Length: 2.6-mile loop
Time: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
The River Circle Trail is located on the west side of Fort Donelson National Battlefield along Hickman Creek. It is an out-and-back trail, but it is usually combined with a section of the Donelson Trail to form a loop. Both trails cover some very steep terrain.
You can pick up the River Circle Trail from either the River Batteries stop on the driving tour of Fort Donelson National Battlefield (Stop 4) or at the end of Eddyville Spur Road, which is .1 mile past the Smith’s Attack stop on the tour. I’m not sure if there is parking at the end of the road, but if not, just park at Smith’s Attack and walk. I personally think the best place to start is at the River Batteries, and that is where I began.
From the parking lot for the River Batteries stop, make your way down to the reconstructed Lower River Battery and then walk around to a mowed path at the front of the battery. Take a left and follow the trail into the forest.
The trail forks just up ahead—you can see the fork from the edge of the forest—with a left being the Donelson Trail (orange blazes) and a right the River Circle Trail (blue blazes). It makes no difference which way you go, but I took the Donelson Trail first and returned on the River Circle Trail.
Intersection of the Donelson and River Circle trails near the Lower River Battery at Fort Donelson National Battlefield
The hike on the Donelson Trail entails climbing a number of hills—up one side and down the other—all the way to the end. Three of the hills are quite steep, some even tippy-toe steep. That’s a hill so steep that you must push off on the balls of your feet to move forward, and your heels never touch the ground.
The Donelson Trail is wide and has a fairly smooth surface, so despite the hills, hikers can travel at full speed without having to worry too much about stepping on something and twisting an ankle.
The intersection with the River Circle Trail comes 1.2 mile from the start of the hike at the Lower River Battery. A directional sign marks the intersection, but it claims the River Circle Trail is one mile long. My two GPS units clocked it at 1.4 mile.
Start of the River Circle Trail near the end of Eddyville Spur Road in Fort Donelson National Battlefield
Right from the start, the River Circle Trail descends down a very short-but-steep hill—200 foot hike—levels out for 50 feet, and then heads down an even longer and steeper hill. The average grade of the second hill is -22%, and most hikers agree that strenuous begins at -15%. Of course, you are hiking downhill, so that’s a pleasure for young people, but if you have bad knees, it’s actually worse than hiking uphill. Also, the trail has a clay surface, so if it is wet, it will be like ice, and hiking boots won’t make much of a difference. Try to step on leaves, moss, or something else that will give you more traction.
The bottom of the hill comes .2 mile from the start of the return trip on the River Circle Trail, and once at the bottom the terrain levels out for a while. In another .2 mile you will come to Hickman Creek, though at this point it is more like a lake. The Cumberland River is dammed in this area, which caused it to widen and form what is now called Lake Barkley. With the river water now moving at lake speed (not very fast), the streams that flow into it get backed up as well, thus the wide version of Hickman Creek that you now see. The trail itself does not run right along the riverbank, but there are side trails that you can take to get to the water.
The River Circle Trail eventually works its way up to a ridge, so you’ll be walking well above the water not long after first coming to the creek. The climb to the top of the ridge is moderate in difficulty but very short.
At the halfway point, the River Circle Trail veers inland to go around a small cove. In fact, it actually doubles back and heads very far inland, way beyond what is necessary. I have no idea why, but perhaps there is something the National Park Service doesn’t want anyone traipsing across. Regardless, the inland hike climbs another steep hill (16% average grade) for .1 mile, then almost immediately heads back downhill to water level on the other side of the cove (.15 mile, -15% average grade).
The River Circle Trail heads inland around a cove on Hickman Creek, Fort Donelson National Battlefield
From the cove, it’s about a quarter mile back to the Lower River Battery along fairly level ground punctuated here and there with short dips and rises.
In truth, the River Circle Trail is not much of a river trail. Other than the one section on the Smith’s Attack end of the trail where you do see Hickman Creek, most of the time you only catch glimpses of water through the trees—when you are even near the water. This is ultimately a hike for exercise, not scenic views.
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Last updated on October 23, 2024