in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

A short walk from the rifle pits brings you to an intersection with a number of trail markers. You are standing at the point where the Rifle Pit Trail (also known as the Earthworks Trail) merges with the Cravens House Trail. The trail that leads up the steps is the Cravens House Trail, and it takes you back to Point Park.

Merging of the Rifle Pits and Cravens House Trails, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

For now, continue downhill towards the Cravens House, which is just five minutes farther ahead. On the way you will pass a .2 mile round trip spur trail (forks to the right and uphill) that will take you to a Pennsylvania and Illinois monument. I did not do this.

The Cravens House was used as the headquarters for Confederate General Edward Walthall until Union troops overran and took the position. The original house was destroyed. What remains today is the house built by Robert Cravens after the war. The house is not open to the public, but you are welcome to walk around the grounds. You will also find monuments to New York and Ohio soldiers. Without a tour, I spent 15 minutes walking around and taking photographs.

Cravens House in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

New York Monument at the Cravens House in the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park

Once finished with your visit, return the way you came and take the Cravens House Trail back to Point Park. Remember, trail does not go directly back to Point Park. You will first come to the Bluff Trail. Take a left to get back to Point Park. The hike back is 1.5 miles and it is mostly uphill. It should take a little less than an hour to get all the way back to the parking lot at Point Park.

Of the four hikes I did at the Chattanooga Unit of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, although strenuous at times, this was my favorite. You can take in great scenery along the Bluff Trail and pass two historic areas. I don’t mind long, strenuous hikes when there is something at the end of the rainbow.

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