Heading up Highway 27 to a hidden gem of outdoor adventure
Week-long summer vacations may be over until next year, but if your inner travel bug is still itching to get away, it’s time to go day trippin’. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast and have never been about two hours up Highway 27 to the Obed Wild & Scenic River, you need to go.
What’s so special about the Obed, you ask? We all know Chattanooga has no shortage of places to hike, mountain bike, rock climb, float or do anything your outdoor spirit desires. Yet sometimes it takes getting out of town to really relax and enjoy nature without having to focus on the responsibilities at home.
Part of the National Park Service, the Obed has a lot more than a scenic river to offer. In addition to rock climbing (the draw for my husband and I), there is also abundant hiking, kayaking, rafting, fishing and more.
The Obed has become one of our favorite spots for a day trip or weekend getaway when we need a change of scenery. But the summer has been busy and we hadn’t had a chance to visit since the spring so I felt it my duty to do more recent due diligence—for your benefit of course.
It wasn’t hard to convince my husband that we needed a day of outdoor therapy away from all of our house projects and things we “should” be doing. So we packed up our climbing gear on a recent Saturday and headed out.
We left Chattanooga around 8:30 a.m. and arrived before 11 a.m. at the Lilly Bluff Trails parking lot. Excited and eager, we grabbed our packs and headed out into the woods for a beautiful 30-minute hike to a rock climbing area called Y-12—named for one of nearby Oak Ridge’s nuclear reactors.
The trails here are well-worn and only moderately strenuous. If you’re just out for the hike, you have plenty of options at this trail head from a 0.3 mile trail leading to a scenic overlook, to the 3.8 mile round-trip Point Trail.
For two climbers who hadn’t been out climbing in weeks, the fresh air—surprisingly cool for August—felt restorative. We’d been to Y-12 before, but there is something about seeing the overwhelmingly beautiful and steep cliffs that makes me catch my breath each time—or maybe that’s due to the hike and my heavy pack.
Regardless, the spectacular cliffs are also a clear reminder that a day of powerful climbing awaits. This cliff line is completely shaded by mid-day, making it the perfect climbing spot during the summer months; and, unlike many of the popular climbing areas in Chattanooga, the Y-12 crag at the Obed is rarely crowded.
We spent the day climbing, trying hard but mostly falling. And yet it was perfect; a mental refit. The day was about soaking in the simple joy of a beautiful sunny, summer day spent out in nature with nothing else on the agenda but fun. Being active, getting worn out and loving every minute. As we sat on a rock and had lunch, I looked around us and marveled at the beauty that Tennessee has to offer. Lush green trees, gentle breezes and the peaceful tranquility of nature.
After a full day of exhausting climbing, we were ready for dinner and a cold beer. Oak Ridge, Tennessee—about a 30-minute drive from the Obed—has the perfect spot: Aubrey’s. With around 40 beers on tap, plus a full wine list, this place can’t be beat. Plus, the food is amazing—hearty portions for hungry climbers—and in my opinion the salmon tacos give even Tremont Tavern’s Sunday night fish tacos a run for their money.
Since we’d gotten so much exercise all day, it wasn’t hard to convince ourselves that we were also justified in ordering a slice of the Peppermint Patty. This mint chocolate chip ice cream pie has an Oreo cookie crust, whipped cream and chocolate syrup drizzle and whether you’ve “earned” a slice or not, you need to splurge.
If you’re not in the mood to drive to “town” though, Del & Marte’s Lilly Pad campground, located within walking distance of the climbing crags and trails, has a brewery of their own called the Lilly Pad Hopyard Brewery where you can grab a home-grown craft beer before heading back to Chattanooga. Or stay and camp and you don’t even have to drive home!
If you love the outdoors and have time for a day trip, the Obed is the place to go. Put it on your short list for Fall. It will not disappoint.
After bidding farewell to the structure of the corporate world over a year ago, Robyn Wolfe Fogle now spends her days pursuing the things she loves. Among her passions are freelance writing, rock climbing and running.